Vegan equivalents 'can be more than twice as expensive'

Being vegan can cost more than twice as much as shopping for those who eat everything, a report has claimed.

Vegan food can be more than twice as expensive as non vegan equivalents, study shows.

A report looking at the cost of buying staples at four of the major supermarkets, revealed that all of the vegan versions were far more expensive than the non-vegan, with the basket of goods from Waitrose costing more that twice that of non-vegan products.

The analysis looked at the cost of own brand sausages, burgers patties, milk, spread, yogurt, pizza, cupcakes, ice-cream, cheese and chocolate.

The study, commissioned by plant-based gum company, Chewsygum.com, looked at the price and number of calories per 100g of product to examine the price and calorie content of vegan and non-vegan products.

Some supermarkets were more expensive for vegan food than others.

Expense

A spokeswoman for Chewsygum.com, said: “Going vegan is great from a health and environmental perspective - however big companies now know they can cash in from this lifestyle, so it’s important to be smart about where you do your shopping. With that said, not all vegan products equal health, in fact our study shows that some can be more calorific than the non-vegan alternatives so it’s best to keep an eye on that label and know which supermarkets are best for you and your lifestyle, whether you are vegan or not."

Asda is the shop with the most insignificant price difference between vegan and non-vegan products at £2.17 higher, followed by Tesco. The cheapest vegan shopping basket in the study was at Tesco, where the products cost £12.30.

In Tesco and Morrisons, the total calories for vegan produce was about 200 less than the non-vegan total for the same products - however, at Sainsbury’s, the vegan food calorie count was 63 per cent higher than the meat and dairy version.

The report said: “While vegan products are generally known to be more expensive, some supermarkets are taking advantage of that, perhaps a bit too much.

The biggest price difference between non-vegan and vegan products can be seen at Waitrose, where it would cost you more than double to shop as a vegan. Similarly, it would be very harmful for your wallet as a vegan to shop at Sainsbury’s, where it would cost you £11.45 more to get the same products as someone who eats animal-derived produce.”