Vegan

Here we find another reason why people find major dietary changes like this unrelatable. We have a headline that says people wrongly think that plant based diets are more expensive, and a comment section largely consisting of comments indicating that we should in fact assume a complete change of cooking habits is something we don't need to factor in while making this statement. It's a massive oversimplification.

Many of the cheapest and most filling foods available at any given grocery store or especially at any given convenience store or restaurant contain some sort of animal product, whether that be meat, dairy, or egg. Yes, if you have access and the inclination you can get a lot of ingredients pretty cheaply, and yes raw ingredients tend to follow the pattern of plant based ingredients often being cheaper. But to say that a plant based diet is less expensive is as devoid of nuance as saying it's more expensive.

If you're eating a plant based diet exclusively, you certainly do lose access to a wide range of cheap and easily prepared foods. The cheap version of a plant based diet requires either a fair bit of preparation or eating a lot of rice and beans. The version that likely most closely mimics the previous diet of people who aren't doing a ton of cooking is likely to be more expensive.

This also assumes access to fresh produce and both the facilities and the energy and ability to cook on a regular basis. The cost difference for someone who can't or simply doesn't cook every day to have a plant based diet with substantial variety is in fact significantly more expensive.

All that said, it is much more attainable to shift to a diet that leans more heavily on plants while spending about the same amount and not denying oneself access to cheaper foods that might be available or quite as drastically changing one's habits.

That’s because they’re comparing normal beef to Beyond Burgers since they can’t fathom the idea of not eating meat.

Probably because the products that are marketed most prominently as being vegan also charge a premium.

If you don't change the menu, but substitute processed products for meat, then it very much is more expensive. If you change what you're eating entirely, and go after the no/low processed route, you can do pretty well.

Having cut a bunch of things out of my diet due to food sensitivities, I routinely see people struggle to imagine what dining looks like for me. A lot of folks have a very fixed view of cuisine and the day-to-day of making meals at home. All I had to do was eat less "American" food and more "East Asian" food; suggesting this makes some heads explode. IMO, a lot of people are not prepared to change that much, and will conjure any plausible excuse to avoid that struggle.

Why is a black bean burger $17 then?

well, they objectively and most definitely are. you know those extra five-eight years of life expectancy they give? how much more d'you think those would cost?!

Beans are cheap.

Many Americans think meat, starch, & veg…instead of actual nutrients per ingredient. Also, the idea of all or nothing is pragmatic. I believe if you promote a flexitarian diet ideal, you will do far more for the vegan ideal than anything else at this point.

Also give any doubters a falafel pita/wrap

Was talking to friends about how they spend on average $100-200 on meat when they go grocery shopping.

I don't get it.

I eat a plant based diet and it is definitely not more expensive, but in a utopian society that didn't give massive subsidies to big meat and big dairy, it would be a lot cheaper. The fact that soy milk is more expensive than regular milk boggles the mind. The cows are eating the soybeans, but liquid made from the soybean directly is somehow more expensive than milk from a cow.

Rice, a veggie and a protein all day everyday.

The issue is that for a lot of these people their idea of a plant based diet is an analogous to what they currently eat, and products that emulate that are quite expensive. Bean tacos are cheaper than beef tacos, but imitation ground beef tacos are more expensive.

Perhaps it’s a lack of imagination on the part of people and perhaps it’s that the marketing of plant based diets has largely been pushed in the mainstream by companies offering premium meat substitutes.