In the land of cheese and bratwursts, being a vegan is no easy feat. Being a college student on a budget certainly doesn’t help. However, in addition to environmental benefits, a vegan lifestyle has substantial health, too.
UW-Madison junior Emma Fotouhi just celebrated her one year mark of living as a vegan. Vegetarian for the prior seven years, Fotouhi has always enjoyed a healthier diet and lifestyle. She said there’s a slight difficulty in finding consistent vegan options on campus, but it has been well worth it otherwise.
Nutrition
Something that Fotouhi and vegans everywhere enjoy is the health benefits of a vegan diet. Studies show that a vegan diet tends to contain less saturated fat and more dietary fiber. As a result of those nutritional benefits, vegans tend to have lower cholesterol and blood pressure, hence a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Although research suggests that a vegan diet may lack certain micronutrients such as vitamin B-12 or vitamin D, supplements can often fill in for those deficiencies.
Affordability
However, a vegan diet can be difficult for college students on a tight budget. Typically associated with consuming high quantities of produce, a vegan grocery bill can easily skyrocket. There are less expensive substitutes for produce, nonetheless; staples like dry beans, grains and soy products are good options. Vegans can also consider utilizing starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, as a base because they are cheaper than most other vegan alternatives. Every campus grocery store has rice, frozen fruits, peanut butter, pasta and hummus.
Places to Dine
So, you’re a vegan at UW-Madison, a valid question is: where do you go to eat? Fotouhi suggests restaurants like Sushi Express because they have many vegan options, such as vegetable sushi or sweet potato tempura rolls. Other vegan-friendly restaurants include Green Owl and Mooyah, where you can get a black bean burger. Most places have at least one or two vegan-friendly options.
A vegan diet is not for everyone, but this animal-friendly way of life does come with a plethora of health advantages. It can be beneficial for many people — even college students.