As plant-based ways of eating become more popular, many college students are exploring a vegan diet. But switching from a traditional carnivorous diet to a vegan diet can be a challenge at first. The inexpensive staples in your pantry that you've come to love (think Easy Mac and ramen noodles) are now off-limits. What's a newly minted vegan to do? Here are four affordable ways to go vegan in college:

1. Embrace whole foods

Some parts of being a vegan are easy. If you want a snack, what could be easier and healthier than a fresh piece of fruit or some sliced veggies? You can embrace your transition to vegan eating with easy, affordable produce. Check your local grocery stores for produce sales and buy what you plan to eat within two or three days.

A good way to keep your vegan grocery budget down is only purchasing the fresh ingredients you plan to eat right away. If you let food rot in your fridge or on your counter, you'll be making your vegan diet more expensive than it needs to be.

2. Stock up on frozen veggies

While fresh is better than frozen, frozen is the next best thing. Frozen veggies are usually cheap and easy to prepare. Pop a bowl of frozen broccoli in the microwave and top with a vegan dressing or spices. If your parents have a wholesale club membership, you can easily score a five-pound bag of frozen green beans, mixed veggies, or broccoli for around $7.

3. Dig up your childhood favorites and make your own dips and dressings

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are an easy, nostalgic food. And these sandwiches are super easy to make vegan. Simply find a vegan bread, vegan jelly or jam (check the ingredients), and peanut butter. Other childhood vegan favorites might include apples with peanut butter or a veggie plate swapped with vegan ranch. Healthy vegan eating doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to be animal-free.

Purchasing pre-made vegan dips and dressings can add up quickly. While the convenience is hard to argue with, if you take just a little bit of time from your week for food prep you'll save big money. Popular vegan dips include hummus and baba ghanoush. Try adding in apple cider vinegar with your dips or dressings. These are both super simple to make and contain inexpensive ingredients. Hummus is made with chickpeas, oil, and spices. Baba ghanoush is made of roasted eggplant, oil, lemon juice, and spices.

For dressings, you can keep things simple with a flavor-infused oil, like a garlic olive oil. Or you can mix things up with an avocado, some olive oil, lemon, and cilantro. Find your favorite cheap vegan recipes and get started.

4. Classic staples

A classic dish known for its frugality, rice and beans are also vegan! Grab a big bag of your favorite rice, your favorite beans, and your favorite spices. You can cook rice and beans ahead of time and store these in the fridge for a quick, filling meal. If you prep your meals ahead of time, you'll save a significant amount of money. And rice and beans can totally be taken to go in a tortilla or pita.

Although one of the benefits of becoming vegan is eating more vegetables, there are many vegan pastas you can choose from that will keep you on budget and satisfied. Have your favorite vegan pasta with a vegan tomato sauce. Add noodles to your veggie stir-fry for a vegan twist on Asian food. Pasta can be a vegan's best friend. Just make sure the pasta you choose is vegan. Many pastas are made with egg, which is not vegan.

Changing to a vegan diet doesn't need to be complex. Keep things simple by swapping your non-vegan staples for vegan-friendly ones. As you become more accustomed to vegan eating, you may become more adventurous with your grocery purchases. But eliminating meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy is easier than you think.