New To Veganism?
If you’re new to this lifestyle (like me), or just curious, it’s common to fear grocery shopping. It’s especially common if you don’t really know what foods have animal products, or you’re on a college student budget and just can’t afford to buy some expensive fancy vegan food and end up hating it.
MYTH: Vegans & vegetarians have expensive diets. Why it’s a myth: plant-based diets require the daily intake of foods that costs cents, if not merely $1 to $5, (depending on where you live, but mostly is that cost worldwide and if not it does not range too far from there). Things like bananas, potatoes and rice. It is AMAZING how many foods can come out of those few ingredients. Now imagine a whole farm of greens and vegetables that are cents to produce! Not so pricey now, is it? It’s good to remember that eating locally helps reduce soil erosion and the exploitation of migrant workers from large farms! Yet, if you’re not that ahead yet, these simple tips will help you get started on a more conscious dieting.
So, here are some foods that are cheap and are easy to find in your restaurant and local grocery shops. Along with those are some low-budget recipes you can do for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
DISCLAIMER: not all foods that classify as vegan are, what you would call, healthy.
Example: French fries! So, buy to delight your taste buds, but also to treat your body with kindness.
Vegan Stores!?
Yes, your local store can have vegan food! Here is a list of stores that I’ve found around my local community to have vegan, and mostly cheap, options.
1. Sprouts Farmers Market
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2. Valley Produce Marketplace
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3. Vallarta
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4. Lassen’s Natural Foods & Vitamins
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5. Whole Foods
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6. Trader Joe’s
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7. Walmart
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Vegan Restaurants!?
Most restaurants you would normally visit have vegan options! It’s all about asking for the right ingredients in your food.
Here is a list of restaurants that have vegan options.
1. El Pollo Loco (burritos, salads, etc)
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2. Johnny Rockets (actual veggie patties!)
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3. Olive Garden (soups, some breads, and salads)
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4. Panera (soups, breads, and all salads)
5. Pizza Restaurants: Pieology, Little Caesars, Papa Johns (dough and sauce with veggie toppings)
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Cheap Products/Brands?!
Not sure what to get that does not have animal products? Here’s a list of brands that are vegan approved.
(It’s also recommended that you take a quick look at the ingredients. Usually, the least they have the better for you! This means they are usually whole foods. You can also take a look at the allergy warnings, they usually alert of some diary products or non vegan products.)
1. Oreos
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2. Chips: Pringles, Terra, Lays, Earth Balance, Veggie Chips
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3. Meat-less Meats: Gardein, Tofurky, Sweet Earth, The Jackfruit Company, Upton’s Natural, Lightlife Organic, Morningstar Farms,
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4. Cheese, Yogurt, and Butter (DIARY-FREE): Daiya, Heidi Ho, Kite Hill, So Delicious, Silk, Earth Balance, Treeline Treenut Cheese
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5. Milks: almond, coconut, hemp, soy, rice… You name it!
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*Most ingredients are vegan, but to make sure, just read the ingredients! Also, gelatin, is not vegan. There are some substitutes, however, like Agar Agar that are not made from the bones and tissues of animals!
Simple Healthy Foods!
1. Chili
4. 3 Sandwiches
6. Mac & Cheese
10. Banana Bread
If you’re feeling fancy, and feel like you really want to treat yourself to a special vegan food, these are some of my favorite recipes!
Fancy Recipes!
5. Mini Burger
And if you’re completely new to the vegan lifestyle and thought, “Wait, all that food is vegan? I thought vegans ate kale and drank water!” That’s okay. I thought that too!
What is most important to take from this lifestyle is that it is 100% good for animals, the environment, and you!
Try out some of the recipes. You might be surprised with what you end up loving!
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