Good news for your wallet: meat substitutes are now cheaper than meat

Supermarket price increases (ten percent is no exception): we really can’t stop talking about them BUT YES, that pain in our wallets isn’t stopping either… Today, the newspapers reported that the end of the price increases isn’t even in sight yet – perhaps a good time to take another look at our budget recipes. But amid all this commotion, there is also a turning point that can be seen as positive: due to inflation, meat substitutes are now cheaper than meat.

We previously reported that a study had shown that some vegetarian alternatives, such as soy milk and margarine, were cheaper than their animal-based counterparts, cow’s milk and butter, but a new study now also makes it clear that meat has become considerably more expensive while meat substitutes have not.

Huge price differences, vegan options often cheaper

The February study by ProVeg and Questionmark that we mentioned here has been updated because major changes have taken place in those few months. At the time, plant-based burgers were on average 56 cents per kilo more expensive than meat burgers; now they are 78 cents per kilo cheaper. And vegan chicken pieces? From €1.16 per kilo more expensive to €0.37 per kilo cheaper. Minced meat: from 29 cents per kilo more expensive to €1.36 cheaper. Note: these are averages, and the figures and differences are not the same for every product in every supermarket, but it can nevertheless be said that the price differences are substantial.

Budget shoppers

The study shows that the greatest financial benefit in these categories can be found at Aldi and Lidl. According to Pablo Moleman of ProVeg Netherlands, people who have already started choosing these supermarkets more often because of the price increases could reduce their costs even further by choosing meat substitutes instead of meat.

On behalf of ProVeg, he also explains that people are paying more for meat both because of inflation and higher raw material costs, and because of the inefficiency involved in meat production. For example, producing one kilo of meat requires as much as ten kilos of grain. “That takes its toll in times of scarcity.”

World vegan cuisine

So if you were already planning to eat less meat, this could be just the financial encouragement you needed. And now that the range of alternatives is so extensive, you hardly ever have to wonder what you should eat for dinner again. Vegan mince in Thai curry, for example, or vegan shawarma. Of course, there are meat substitutes that don’t pass the taste test, but even if you’re not a fan, you can still eat deliciously and not miss meat.

Cheerful flex or vegan

On the ProVeg website, you can find the full story about the research conducted by supermarket researcher Questionmark, which reveals the price advantages of meat substitutes—news that will sound like music to the ears of people who choose alternatives to meat.

Image: Albert Heijn

Also read:

• Vegetarian smoked sausages tested: the verdict is not tender
• Recipe: vegan meatballs with turmeric and pumpkin curry
• How healthy are all those meat substitutes, really?