My roller coaster Vegan journey !

[Ydobon777]

I've never been in a household that praised meat and dairy, I actually don't even remember being fed those two things as a child. I was a very picky child with lots of eating disorders.
I've moved a lot, and stayed at rural places all my life. Moving country, moving school every year. Not a really stable, childhood. My parents like the calm of the countryside. It's not until 2018 and a huge shift in my life that I came across the word ' 'Vegan-ism '' after looking at my favorite actress Madelaine Petsch and Evanna Lynch, who were looking so healthy and I became obsessed to learn more about the Vegan movement.

I discovered the Vegan YouTube world with Joey Carbstrong and Earthling ED. As well as Gaz Oakley and other fantastic cooks !
Watched all the documentaries, cried a lot because I didn't know how ignorant I was. I started to gather some sources and information online about the benefits of eating plant-based foods, my parents at the time were happy to join me in my journey since they already didn't consume a lot of animal products.

I learned to cook when ordering my first Vegan subscription box, and got fascinated with Vegan cuisine, and how tasty and varied it was ! I felt awesome. Then my parents decided to quit despite reversing their life-threatening illnesses. I was really disappointed but decided to keep going, slowly the motivation wasn't there. They stopped encouraging my meals, refused to taste them and started to eat a lot of animal based food. That's where I began to really lose control. Found out I was disabled and couldn't get support because of how poor we were and not living in a big city to treat me.
My physical and mental health was degrading to the point of being sick every single day, I wasn't supported enough and didn't have access to what I needed at the time.
This pattern repeated itself for 7 / 8 times, Vegan On and Off. Until we needed to move out back in our home country because the cost of life was becoming too important. My family sold everything and we went back home.

Now things are a lot different and more difficult, I consider myself a Vegan at heart since I'm doing everything I can to be Vegan as '' far and practicable as possible ''.
I pray that things get better for me and that I can cook delicious Vegan meals or even sell them to make money and be able to purchase my dreams ! x

 

[Tom L.]

Hello! (Or "Bonjour!" I had 3 years of high school French from 1967 to 1970, but have forgotten it because I haven't spoken it with anyone since I graduated.)

Are you having trouble finding places that sell Vegan food, or is cost the problem? I find that "Organic" foods are much more expensive than conventionally-produced foods are. But you can sometimes get a discount for buying foods in bulk. Since you don't have lots of money, you would need to buy foods that would last and wouldn't spoil before you finished them. You would also need to buy things you will always like, and won't get sick of (even if you're eating them a lot), and are good for you. For example: over the last few weeks, I bought close to 13 kilograms of brown rice and 11 kilograms of rolled oats.

 

[Ydobon777]

Hello! (Or "Bonjour!" I had 3 years of high school French from 1967 to 1970, but have forgotten it because I haven't spoken it with anyone since I graduated.)

Are you having trouble finding places that sell Vegan food, or is cost the problem? I find that "Organic" foods are much more expensive than conventionally-produced foods are. But you can sometimes get a discount for buying foods in bulk. Since you don't have lots of money, you would need to buy foods that would last and wouldn't spoil before you finished them. You would also need to buy things you will always like, and won't get sick of (even if you're eating them a lot), and are good for you. For example: over the last few weeks, I bought close to 13 kilograms of brown rice and 11 kilograms of rolled oats.

Bonjour
Since we are living rural Vegan food ( alternatives, tofu, seitan, sauces etc ) are not found in '' commercial '' grocery store, it's only sold in specialty store which my family don't want to go. My family only purchase Organic food for our health and this is not gonna change but what is too expensive is the animal food products that needs to be gone, this is what costs the most ( probably 300 of the 500 euros per week budget ) my dad buy everything local as much as he can, fruits vegetable when we cannot find them he goes to the grocery store but he buys from the primer market ! I personally do not have any money so this is the money of my mother who is now retired. I have a huge bag of rice and lots of pasta but the problem with my eating disorder is that I'm unable to eat the same thing more than 2 times a week or I will get physically sick, I have trouble with variety of eating especially when my dad punish me and only let me snacks

 

[Tom L.]

Living in a rural area will make it harder to find unusual foods. But I don't know what to suggest about your eating disorder. Veganism can be hard enough by itself- but when you also have other restrictions on your diet, AND are short of money, that makes it even harder. Maybe it will help if you show your parents that vegan foods are generally less expensive than animal foods, and can be just as healthy. If your dad knows you have an eating disorder, he should know that it is wrong to only let you eat snacks.

 

[Ydobon777]

Living in a rural area will make it harder to find unusual foods. But I don't know what to suggest about your eating disorder. Veganism can be hard enough by itself- but when you also have other restrictions on your diet, AND are short of money, that makes it even harder. Maybe it will help if you show your parents that vegan foods are generally less expensive than animal foods, and can be just as healthy. If your dad knows you have an eating disorder, he should know that it is wrong to only let you eat snacks.

Last time that we went to a hard discount store he was surprised in a good way how cheap it was ( not whole foods obviously ), so maybe he will consider when he can't pay the bills anymore