My Vegan Story

If you would have asked me 3 years ago about veganism, I would have told you it was something hippies did, lol. I honestly had no idea what being vegan was all about. I was familiar with vegetarianism, and although I never was a fan of meat, and was super picky with which meat I ate, I never thought about NOT eating any animal products completely.
My journey began with a desire to become healthier. I was introduced to a book which changed my life completely! Not only did it change the way I looked at health and fitness, but it also opened by eyes to the world of veganism. That book was The 80/10/10, not really a 'vegan' book per say, but a plant based book which mentions veganism.  That was enough to spark my interest and put me on a whole new path! I instantly began to research the word 'vegan'. What I discovered is, there is so much more to veganism than just diet. It is a beautiful compassionate world and I wanted to know everything about it.
Months into my new lifestyle, I watched Earthlings, which was one of the hardest things I've ever done, I cried through the entire film. Then I continued educating myself with other documenteries like Blackfish, Specie-ism, and Forks Over Knives. I read The China Study, Whole, The Starch Solution,  and I watched Gary Yourofsky's epic speach on YouTube as well as lots of undercover videos of factory farming. I also attended my first Vegetarian Food Festival and met Gene Baur from Farm Sanctuary! Let's just say, diet is just a teeny tiny part of this life. Once your are educated, you cannot go back. Once you see the devestation, you cannot unsee.
Veganism has not only educated me and opened my eyes to the crazy amounts of misinformation I have been fed all my life, it also made my life so much more meaningful. Each day I feel so amazing, head is clear, full of energy, my conscience clear, and my heart full of compassion. I not only decided to take a certification in plant based nutrition, I also began blogging about vegan food and all the wonderful aspects of being a health fit compassionate vegan! I am loving this incredible vegan life, and each day I feel so lucky to have been handed that book! Though, this is my vegan story, it is also the story of how we became a vegan family, mother, father,and son!  That is the biggest blessing of all!

Vegan on a budget

'Isn't so expensive to eat that way?' It is a question us vegans are far too familiar with...right after 'where do you get your protein?' I believe that majority of plant based foods are actually cheaper than meat and dairy! But, any diet can be expensive, you could be a meat eater who wants steak every night, or wants to eat out at a 5 star restuarant nightly. Same thing goes with a vegan diet. There are numerous ways to go about it, but here are my tips for saving money, while staying healthy, on a vegan diet. Here are my top ways to save, shop, and thrive on a vegan diet!

1. Check your weekly flyers for sales, make a list, and then stock up! My favorite foods to stock up on are rice, pasta, tomatoe sauce, and beans. If you see your grocery store is having a major sale on dry beans, snatch them up! They will last forever in your pantry, and always good to have on hand! Comparing prices between a few local shops can be a huge saver! Sticking to your list will also make shopping easier, less complicated, and will keep you from straying to the snack isle!

2. Buy frozen fruit and veggies! I love to have a fridge full of frozen broccoli, it is my go to veggie. I love it with almost every dinner! Not only are frozen veggies cheaper than their fresh counter parts, but they are almost always on sale somewhere! Stock up! Frozen fruits and veggies are a great way to enjoy out of season foods without over spending. Fresh blueberries are almost impossible to find in the dead of winter...but you can enjoy frozen blueberries in your smoothie for about $2.50 a bag!

3. Buy seasonal fruits and veggies! I know it is nice to have an occasional exotic fruit or watermelon in the winter, but those will cost you! Stick to seasonal fruit which is usually plentiful and less expensive. During the peak of mango season I was able to find the for 69 cents each, and watermelon during the summer can run as low as $3.99 per melon!! There are also staple fruits you can buy year round at a great price like bananas, dates, and pineapple!

4. Cook!! That is the biggest money saver, and the easiest way to stay healthy! Eating out, for the
most part, is more expensive, loaded with added salt and lots of fat. Cooking allows you to use fresh ingredients, control what you are adding, and you can make enough to freeze! Sadly cooking seems
to have become a lost art, more and more families are eating on the go, frequenting fast food joints, and spending too much cash! Some of my favorite budget friendly meals are bean chili, veggie soup, and  rice and broccoli!

5. Keep it simple! Your meals do not need to be fancy or complicated! Vegan dishes are tasty even when they only include a few ingredients! You don't need a big center piece, something like steamed potaoes with tomato sauce and a salad makes a delicious meal! Not only are there fewer ingredients (which saves you lots of money) but it makes cooking quick and easy! Who wants to follow long complicated recipes? Not me!

6. Always make enough to have left overs! This will make lunch time the next day a breeze, or even save it for another dinner! Ordering lunch out at work can cost more than $10.00 a day, that is crazy!
Left overs can be really help you stay on budget!

Here is a list of vegan foods and their prices!! You will be shocked how inexpensive it is!

Organic rice $4.99 per 2lb bag

Organic dried beans $2.00 per 16 oz bag

Organic whole wheat pasta $1.50 per 12 oz box

Vegan stuffing $2.29 pet 10oz bag

Fat free vegan baked beans $2.50 per 28oz can

Frozen broccoli florets  $2.50 per 2 lb bag

Organic pasta sauce $2.50 per 24 oz jar

Organic potatoes $4.99 for 3lb bag,  $2.99 for non organic

Corn pasta $1.50 per 12 oz bag

Mushrooms $2.89 per 8 oz container

Organic tofu $2.50 per 14oz container

Lettuce $2 or less a bunch/head

Almond milk $2.50 per half gallon

Organic oat cereal $3.99 per box

Oatmeal $2.00 per box

Watermelon in season $3.99 per large melon

Pomegranate in season 2/$5

Grapes $2.99 per lb

Cucumbers $0.79 each

Frozen veggies, corn, peas, etc $1.89 per large bag

Canned tomatoes $1.29 per can, organic $2.50 per can

Organic oat nut bread $3.99 per loaf, none organic bread $2.50 per loaf

So, as you can see these are extremely affordable foods, these aren't even sale prices, just the average prices I pay at the store. Not only are these foods cheap, but they can make large healthy meals for the entire family! Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing vegan snacks and goodies that can break the bank, but those are special treats, not daily meals. Basic vegan foods are totally affordable! It is a family friendly and budget friendly lifestyle everyone can follow!

Starch Solution Review

If you are a fan of Dr. McDougall, then you probably have heard of or read The Starch Solution. I am a huge fan of Dr. McDougall and for the past few years have followed him closely. I love the work he does, he plays a huge roll in the plant based movement, especially the low fat vegan lifestyle. After hearing so many incredible reviews and testimonies from his recent book and diet plan, The Starch Solution, I decided to give it a try!

If you aren't familiar with The Starch Solution, it is a low fat vegan diet based around starches. It allows you to eat the foods you love like pasta, rice, potatoes, pancakes, and all the other yummy carbs...even bread and LOSE WEIGHT! Foods that are off the menu are meat, dairy, eggs, butter, and oils, which for me was easy since those are already off my menu! My biggest concern was the 3-5 servings of fruit allowed, coming from a high raw lifestyle, fruit is huge part of my life! I love the taste of fruit, I eat it in abundance, I absofruitly love it! But...

Fruit stayed on my menu. I continued to eat fruit for breakfast as well as for snacks. My typical day looked something like this:
Breakfast- fruit meal or banana smoothies
Lunch- rice, potatoes, or pasta with fresh or steamed veggies
Snack- fruit, usually grapes or pomegranate
Dinner- salad, rice, potaotes, pasta, and veggies

Pros: This program is super easy to follow. All the foods recommended are highly accessible to everyone. No need to purchase any superfoods or supplements, which is always a plus! The book offers a 7 day program to help you get started as well as a fairly large recipe guide for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The recipes are all very simple, no hard to find ingredients, and all budget friendly.
This is also something the entire family can follow. All the meals are kid friendly which as a mom that is important! Foods like mash potatoes with gravy, pasta with marinara sauce, oatmeal, veggie pizza are all favorites in my home already! I was really impressed with how tasty the recipes were. I already cook oilfree so that was not a difficult adjustment for us, but the book gives simple instructions for cooking without oil, and keeping the food delicious! Trust me, no flavor is lost!

Did I already mention budget friendly? Yes, but let's talk about how inexpensive this lifestyle is! Potatoes and rice are some of the cheapest foods on the planet! They are available in every grocery store as well. The program does not require you to purchase a high price blender, juicer, or dehydrator. All you need is what you already have in a standard kitchen.

It is also very easy for busy families! Breakfast foods like oatmeal are great for kids trying to run out the door for school, even toast with a simple tofu scramble takes no time to make, or just pop some waffles into the toaster!  Lunch for me was dinner leftovers, quick to pack up and take with me to work. I made dinner nightly with leftovers in mind so everything was made to feed 5 instead of 3, that way my husband and I always had leftovers for lunch. None if the recipes were complicated or very time consuming, so if you are not great in the kitchen or just don't have time, this is perfect for you!
Did I lose weight? Gain weight? Stay the same? I actually lost 3lbs, (7lbs actually, weighed myself the day after I wrote this, which was a week and a half since the 3lb loss) though I was not looking to lose weight it was a pleasant surprise.If you are concerned with weight gain on this high carb program, please don't be, it will not happen!!
Cons: None! I really think this program would work well for everyone! Not only is it great for weightloss, but also great for those already at an ideal weight. The Starch Solution is a whole food diet which means you will be eating healthfully and really what are the cons of that? Lol!