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If your grocery bill has crept up lately, you’re not alone. Fortunately, these budget-friendly plant-based recipes prove you don’t have to sacrifice flavor to save money.
Sadia Badiei, the dietitian behind Pick Up Limes, recently shared a video focused on simple meals that keep costs low and satisfaction high. Badiei, who is originally from British Columbia, met her partner while traveling in Thailand before later settling in the Netherlands. There, she built Pick Up Limes into a global platform and app centered on nourishing, accessible plant-based cooking. In this latest video, she turns her attention to affordability, explaining: “With everything getting more expensive lately, groceries included, I wanted to help you save some money in today’s video.”
Read more: Budget-Friendly Vegan Meal Prep Ideas – Under $10 Per Day
Below are the three standout recipes she shares.
Peanut granola made with just seven ingredients
Store-bought granola can quickly become expensive, especially varieties packed with specialty nuts and sweeteners. Badiei keeps hers refreshingly simple.
“Some granolas can be super pricey, especially the ones that are loaded with a bunch of fancy nuts, but this recipe keeps things super simple with just seven simple ingredients,” she says.
She combines rolled oats with chopped peanuts, cinnamon, and salt. On the stove, natural peanut butter made from “100 percent peanuts, no added oils or sugars” melts together with maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. For those looking to trim costs even further, she notes you can swap in agave: “Or you could use agave syrup for a more budget-friendly option. I’m just Canadian and love maple syrup.”
After baking for 20 to 25 minutes and stirring halfway through, the mixture crisps as it cools. The result is a golden, crunchy breakfast base that lasts for days. Badiei enjoys it with plant milk or yogurt and whatever fruit is available. “Truly any fruits that you have and that you love will work great,” she adds.
Buffalo pasta salad with beans for affordable protein
For lunch or meal prep, Badiei leans on pantry staples. This buffalo pasta salad centers beans as an economical protein source.
“This one’s big on flavor, low on cost, and we’re going to be using beans as a protein source because it’s filling and affordable,” she explains.
She shares a practical tip for pasta salads: “Anytime you’re cooking pasta, specifically for a pasta salad, cook it for two minutes longer than al dente.” The reason? “When pasta cools, it hardens. But you don’t want a hard pasta in your pasta salad.”
The salad includes shredded carrots, celery, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and pickles. Butter beans crisp lightly in a pan, though she notes alternatives like chickpeas or lentils also work. The creamy dressing blends vegan mayo, unsweetened soy yogurt, Frank’s hot sauce, and a homemade ranch spice mix. Once tossed together, she admires the result: “It’s so creamy, hearty, spicy, tangy, all at once.”
It’s a practical, flavor-packed example of how budget-friendly plant-based recipes can rely on accessible staples rather than expensive meat substitutes.
Cozy eggplant pesto orzo for weeknights
The final dish is a comforting dinner built from just a handful of ingredients. “This next recipe is my new favorite weeknight dinner. It’s a cozy eggplant orzo. You’re going to love it,” Badiei says.
Orzo cooks separately while the onion and eggplant sauté. Tomato paste and vegan red pesto caramelize briefly to deepen flavor before cannellini beans, soy cooking cream, nutritional yeast, and seasoning join the pan. The mixture simmers until the eggplant turns soft and creamy.
An optional topping of croutons toasted with Italian seasoning adds crunch. Even though it’s optional, Badiei recommends it. Once the drained orzo folds into the sauce, the dish comes together quickly. “This orzo is just so creamy and comforting and full of flavor. And it’s made with just a handful of very simple ingredients.”
Across all three meals, Badiei emphasizes practicality. These budget-friendly plant-based recipes use oats, beans, pasta, and seasonal produce to stretch ingredients further while keeping meals varied and satisfying. As grocery prices fluctuate, her approach offers a reminder that affordable cooking often starts with returning to simple, staple foods.
You can find more plant-based recipes and lifestyle tips on the Pick Up Limes YouTube channel.
Read more: 9 Budget Vegan Recipes Anyone Can Make
