Author How to: Be Vegan (Part 5)
Updated: Feb 1
Eating plant-based gets a BAD REP for being too expensive which makes people say it’s hard for them to continue if they do start their journey. This is the LAST PART of my “How to: Be Vegan” series on things you should think about to help you on your PLANT-BASED JOURNEY. Read my TOP FIVE REASONS on why going vegan CAN BE expensive.
5. Why is it expensive to be vegan or eat healthy?
How much do you spend already— Think about it. Take a look at how much you spent the last 2 weeks on food TAKEOUT and GROCERY SHOPPING. Is that the limit you want to set for yourself for your new journey? Or do you want to spend a little less or more? Yes you may be paying $2 for avocados when you only paid $1 for fries....BUT which one will actually LAST LONGER...the avocados of course!
Once you start buying 100% plant-based foods you will see that you will be PAYING LESS or about the same then you were spending before. This is because you will no longer be spending on DEAD ANIMALS (meats) and you’ll probably be eating out less (since there are less junk food options). So before you start your journey, MAKE A BUDGET for yourself, if you need to!
Buying fruits and veggies—if you’re not used to eating them that often, you will notice being a little lost...googling which ones you should be eating and then going into a DEEP HOLE on buying organic vs non-organic and EATING LOCAL foods. You’re not alone! Sadly, ALOT OF PEOPLE don’t know how to cook which means ALOT OF PEOPLE don’t go grocery shopping...most people (kids and adults) in the U.S don’t even eat the RECOMMENDED number of fruit and veggies (according the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention).This is why PART TWO and PART THREE of my series are super important...both DOING RESEARCH and TAKING TIME to switch to eating 100% plant-based.
Of course if you stick to buying all ORGANIC fruits, veggies, and herbs it will become super expensive. There are also some fruits and veggies that are a bit more expensive than others. That is why it’s important to buy a variety of vegetables and fruits! The great thing is that all fruits and veggies are HEALTHY for your body (unless you’re allergic)!! So you don’t have to stress too much over which ones to buy because they will all give you ENERGY, NUTRIENTS, and other BENEFITS! If you still need a little help on what fruits to buy and want to SAVE MONEY, I would definitely recommend trying out one of the “UGLY FOOD” companies that are able to ship FRESH PRODUCE to your door without you having to think about what to buy! It’s really convenient and I do it myself! Check out my review: https://www.healingfoodfully.com/post/ugly-food-contest
Buying the latest products—there are soooo many NEW, CREATIVE, VEGAN-FRIENDLY DELICACIES on the shelves these days...I mean I keep finding something new EVERY MONTH and I’m a food blogger! It can be tempting and exciting to have alllllll these options but they can also be VERY expensive if you start buying them all the time. Why? When new products (food or not food related) come out they are always expensive—but once they are out for a while they become affordable. iPhones, clothes, and the impossible burger for example.
It’s fun to try new foods once in a while but remember these packaged goodies are probably snacks and SHOULD NOT be the basis of what you were eating every single day. From WATERMELON JERKEY to ORGANIC CEREAL, I’ve seen it all. For anyone reading this and going through a plant-based transition just be careful with this especially if you are on a BUDGET. Think what you USED TO BUY before going vegan and just buy the VEGAN VERSION of it. If you usually have cereal or a bagel for breakfast then you can have the same thing while being vegan and staying WITHIN YOUR BUDGET.
Organic or Conventional (not organic)—before going vegan did you think about this question? If you didn’t then you don’t really need to think about it now. If you are curious, I think it GOING ORGANIC depends on your TASTEBUDS and the ongoing debatable SCIENCE we have available. I personally don’t buy everything organic, only SOME FOODS like grapes, carrots, and apples. During one of my epidemiology classes I wrote a paper based on studies (meta-analysis) comparing the differences between organic or conventional foods and seeing if they contained harmful chemicals. My other opinion comes from an article and a juicing book I’ve been reading. Overall, eating non-organic HAS NOT shown to contribute to CANCER, HEART DISEASE like red meat, eggs or dairy. BUT I have read that for juicing it might be better to stick to organic produce. I’m going to be doing some more research on this!
Takeout, Recipes or Food Subscription Boxes—with this new change do you want to start cooking instead of getting takeout? Subscribe to a Food Delivery Service with recipes ready for you? Or stick to takeout/buying out? If you decide to cook most of your meals you will be SPENDING LESS (vegan or not vegan). Yes, it is a little bit more work but it’s MUCH HEALTHIER and it can be fun trying out new recipes! Food subscription boxes that SHIP RECIPES or PREMADE FOOD are still a new service so they are not cheap! Whatever decision you make will determine HOW MUCH you spend.
When we change some thing in our lives it’s all about experimenting and determining what YOU LIKE and WHAT YOU DON’T LIKE. Do you like the TREADMILL or ELLIPTICAL better? Do you like cooking your own foods or buying frozen/packaged meals instead? Being vegan is all about being OPEN-MINDED and going through a HEALING JOURNEY. I hope you enjoyed my series on How to Be Vegan!!