Going Vegan: You don't need to be wealthy to go vegan

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vegan View full size“Main Street Vegan” by Victoria Moran.

Going Vegan: You don’t need to be wealthy to go vegan

When high-profile celebrities decide to go vegan, they cast a bright spotlight on the benefits that can come with plant-based eating, ranging from lowering your carbon footprint to improving overall health. And because we know them from other aspects of their lives, it makes it easier for us to relate to their new food choices.

After all, if burger-loving former President Bill Clinton can see improvements to his health eating the vegan way, isn’t there hope for the rest of us?

Recipe included with this story: Shangri-La Soup.

The downside to the celebrity vegan is the way it convinces some folks that you’ve got to be affluent to afford to eat this way. And that’s a perception that’s relatively new.

“There was a time when economy was a big reason for eating vegetarian,” says Victoria Moran, author of the just-released “Main Street Vegan,” as well as numerous other books on diet and nutrition. “But in the past couple of years, this other reputation of vegan being expensive has developed. People think ‘I’m not Ellen Degeneres. I can’t afford this.’”

But you don’t have to have a big bankroll to eat a plant-based diet. In fact, it can be very easy on the wallet if you employ smart shopping strategies and don’t build your meals around highly processed vegan convenience food.

“We used to just buy rice and beans and fruits and vegetables, but now there are lots of other choices,” Moran says. “But if the bulk of your diet remains rice and beans and fruits and vegetables, it’s as cheap as it ever was.”

One figure that’s widely touted is that the average American household can save around $4,000 a year becoming vegan by ditching meat, dairy and other animal products in favor of a diet of whole, plant-based foods. In my two-person household, we haven’t come close to that big number, but our average monthly grocery expenses have dropped from about $400 to $250, which adds up to a savings of $1,800 a year — enough to cover most of the cost of a nice trip somewhere. Still, we could shave significantly more off our grocery budget if we bought fewer things like packaged seitan and pre-made hummus, and made those things from scratch at home.

“Those aren’t things that you probably have every day of the week,” she says. “And it’s important to remember that when you were eating meat, you probably weren’t eating Kobe beef and caviar all the time. There are vegan equivalents to those luxuries, but you can’t have them all the time. We lost touch with the idea of the treat, these things you have at Christmas, Easter and birthdays.”

Moran’s book covers all aspects of vegan living, including nutrition, fitness, environmentalism and activism, as well as the less-tangible savings that come with lower health care costs.

“We spend less on food than any other developed nation, and we spend the most on health care,” she says. “You could argue that maybe it’s because our health care is so sophisticated. But it’s also because we need it because we don’t eat simply.”

Of the 40 recipes included in Moran’s book, her raw Shangri-La Soup does double-duty: It’s both inexpensive and incredibly healthy, built around nutritious arugula and other ingredients that are easy to find. She thinks of it as an alternative to gazpacho.

“The more raw food I eat, the more fabulous I feel,” she says. “I was playing around with different permutations of cold soups, and the arugula really makes a different, particularly if you like that spicy flavor.”

Unlike gazpacho, which requires time-consuming hand-chopping, her Shangri-La soup comes together in a flash if you’ve got a food processor.

“It’s so easy. I’m a big fan of 10-minute recipes,” she says. “Life is busy, and there are always parties and things to go to in the evening. It’s good to be able to do something that’s quick and healthy.”

– Grant Butler
Follow @grantbutler

10 strategies for eating vegan and saving money

You can save big bucks if you adopt any or all of these money-saving tips gleaned from Victoria Moran’s “Main Street Vegan” and Kathy Freston‘s “Veganist,” as well as my own stingy shopping practices.

Eat at home: When you prepare your own food, you save big money. Instead of grabbing mediocre fast food or takeout, save your money for a nicer restaurant meal once a month — or for the purchase of a new cookbook or two that will revitalize your interest in home cooking while introducing you to new recipes, techniques and ingredients.
Put the fork down: According to government statistics, two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. So instead of eating until you’re stuffed, stop when you start to feel content. In addition to potentially losing some weight, you’ll save money since there will be leftovers that can be turned into lunch or dinner for the next day.
Buy in season: Ears of fresh corn bought in the dead of winter come with a hefty price, while in August you can find deals for six, eight or 10 ears for $1. The same holds true for everything from artichokes to zucchini. There’s another upside to cooking what’s in season: you’ll constantly mix up your dinner menus, so you’re less likely to get bored with plant-based eating.
Look for sales: Some staples of the produce section see big week-to-week price changes. Take avocados: One local grocer recently ran a “special” with medium ones selling for four for $5 — or $1.25 each. The next week, the same store had the same avocados for 88 cents each — a savings of 37 cents per avocado. That’s the week to make guacamole.
Know when organic really matters: As a general rule, if it has a peel that you aren’t going to eat (pineapple, citrus, melons, etc.), you don’t have to pay the premium for organic. But if you love apples, celery and strawberries, you may want to consider organic, since pesticides are heavily used on conventional crops. To find the Environmental Working Group’s shopper’s guide to pesticides in produce, which includes the “Dirty Dozen” of the produce section, go to ewg.org/foodnews.
Fresh vs. frozen: Frozen fruits and vegetables are sometimes a better quality than what you find in the fresh produce section, and they are often cheaper. One example: organic frozen blueberries are usually less per pound than conventional berries grown using pesticides. The same goes for frozen strawberries. Consider how you’ll use them — if the fruit is destined for a smoothie, frozen is the better, cheaper way to go.
Grow your own: If you’ve got room in your backyard for a row of vegetables, you can save big at harvest time with fresh tomatoes, pole beans and carrots, all of which can be grown from seed — and it’s not too late to plant. If you live in a condo or an apartment, you can still grow fresh herbs in window pots, snipping off rosemary, basil and mint as you need them, offering significant savings from buying cut fresh herbs at the grocery store.
Bulk up and save: Bulk bins are heaven for thrifty shoppers, offering huge discounts on everything from dried beans, oatmeal and brown rice, to more-expensive things like spices, nuts and nutritional yeast. But don’t buy more than you can use in a reasonable amount of time. You’ve saved nothing if raw almonds go rancid before you’ve had a chance to use them.
Limit packaged, processed products: The more any given food is processed and packaged, the more you’ll pay. In the produce section, you pay big-time for pre-washed lettuce and pre-shredded carrots. In other parts of the store, faux meats and prepared dips and spreads will also run up your bill. You won’t be able to avoid buying some packaged products such as nondairy milk, tofu, dried pasta and crackers, but limiting other processed, packaged foods yields substantial savings.
Don’t overlook coupons: Yes, you want to buy fewer packaged, processed foods to save money. But there are deals out there for some essential staples, including soy milk, coconut creamer and tofu. And don’t miss in-store circulars, which often have coupons for things such as house brands and fresh bread.

– Grant Butler
Follow @grantbutler

Vegetarian, Raw and Vegan with Bill & Sheila

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