The opinion that vegan eating is more costly compared to stuffing one’s nose with junk food is, in most cases, premised on some factors, which need to be looked into. Although the meat-alikes are often perceived to be more expensive when compared to their meat substitutes, looking deeper at the subtleties provide a better perspective.
Quality of Ingredients: Mostly vegan diets also put a lot of emphasis on whole and minimally processed foods and good quality organic produce. Although these components may come at a higher price initially, they result in great health and happiness in the long run which balances the potential medical spending in the future.
Production Scale: Cheap inputs for mass production and subsidies in favor of conventional agriculture are the reasons behind the low price of processed and animal-based food products. The vegan alternatives, other than being produced on a large scale, have the same economics of scale which slightly makes them slightly expensive. Nevertheless, with the general trend of vegan products becoming more and more popular, economies of scale will push down the prices in future.
Market Demand and Availability: The vegan-oriented food products have experienced a momentum in sales in the recent years, thus bringing various specialty products on the market. The foods containing these ingredients may be priced higher due to their being new in the market and it involves a lot of effort in creating alternatives to animal-based food. These, which are the basics like beans, grain, and vegetables, remain cheap.
Perceived Value: Cheaply processed food is usually thought of as being cheaper because it is presented as a cheaper and easier choice. The true price of these products, however, could be invisible in the short term, as they may leave a trace of long-term health problems when it comes to consuming foods enriched with nutrients, yet poor in them.
Cooking Skills and Time Investment: The preparation of meals that are vegan to eat at home enables making cost-effective decisions, but this requires time and basic cooking skills. On the other hand, mainly fast food and processed products offer a better price tag when considering the imagined fast convenience.
