Cheap plant-based food
By eating this way, you can get all the nutrients you need for as low as $4/day (yes, even with today's inflation).
Basic principle
- Macro-nutrients come from foods.
- Micro-nutrients come from supplements.
Foods
General principle: Buy whatever whole ingredients are on sale or are inherently cheap. This will depend on your location and time of year. It also changes from year to year - for example: one year there might be lots of black beans on sale; another year there might be lots of green split peas on sale. Go with the flow 😎
Ingredients to use
- Legumes - dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas
- Root vegetables - especially potatoes, onions, carrots
- Grain products - such as pasta, rice, flour, cornmeal
- You may also need some vegetable oil, sugar and seasonings. discussion TODO: Debunk some misconceptions about grains and seed oils. Show more clearly that the diet described on this page is nutritious (unlike some other diets, that give grains and seed oils a bad name).
What to make with these ingredients
- Soups
- Breads
- Fries
- See more... (not written yet)
Supplements
- A general-purpose multivitamin (typically less than 15 cents/day).
- Found at most pharmacies (brand names may include "Centrum" or "One-A-Day")
- Also add a calcium tablet (typically less than 10 cents/day)
Nutrition analysis
A lot more nutritionally balanced than how most people eat (surprisingly).
FAQ
This section has not been filled in yet.