Vegan Info

Anonymous asked:

I'm feeling a little sad. On one hand, I really want to become vegan (or, at the very least, vegetarian), and I was even excited about starting, everyone says how it's not really that difficult. However, a quick comparison between products made me realize some of the vegan versions are twice as expensive where I live. This is difficult for me because I live with my parents, who do all the buying and I feel like I can't ask them to change to expensive things, as we don't have much money.

Hi, darling!

Don’t be sad. Veganism can actually be MUCH cheaper than an omnivorous diet if you know what to buy. Whilst fake meats, cheeses and chocolates are a little bit on the pricey side, they are not the basis of a vegan diet.

For a vegan on a budget, the first thing I’d recommend is to buy in seasonal fruit and veg, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run so make sure you spend some time finding out what’s currently in season. I recommend buying veg in bulk to save money then perhaps making yourself a stew/soup to last a week or so. I tend to put mine in doggy bags and freeze them so that I can eat stew/soup every day.

It’s very important to eat at least 5 portions of vegetables a day (and if possible an additional 2 portions of fruit) to ensure maximum health. If you’re looking for an easier and quicker way to do this then I suggest smoothies and vegetable juices for yourself.

Protein is another food group of extreme importance. For cheap vegan protein, avoid fake meats for now as they can be very costly. Instead, aim for legumes, pulses, nuts and seeds and try to put at least one of those with every meal.

Peanut butter is a fantastic start in terms of snacks. I personally love it because it’s packed with protein and the right kind of fat, not to mention it goes with virtually anything.

You have your 4 main staples- bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. They can go with virtually anything!

Another wonderful food you can buy is couscous. Dried packets are super filling and cheap!

Tinned beans, tinned chickpeas, quinoa and of course lentils are also very quick, cheap and easy.

Dried fruit, almonds and walnuts are amazing too. Walnuts in particular are great as they contain so much omega 3 as does flaxseed.

Oats are brilliant to have in. Eat lots of oatmeal/porridge and add in some flaxseed for extra goodness. Seeds are great for snacking too. Sunflower, pumpkin etc.

If you’re wanting to know of cheap ‘junk’ food, I recommend buying special value dark chocolate. I’m not sure where you’re from but over here you can buy a reasonably large bar for just 30p.

You’ll need to keep your omega 3 intake steady by either consuming flaxseed oil, flaxseed oil capsules (non gelatin of course) or plenty of walnuts.

For cheap and easy snack style foods, try simple things like peanut butter and jam sandwiches, fruit salad or hummus with carrots or pita.

Lastly, for calcium. Sufficient calcium is nice and easy because not only are rice, almond, coconut, hazelnut, oat and soya milk filled with calcium but as it happens, a lot of the vegetables you’ll be used to eating contain more than enough. Certainly more than cow’s milk anyway! A lot of cereal is also fortified with calcium so keep a good eye out for those!

Dried herbs like dill, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, sage, oregano, spearmint, parsley, poppy seed, chervil and dried basil are huge calcium sources so if you sprinkle a little on with certain meals, it can do wonders!

Sesame seeds provide the most calcium when they are roasted or dried. Sesame Butter (Tahini) provides about half the amount of calcium.

Tofu prepared with calcium sulfate can provide much much higher levels.

Almonds are a great source of calcium whether dry roasted or made into butter.

Perhaps better known for their omega-3 fats, flax seeds also provide calcium. Beware however, as milled or whole flax seeds provide calcium but refined flax seed oil provides no calcium whatsoever.

Dark leafy greens are a great source of calcium raw or cooked. Raw turnip greens provide the most calcium. It is followed by Dandelion greens, Kale, Mustard Greens and Collard greens.

Brazil nuts are the best nut calcium for you!

For now, I advise staying away from the fake meats, cheeses and chocolates!

I really hope this helps :)