Are Plant-Based Diets Costly?

Messages stating that plant-based diets are expensive appear regularly in our news sources.  But these messages are inherently wrong and it bears repeating once again.  Eating foods sourced from plants is not a costly way to eat.

In June 2025 a survey asked 2,206 US adults if they thought that eating a plant-based diet was more expensive than eating a diet that includes meat and dairy.  This survey came from a Morning Consult poll put forward by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.  (1)  Results showed that a large majority of the people polled did indeed think that plant-based diets were costly.  Baby Boomers (people born between the years 1946 and 1964) were the most likely to think that this is true with 67% of them believing that plant-based eating was more expensive than eating the Standard American Diet.  (More recent generations agreed but to a lesser extent with 61% of the GenXers, 56% of the Millennials and 55% of the GenZers thinking that plant-based eating costs more.) The same survey found that 77% of all the adults polled consider the cost of groceries too high and 70% of them said that meats are the food for which they spend most of their grocery budget.  (1,2)

Adding to this discussion is a 2024 analysis of a randomized crossover trial which compared the costs of vegan (plant-based) and Mediterranean diets.  Participants were randomized to either a low-fat vegan diet or a Mediterranean diet for 16 weeks.  (3)

• The vegan diet consisted of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes with no restrictions on calorie intake. Animal products and added oils were excluded.
• The Mediterranean diet consisted of vegetables, fresh fruits and legumes along with at least 3 weekly servings of fish or seafood and at least 3 weekly servings of nuts or seeds. It allowed the consumption of white meats (with visible fat removed) instead of red meats.  Participants were also asked to eliminate or limit the consumption of cream, butter, margarine, processed meats, sweetened beverages, pastries and processed snacks.  Cured ham, red meat and fatty cheeses were limited to 1 serving or less per week.  In addition, participants were asked to include 50 gm of extra virgin olive oil (about ¼ cup) in their daily diet.  Again, no restrictions on calorie intake were required.  (3)

Results of this study showed that total food costs were 25% lower on a vegan diet compared with a Mediterranean diet.  This decrease was mainly associated with the savings stemming from not purchasing meats and it outweighed the increased spending on vegetables, grains and meat alternatives of the vegan diet.  (3)

Many people are unaware that a plant-based diet is based on whole plant-sourced foods like vegetables, beans and other legumes, fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, and herbs.  It should not be surprising that such a diet would be substantially more affordable than meals centered around animal products like meats and dairy.

With 77% of adults involved in the Morning Consult poll reporting that groceries are too expensive and that they were spending more of their food budget on meats than on any other food component, maybe its time for more people to try out plant-based eating for themselves.  If they commit to this new way of eating for a few months, they will not only see their food costs go down, but the hidden bonuses of eating plant-based will begin to reveal themselves.

• Plant-based food is delicious.
• Excess weight starts to disappear all on its own. (4,5)
• Plant-based diets can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and obesity. (6,7)
• The risk of developing many types of cancer are reduced. (8,9,10)

 

SOURCES:

1 https://pcrm.widen.net/s/zkslkcz9rk/pcrm_plant-based-diet-cost-poll_6.20.25

2  https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/majority-us-adults-misinformed-about-cost-eating-plant-based-diet

3  Kahleova, H., Sutton, M., Maracine, C., et al. Food Costs of a Low-Fat Vegan Diet vs a Mediterranean Diet: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(11):e2445784. Doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.45784.

4  Tran, E., Dale, H.F., Jensen, C., Lied, G.A. Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Weight Status: A Systematic Review. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020 Sep 30;13:3433-3448. Doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S272802. PMID: 33061504; PMCID: PMC7533223.

5  Bassin, S.R., Ferreira De Carvalho, J, Gulati, M.  A Review of Plant-Based Diets for Obesity Management.  Endocrine Practice, Volume 30, Issue 8, 2024.  Pages779-789.  ISSN 1530-891X.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2024.04.020.

6  Almuntashiri, S.A., Alsubaie, F.F., Alotaybi, M. Plant-Based Diets and Their Role in Preventive Medicine: A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Insights for Reducing Disease Risk. Cureus. 2025 Feb 6;17(2):e78629. Doi: 10.7759/cureus.78629. PMID: 40062050; PMCID: PMC11890674.

7  Tuso, P.J., Ismail, M.H., Ha, B.P., Bartolotto, C. Nutritional update for physicians: plant-based diets. Perm J. 2013 Spring;17(2):61–6. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7812/TPP/12-085.

8  Campbell TC. Cancer Prevention and Treatment by Wholistic Nutrition. J Nat Sci. 2017 Oct;3(10):e448. PMID: 29057328; PMCID: PMC5646698.

9 https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/plant-power-to-lower-cancer-risk

10  https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/diet-nutrition-cancer-risk-reduction/