David3
Forum Legend
Below: The Ayme family of Tingo, Ecuador. From the book, "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats".
UK Is 'Vegan' Expensive?
- Thread starter GreenT
- Start date
majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
In answer to the thread's basic title, asking "Is Vegan expensive?" is like asking "Is alcohol expensive?"
If you brew your own hooch or scrumpy, you can get drunk almost for free. Alternatively you can spend tens of thousands on some Le Pin Pomerol. Similarly, if you grow your own veg you can eat vegan VERY cheaply, but if you want processed stuff then you're paying for the convenience just the same as with meat-based ready-prepared stuff.
Cheap, convenient, good - pick any two.
If you brew your own hooch or scrumpy, you can get drunk almost for free. Alternatively you can spend tens of thousands on some Le Pin Pomerol. Similarly, if you grow your own veg you can eat vegan VERY cheaply, but if you want processed stuff then you're paying for the convenience just the same as with meat-based ready-prepared stuff.
Cheap, convenient, good - pick any two.
David3
Forum Legend
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Beans and whole grains are cheap, convenient and good. No need to grow your own.
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majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
David3
Forum Legend
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Oatmeal takes less than 5 minutes to cook.
Lentils take less than 30 minutes to cook.
Beans and lentils are available canned, at low prices. No cooking at all.
There are lots of quick, "make from canned foods" vegan recipes on the internet: 29 Tasty Vegan Canned Food Recipes with Beans, Lentils and Chickpeas
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Think they were just making a broad comparison. Having your own garden would be the very cheapest--esp if you saved your own seeds!
(and have the knack for growing things without added expense-which some people do!)
majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
Ah, porridge. Cheap and convenient. Not something I enjoy, though, so two out of the three.
I can certainly create cheap and appetising lentil dishes in about 30 mins, but that’s 30 mins of my time, not 30 mins of cooking time that I could use to multitask. It’s not a biggie, but not as convenient as, for instance, a ready made lentil burger. Therefore cheap and good, bit not so convenient. Two out of the three.
Same as the previous point except that, cheap as the cans may be they’re not as cheap as the equivalent in dried pulses.
The pattern I’m trying to outline is that every time your food goes through another process to make your life easier it increases in price. Not always by a lot, granted, but an increase nonetheless. Being based on really simple to deal with raw ingredients, a vegan diet doesn’t NEED to have anyone else do anything for you, so has the potential to be as frugal as it gets. However, people often want shortcuts to save time or get different flavours/textures etc. and those shortcuts are where the cost goes up, meaning a vegan diet can, if allowed, be just as expensive as any other diet.
Cheap, convenient, good - pick any two. It’s an oversimplification to illustrate the point, but is still broadly accurate.
Although oats are my go- to breakfast, they ARE awfully mushy/pasty when cooked, even if you're not using the quick-cooking kind. If it's the pasty/mushy texture of oat porridge that you don't like, maybe you could try this: buy a small amount of plain rolled oats- either quick-cooking or regular. (You can purchase a small amount at a store that sells in bulk- but beware of Indian Meal Moth larvae, who sometimes get into the bulk bins at my health food store and love oats even more than I do!!!) Let a cup of these oats soak in an equal amount of whatever liquid you choose until the liquid is absorbed. This will take longer if you don't use "quick" oats, but I don't think it ever takes more than 5 minutes for me. (I like my oats a bit chewy). When the liquid is absorbed, give it a stir and eat it with whatever sweetener or fruit you want. I don't add salt, but you might want to.
If it's something other than the texture of cooked oats that you don't like, please disregard this post; oats basically taste like oats, and you probably won't like them this way either. But if you find that you like them this way and are sure you won't get tired of them, you can order them in bulk quantities in unopened bags- getting a price discount (presumably) and avoiding the bugs at one go.
majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
In fact, I don't mind the texture, @Tom L.; it's the really bland flavour of porridge I find I sicken of really quickly. Interestingly, I am quite happy with muesli, although since I only like it when made with milk I'm sure it wouldn't find much favour here (and yes, I have tried with vegan milks and the closest I got to finding it acceptable was hazelnut milk but it still didn't quite get there).
As for the flavour of oats, I really like them when in other things like flapjacks or breads. I enjoy using them in my cooking, but all the uses I like do tend to take a little longer to prepare.
As for the flavour of oats, I really like them when in other things like flapjacks or breads. I enjoy using them in my cooking, but all the uses I like do tend to take a little longer to prepare.
I do prep stuff on Sunday when I usually stay home. I also have an Instant Pot so beans and grains are quick and cool. I still make soups
I eat oat groats every work morning--with raisins and cinnamon, apples and dates, some ground flax.
I love soups. I find them very easy to make and always enjoy them. Again, Instant Pot is my friend
I'm about to make a veg curry in IP right now. Won't take any more time other than cleaning and cutting some veg
I eat oat groats every work morning--with raisins and cinnamon, apples and dates, some ground flax.
I love soups. I find them very easy to make and always enjoy them. Again, Instant Pot is my friend
I'm about to make a veg curry in IP right now. Won't take any more time other than cleaning and cutting some veg
majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
...or you could try my process from the easy curry thread in the recipes section. You know you want to
KInda what I'm doing! (In the Instant Pot)...or you could try my process from the easy curry thread in the recipes section. You know you want to
I'm upset though. Just at the store and didn't get carrots, or fresh spinach. Or sweet potatoes, but I don't like them anyway
.They're ok in curry.
majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
Just bear in mind that if you do it the way I outlined there won’t be enough liquid to close the vent and bring it up to pressure. If you simmer on the lowest setting with an open vent, though, and check once in a while that it’s not catching on the bottom, you should be OK.KInda what I'm doing! (In the Instant Pot)
I'm upset though. Just at the store and didn't get carrots, or fresh spinach. Or sweet potatoes, but I don't like them anyway
Oh yeah, IP hates tomato on the bottom
I do add more water, and pressure cook for 2 min
I've seen both rye and wheat grains prepared like oats usually are when they make them into oatmeal, AKA rolled oats. If you like the taste of rye and wheat, then you might want to try what I suggested above with a small sample of rolled rye or rolled wheat. I think the last time I bought rolled rye flakes, it was to mix it into my home-made bread. I thought the resulting bread was quite excellent (even without caraway), but I don't remember making breakfast porridge with the rye; I just remember it had a distinctly different taste than oats.
Flapjacks don't take long to make and you can vary the ingredients, so maybe they're one of your best options. (I personally prefer waffles, but waffle irons are a bother to clean- so waffs won't be ideal for you. I never could figure out why waffles appeal to me so much more than flapjacks/pancakes. The batter ingredients are the same or very similar, and the cooking process is too.
)Waffles have a ton of edges which can become crisp which to me makes them better and easier to eat. But I’ve had waffles that were floppy like a pancake and those weren’t so appealing. Also it’s a little more entertaining cutting along the squares. And they hold syrup better. A pain to butter but I don’t use that anyway. Not a huge fan of the standard buttermilk, I prefer a multi grain if I can get it.Flapjacks don't take long to make and you can vary the ingredients, so maybe they're one of your best options. (I personally prefer waffles, but waffle irons are a bother to clean- so waffs won't be ideal for you. I never could figure out why waffles appeal to me so much more than flapjacks/pancakes. The batter ingredients are the same or very similar, and the cooking process is too.
I like my oatmeal with just a little cold water to dampen it. I’ve always used instant packs. But I picked up some stuff yesterday to try making my own flavors for cheaper and less calories. I mainly like Apple cinnamon and brown sugar cinnamon and usually mix one of each together.
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majorbloodnok
Forum Senior
Rather than waffles, I prefer to make Scotch pancakes (AKA drop scones) with plenty of maple syrup. However, being a Brit that kind of breakfast is too sweet to have regularly; best just once in a while.
VeganRachel
Forum Legend
The cost of flesh, blood, dairy and eggs is because of heavily subsidization by all Americans. We give $38 Billion + to these
industries so they can make a profit, and, lower the cost of eating their tortured products by about 65%. The real cost of
eating animals should b 3x as much. The book, Meatonomics, stated that about $300 Billion in increased healthcare
costs is because of humans eating animal products, and animal ag pays NO cost to cleanup the environment from their
animal wastes, pollution, etcetera. Dead zones in the oceans are one example. See: THE MEATONOMIC$ INDEX
Sadly, the subsidization of animal ag has affected us all, even if we do not chew and swallow. cheers.
I'm 70 years old. I am on NO MEDICATIONS. My BP is 114/78, I don't have diabetes, still have my (mostly) hair color, no arthritis, and only see my doctor once a year. Every year all my blood tests come back normal.
I live in a senior only building, and another woman asked me how I got in because I looked so much younger than her, and she was the youngest woman in the building. Turns out I was 8 years older than her.
I watch all the motorized carts running around with people younger than me.
My mother died of abdominal cancer, my sister had breast cancer, my other sister had ovarian cancer; no cancer yet with me.
The only thing I can put it down to is diet.
This is what is lacking in almost every guide to retirement! So much push to pad retirment accounts and information on how best to keep it safe, and what kinds of insurance to have and how to protect your money if in need of Medicaid---but so very little on how to stay healthy
No amount of money will compensate for weak muscles, shortness of breath, achy stiff joints and declining memory. Good health on the other hand, can compensate for little money.
I have to say I need to get back on the wfpb track myself, before I "have" to!
