Attention Vegans?!
Answers: I am thinking of changing a few things, namely my eating habits. What would you recomed to someone on a tight budget, some of the ingredients in vegan recipies are expensive and hard to find. Also what has been your experience since you became Vegan? Is there anyone out there who was raised Vegan?
Most basic vegan foods are actually cheaper than other diets. Stock up on beans, tofu, fruit and veg, grains, nuts and seeds. Long life soymilk can be cheaper than fresh cow's milk and you can buy it in bulk because it keeps. If you want something that's similar to meat then buy TVP (textured vegetable protein)... it's really cheap and great in things with sauces like pasta. You can get dried soy mince too which is cheap and, like TVP, you soak in water so a small packet will last you a while. The main seasonings I use are vegetable or seaweed stock, soy sauce and mirin (rice vinegar) which are all very cheap. I think the most expensive thing I buy is ready prepared meat alternatives but I don't buy them very often. Flaxeed also seems quite expensive but I only have a tablespoon a day so it lasts a long time.
The hardest thing I've found since becoming a vegan hasn't been my diet but people's attitudes towards my diet. It can get infuriating when people that haven't done any research and just use their 'common sense' to criticize me when I never even bring the subject up! I've had to learn to bite my tongue and not get too annoyed with these kinds of people. Other than that, being a vegans great... I have a clearer conscience than before and I feel healthier too. No more allergies and I haven't been ill since turning.
I am a vegetarian who tried to go vegan once. I found it entirely too hard to try to live without dairy products. Expensive too! Not to mention, many of the suppliments you have to take to stay healthy were hard to find (although it seems to be easier these days) and very costly.
I have been a vegetarian since I was 11 or 12 and now that I am in my mid twenties, I am having problems with my joints and veins. I started getting vericose veins when I was about 20!!!!! Even though this is not genetically inherited (nobody in my family has had them before)! The doctors said that the lack of iron and protein in my diet for many years has weakened my vein walls. I can't repair the damage done without surgery, but I can prevent it from getting worse from changing what I thought was my healthy diet!
I'm not sure if a vegetarian diet is as healthy as supporters made it out to be. If you are thinking of making the switch for health reasons, I would remind you that ingesting vital minerals and vitamins in foods are always more easily absorbed by your body, more healthy, more natural, and better for you than taking them in suppliment form.
I started eating fish about 2 years ago (still cannot stand shellfish) and I have noticed a huge difference in my joints. They don't ache as much & not only that, but I no longer have to take iron suppliments to keep from being cold all the time. My hair is fuller & shinier and my nails are stronger and grow faster now that I've added fish to my diet. Plus the omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fish are great for your brain function and I no longer get tired in the afternoons.
If you are trying to change your eating habits for health reasons instead of ethical reasons, I would suggest that the best diet would be made up of a variety of fruits/veggies/healthy carbs & at least 3 servings of fish a week.
People gawk at my grocery bill and say things like ten bucks for a bag of NUTS?!?! etc... But really, how much do pork chops cost?
I'm a university student who is a vegan and costs has not been an issue - it especially saves when eating out, veggie options are almost always cheaper.
I am in an environmental program at school, work for an environmental organization, etc but always thought it would be really hard to be vegetarian or vegan. Two years ago I worked with a vegetarian and we were on the road together a lot. I figured if she could find something to eat, so could I - I did and it was cheaper!
I've recently taken the plunge and committed to being a vegan - and it's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It takes some research to figure out what's in what, but I think that doing the research just further makes up your mind!
I don't think passing up steaks and peanut butter cups ever hurt anyone, despite popular belief...
beans and rice are cheap.
Seitan, tempeh, and tofu are all very cheap and very good. Okay, tofu needs some sprucing up a bit but seitan and tempeh are delicious and only cost about two dollars.
it should be an even swap money wise without having to buy meat.
I eat everything! but one week every month, I am not only vegetarian but I go all the way to vegan... just to keep the balance and keep some health on my body.
I like to eat http://mysteriousbolivia.blogspot.com/se... with beans, ratatouille or tofu , it is easy to make, the coca tea gives the recipe natural vitamins and minerals and it is easy to digest!, I generally prepare a big pot the first day of my vegan week and use it as a base for most of my meals. Just get creative !
I became vegan a couple years ago and as a result became ill and very skinny. Go slow to start with. Now I'm fitter and eating better vegan foods. Try looking into Indian recipes on YouTube, their well-balanced and really healthy. You can survive on red beans, green beens, black beans, lentils everyday and very delicious and cheap. Just look at the Africans. That's all they eat basically and are remarkably healthy.