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New research suggests that adopting a low-fat vegan diet is significantly cheaper than both a standard American diet and a Mediterranean diet.
Read more: Mediterranean Diet Vs Plant-Based: Which Is Best?
The research was conducted by the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Jama Network Open. PCRM carried out a secondary analysis of a 2019 randomized clinical trial.
This analysis found that total food costs were 19 percent lower on a vegan diet than on a standard American diet (SAD) featuring animal products and refined ingredients. Furthermore, costs were 25 percent lower when compared to a Mediterranean diet.
The savings were mostly associated with eschewing traditional meat, which offset the additional outgoings for vegetables and plant-based proteins. Overall, the analysis suggests that people following a SAD diet could save more than $650 per year by going vegan, while those following a Mediterranean diet could save over $870.
Read more: National Dietary Guides Should Be Based On Healthy Plant-Based Diet, Says Study
Vegan diets cheaper and more sustainable
This latest analysis is preceded by PCRM research from 2023 that found low-fat vegan diets were around 16 percent less expensive than diets including meat, dairy, and egg.
“As the cost of groceries remains stubbornly high, consumers should swap the meat and dairy products for a low-fat vegan diet based on fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans,” said Hana Kahleova, the lead author of the new paper and director of clinical research at PCRM, per Technology Networks. “A vegan diet won’t just save money; it could save lives by helping to avoid or improve conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.”
A separate report by Bryant Research and Plant-Based Universities from October found that Universities could save half a million pounds and cut 84 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from food by switching to entirely plant-based catering.
Plant-Based Universities campaigner Agnes Sales called such a move “common sense.”
Read more: Plant-Based Milk And Meat Are Now Mainstream In Europe, Report Finds
