Making the most of a family food budget starts with simple and affordable ingredients. Our in-house dietitians have developed a weekly vegan shopping basket, bringing together budget-friendly everyday staples and recipe inspiration for the whole family!
Saving compared to average family of four weekly shop (£101.18) equates to £14.25 (14%)
*Please note this table is based on a family of four, but ingredients can be increased or decreased to suit. The basket aims for nutritional completeness and includes fortified foods, though supplement guidance should still be followed where needed with respect to Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, iodine and selenium.
| Item | Suggested amount |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | |
| Oats | 1kg bag |
| Fortified breakfast cereal (wheat bisks) | 1 box |
| Wholemeal bread | 3 loaves |
| Wholemeal wraps/pittas | 2x packs |
| Wholewheat pasta | 1kg bag |
| Brown rice | 1kg bag |
| Potatoes | 2-2.5kg bag |
| Couscous | 500g bag |
| Oatcakes/wholewheat crackers | 1 pack |
| Protein foods | |
| Calcium-set tofu | 4x 400g blocks |
| Tempeh | 1x 200g blocks/pieces |
| Tinned kidney/black/cannellini beans/chickpeas | 8x tins |
| Red split lentils | 500g |
| Baked beans | 4x 400g tins |
| Frozen edamame or peas | 1x 500g bag |
| Vegan meat alts | 1x bag soya mince, 1x pack 6 sausages, 1x pack 8 burgers |
| Healthy fats | |
| Hummus | 2x 200g tubs |
| Peanut butter/seed butters | 1x 500-700g tub |
| Ground flaxseeds/chia seeds | 300g |
| Mixed nuts (includes Brazil nuts and walnuts) | 200g bag |
| Calcium-containing foods | |
| Fortified soya milk | 8x litres |
| Fortified soya yoghurt | 2x 500g tubs |
| Vegan cheese alternative | 200g |
| Fruit and vegetables | |
| Bananas | 12-14 |
| Apples/pears/satsumas | 20 |
| Berries, frozen | 1kg |
| Dried fruit: raisins/apricots | 1 bag |
| Carrots | 1kg |
| Broccoli | 1kg |
| Spinach, frozen | 1x 900g bag |
| Bell peppers | 6 |
| Onions | 6 |
| Mushrooms | 400g pack |
| Courgettes | 4 |
| Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes | 1 lettuce, 1 cucumber, 6 tomatoes |
| Frozen mixed vegetables | 1kg bag |
| Tinned tomatoes | 4x 400g tins |
| Tomato purée | 1 tube |
| Other | |
| Vegan cereal bars or biscuits | 1 pack |
| Falafels | 1 pack |
| Basket cost | £86.93 |
Example recipes
Lentil and bean chilli (serves 6)
15g protein I 15g fibre
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 courgette
- 2 large tins chopped tomatoes (800g)
- 160g split red lentils
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tin kidney beans
- 1 tin black-eyed beans
- 300-400g wholegrain rice (dry weight)
- Dollop of unsweetened soya yogurt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pan and add finely chopped white onion, carrots and courgette. Fry for around 5 minutes until the onions are soft and begin to caramelise.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the rice) to the pan and stir well to combine. Cook at a simmer for at least 45 minutes.
- Prepare the rice, then serve topped with the chilli and optional dollop of soya yogurt.
PB&J porridge (serves 1, ingredients can be increased)
16g protein I 12g fibre
Ingredients
- 40g oats
- 150-180ml soya milk
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 80g frozen berries
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Add the oats, chia seeds and soya milk to a small pan on a low heat and cook until it begins to thicken.
- With the heat still on, add the peanut butter and berries.
- Continue to stir and cook until the porridge reaches the desired consistency and serve.
Protein-packed pittas (serves 4)
20g protein I 8g fibre
Ingredients
- 4 wholegrain pitta breads
- 200g hummus
- 1 block firm tofu (400g)
- 2 tomatoes
- A handful of salad leaves
Instructions
- Cook the tofu according to the packet instructions.
- Slice the pittas and fill with a generous dollop of hummus, salad and slices of cooked tofu.
Rainbow tempeh bowls (serves 4)
27g protein I 13g fibre
Ingredients
- Salad leaves
- 1 thinly sliced cucumber
- 2 large carrots grated
- 2 sliced bell peppers
- 320g edamame beans
- Smoked tempeh (200g block)
- 200g wholewheat couscous (dry weight)
Instructions
- Firstly, thaw the edamame beans.
- Cook the couscous according to the packet instructions and leave to cool.
- Cook the tempeh and season with oil, herbs and/or spices if desired.
- Plate up the salad vegetables then top with the couscous, chunks of tempeh and edamame beans.
- Add your preferred oil or salad dressing.
*Research has been conducted by surveying the shopping habits of 223 vegan families, utilising nutritional recommendation resources and calculating the average price per portion across six UK major supermarkets (Asda, Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Lidl) as of August 2026. Full methodology available here.
For more tips and resources on how to live an affordable vegan lifestyle, visit our Live Vegan for Less campaign page and follow the hashtag #LiveVeganForLess on socials.
