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The Balance of Health

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Is plant-based eating expensive?

It depends what you buy. Staples are among the cheapest foods there are; ready-made substitutes are not.

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The cheap version

Dried lentils, beans, chickpeas, rice, oats, potatoes, frozen vegetables, seasonal fruit and tinned tomatoes are some of the least expensive foods per calorie and per gram of protein in almost every country.

The expensive version

Plant-based burgers, cheeses and ready meals are usually priced above the animal products they imitate. They are convenient, not essential.