Want Cheaper Food? Vegans Suggest You Stop Eating Eggs And Meat — And They Have A Point.

We talked to people who don’t eat animal products about the bottom line on their food budgets.

It must be acknowledged that being shamed for what you’re eating by a smug vegan is not everyone’s idea of a good time. We all know someone who brings up their virtuous eating plan within the first few minutes of every conversation. For some of us, all that dietary purity induces a mad desire to go find the nearest medium-rare hamburger and gobble it down right in front of them, just to be contrary.

But with the price of eggs and meat on the rise, there’s another argument for going vegan: It can save you money.

Maggie Baird knows a lot about the music industry (she’s the mother of Grammy Award-winning artists Billie Eilish and Finneas), but she also knows quite a bit about food systems and how they work. She’s the founder and president of Support and Feed, a nonprofit that works on mitigating climate change and increasing food security by driving global demand, acceptance and accessibility of plant-based food. And she’s clear that the consumption of meat, eggs and cheese, in addition to having a negative impact on health and the environment, is a very expensive way to eat.

Baird brings a home cook’s sensibility to the often-polarizing debate about why, or why not, to eat certain foods. “I save a lot of money compared to those who eat animal products,” she said.

While many vegans find themselves spending quite a bit on processed, convenience-focused, plant-based food, Baird buys bulk ingredients and always has options on hand. “The more you start from scratch, the more you’ll save,” she said.