If you’re trying to save money on groceries, eating a mostly vegetarian diet will instantly help you cut back. Beans can fill you up with tons of protein at a fraction of the cost of a chicken breast. These two types of beans in particular pack more fiber and protein than regular black or kidney beans, and cost just around $2 a can—that’s less than $1 per serving.
You can often find this in the scoop-it-yourself bins, and it costs around $2 per pound. Of course, you only need about half a cup per meal so a pound can feed you for days. Bulgar wheat is packed with vitamins and fiber, and tastes great in rice pilaf.
Chickpeas are another great addition to your diet if you’re cutting out meat. Also called garbanzo beans, they’re high in fiber and protein — even in small servings — and taste delicious blended into a hummus, tossed into a salad, or mashed up and fried into a falafel. You can usually find a generic-label can for around $1, and only need half a can per meal.
You’ll feel like you stopped at a farmer’s market with this gorgeous veggie in your bag. It’s in the same family as broccoli, cabbage and kale, but looks like a big white carrot. It’s high in vitamin C and folate, and costs just around $1 per pound.
Just two eggs provide you with 14 grams of protein, in only around 140 calories. And even the organic, cage-free eggs only cost around $3 a box—that’s just about 25 cents an egg.
Lentils are one of the most versatile foods. You can make a soup out of them, eat them cold as a salad, make a lentil burger, and even make a spread out of them. They’re full of fiber and protein, and super easy to digest.
Want to add a protein boost to your breakfast or snack? Add just two tablespoons of peanut butter to your breakfast smoothie or toast, and you’ll get eight grams of protein in just 188 calories. Smother it onto apple slices for an afternoon snack, or for a childhood favorite, put it on celery with some raisins. You can get a two-pound tub for just around $4 that will last you one or two months.
Sweet potatoes are so comforting, and have a delicious flavor all on their own. You can boil them up in less than 10 minutes, mash them up, puree them or just eat them in chunks with butter and you’ll get the benefits of the high fiber and vitamins. The best part is they’re sold all year long, and for just around $1 per pound.
Another veggie you probably associated with “fancy” dishes, bok choy actually costs just around $2 or $3 per head, and you only need about a quarter of a head per meal. It sautés quickly, and tastes delicious with rice and beans. Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable, so it’s great for your digestion.
You don’t have to add meat or fish to your pasta — if you buy the right kind, you get plenty of protein. Brown rice or quinoa pasta costs just around $3 or $4 a bag, and will last you several meals, making each serving just around 50 cents. When you opt out of white pasta and choose brown rice or quinoa varieties, you get tons of fiber and protein. Just add some cheap veggies and you have a complete meal.
