Previous research also supports that a vegan diet is cheaper than a meat-based diet. image: Getty

Read the study.

Food costs dropped by 16 per cent for research participants who switched to a vegan diet, while those who stuck to their regular diet did not see a change in costs.

Previous research has also found that eating a plant-based diet saved shoppers between 25 and 29 per cent on groceries.

Savings outweighed the increased cost of buying replacement foods such as fruits, vegetables and legumes, as well as dairy and meat replacements.

“As the prices of staple foods, such as rice and beans, are much lower compared with meat and dairy, it was hypothesised that food costs would be reduced on a vegan diet,” the report said.

“A large US Internet survey found that food expenditures for vegetarians were lower than for their meat-eating counterparts.”

A previous study also found that a low-fat vegan diet resulted in weight loss, improved body composition, and increased insulin sensitivity in overweight adults, the report said.

Original Article > by Mikala Theocharous, 9News