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StitcherSee how eating healthy doesn’t have to be pricey? Very demure, very mindful. If you’ve been wanting to eat a little better, try more veggies, or just stop spending a lot at the grocery store, this episode’s for you. Back with a listener favorite, Toni Okamoto is here to prove that plant-based living doesn’t mean sad meals or empty wallets.
Doing something before you’re completely comfortable can set you up for failure.
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Toni Okamoto is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular website and meal plan that shows you how to save dough by eating veggies. She’s also the author of the Plant-Based on a Budget Cookbook, and the co-host of The Plant-Powered People Podcast. Her new cookbook is Plant-Based on a Budget: Quick and Easy.
Taking Your Time in Going Plant-Based
ParagraphBeing familiar and comfortable can be a considerable barrier to trying something new. The biggest misconception about going plant-based, which Toni discovered, is that people believe it has to happen overnight and it has to be all or nothing. You need to try new things step by step to learn more about yourself, just like Toni, who took six (6) years to become plant-based.
Smart Planning When Grocery Shopping
Being thoughtful and smart about planning your trip to the grocery store can significantly help you save money. A grocery store is hard to navigate when you’re on a budget. Look all the way around and find the lowest price by the ounce. You do not need to sacrifice your budget to create a plant-based meal.
Time vs. Cost With Plant-Based Cooking
When Toni started her cooking journey, she did not know how to mix the different spices and blend other ingredients. She had to read books from the library and get together with friends to try on various ingredients and recipes. Going Plant-based can cost you time, but you can avoid it by thinking simply. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate and expensive meal. Remember to use only the recipes you will find as a guide, then allow yourself to customize it how you would prefer.
Go Plant-Based With Kindness and Love
If your partner wants meat or cheese, make a simple meal such as pasta. You can make the same base, take it and create your preferences using that base (e.g., cook the same pasta but create the sauce based on each of your preferences). Toni has been vegan for 16 years now, and one thing she’s learned is that you cannot force anyone to do anything. You can only be kind and loving and hope they will support and accommodate you.
Our favorite inexpensive plant-based meal to make
- Toni: Loves the comfort soups bring. Right now, she loves a super vegetable-heavy soup with tofu cubes and pasta to make it hearty.
- Jill: Chickpea rice bowl with all sorts of other goodies in it.
- Jen: Kale Salad with plant-based mayonnaise)and Crispy Tofu, which she puts in everything.
Get more from Toni
Website: Plant Based On a Budget
Instagram: @plantbasedonabudget
Bill of The Week
Thank you Toni for sharing your bill about Starbucks where someone else bought your coffee!
Thanks so Much for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening. We love love love reading your kind reviews of our book Buy What You Love Without Going Broke and we especially loved this one from:
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An absolute gem of a book that’s focused on spending. I loved this book so much. It’s a breath of fresh air from other personal finance books. The focus is not on budgeting or baby steps and instead is on understanding values and all of the things that trigger spending. If you already have your budget, this book is the next step to think more about spending habits. It’s worth coming back to reread and reference Jen and Jill’s words (the writing is non-judgemental) One of the biggest takeaways: retail therapy can feel like the one thing we can control when things are chaotic.
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