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Over the last 5 years I have transitioned to an entirely plant-based diet and can't imagine ever going back. My entire life experience has changed dramatically in the form of mental clarity, sustained energy, and absence of cravings.
Sugar simply disappeared from my life and I haven't looked back, although it took a while for that to happen. Likewise, I eat cooked meals twice a week at most.
Most of my meals consist of raw food like vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. I supplement things like flaxseed oil for omega fatty acids, and rely on plants such as wheatgrass, moringa leaf and turmeric for micronutrients.
Hemp protein has been one of my recent favorites, literal jet fuel for your body!
When I last tried it, the core trouble of a diet like this (to me) was increased cost. Like the other extreme (eating basically only meat), an atypical diet means you need to dip into uncommon ingredients in order to end up with a balanced diet (for plant matter, getting the vitamins you normally get from meat can be challenging - especially to your wallet).
How did you solve this? If you did not, what would you estimate the percentage increase of your food spending to be? Can you give some insight into what part of the world you are (Africa/Asia/Europe/North America/South America or something of that granularity is fine), if you are comfortable with doing so?
" getting the vitamins you normally get from meat can be challenging - especially to your wallet" - Which vitamins? I'm honestly curious, the only one I think vegans have a shortage of is B12, which is easily substituted for with cheap ingredients.
As someone who has recently switched, I'm honestly confused as to this "cost" issue... it seems to me that the diet is much, much cheaper now that I no longer have to buy meat. I understand the price issue at restaurants (vegan places are more niche and thus more expensive), but if you cook for yourself, I find myself saving money.
I think this (cost) is the biggest "roadblock" most people see when thinking about a plant-based diet. I currently live in Asia, but travel back and forth between Europe every few months.
One of the ways I solved this is by being comfortable to have meals that consist of nothing but raw food. So, raw nuts, raw vegetables and fruit, and legumes whenever I desire. But I also try to look at it realistically. For example, a tub of Kale Powder (120g) will set me back around 20USD. But, how likely am I to consume that tub in one day? In fact, it will last me for up to 4 weeks. The same goes for 350 grams of Hemp Protein. It's 20USD but I'm going to be having that over a period of at least 2 weeks.
One difference between Asia and Europe is that in Asia I can get a much bigger variety of fruit, which is generally my go-to food besides everything else. But even then, I never leave the supermarket having spent more than 30USD for 4-5 days worth of food.
If I had to be specific, for the entirety of a whole month I'll be spending about 250-300USD on food. I'm honestly not familiar with other diets and not sure how much they can run up over a month. What I do know is that I never have any leftovers. Everything gets consumed one way or another.
I think for my location (Europe, mainly) that is a fairly typical amount of spending for a month of food. However, I spend that for roughly two people and from the times I've had to buy food in Asia (admittedly some years ago) it is quite a lot cheaper than it would be here.
That would put it at maybe twice as expensive (or even slightly more) as a non-restricted diet. Is that a fair assessment?
It depends on the way you look at it. I'm living a minimalistic lifestyle where food is actually my number one expense month to month. When I'm back in Europe, I never spend more than 150USD on food, not only because my options are oftentimes limited, but also because I get to pay the "local" price.
A lot of the popular Asian hotspots have gotten clever over the years, and are no longer afraid to charge foreigners an enormous premium. In the last year alone, I have had to walk away from numerous local sellers because they've gotten extremely greedy and won't accept any bargaining. If you know the local language, it helps a little.
I think if you're serious about making the switch, you first have to look at what you're eating right now. Is it healthy? Is it environmentally friendly? Does it make you feel good? What will you eat instead of meat? Do you even need dairy in your life or are you consuming it out of habit?
When I first started out I had no idea what I was doing, and I sort of winged it. But, gradually, I have learned to appreciate the many different varieties to food that I would have otherwise replaced with a slab of steak or a chicken breast.
I live near Seattle. My staples cost less than $1/person/day--just add produce and seasoning. I don't know what you consider "uncommon ingredients" but it sounds like you were doing it wrong.
Can you recommend any good materials for making this switch practical? I imagine I'd have to rethink my shopping lists, learn recipes, change the kitchen appliances, adjust social habits... Seems overwhelming and hard to do all at once.
This is probably not the answer you're looking for, but I made this transition entirely as a self-responsibility. In the first year, I struggled with iron deficiency because I hadn't really figured out how cutting out dairy and meat would affect me in the long run.
Gradually, I started adding more seeds and nuts to my diet (of which there are endless varieties) and immediately noticed great results. I started traveling in Asia later on and developed a deep admiration for fruit, which has become the foundation of my diet for the most part.
I enjoy brown rice, lentils, and buckwheat which are very easy for your gut to digest. Once you find foods that work really great with your body, you can start experimenting with different types of supplements.
For example, there are a lot of varieties of algae which are extremely healthy and provide a significant "high" when consumed. And yes, spirulina tastes like rectum but you can find ways to make it bearable.
Lastly, rather than focusing on "rethinking", look at your current diet and recognize the stuff that might not the best for you. I mean, I might be a vegan (though I don't identify as such), but I cannot tell you stop eating meat or dairy because you have to make this decision on your own. As for social habits, nowadays there are so many cafes and restaurants that specialize in healthy food, you can always visit and yield a ton of inspiration.
On most days, my food shelves look like a scientific laboratory. And it can get all kinds of funny reactions from people. But, as I said, the benefits and changes I have experienced have been monumental.
Consider a slow cooker. I make a lot of lentil and other bean based things soaked in spices, broth, onions, etc. Lots of left overs and easy to set and forget. Tons of recipes out there too. Low effort and delicious.
Luckily you don’t have to do it all at once. You could start by trying out some new recipes, and eating plant based meals more frequently than now, and learning what you like.
I had the same improvement as you, except I went in the other direction.
While I think that may be just seen as contrarian, I have noticed an effect just by switching to only ethically sourced meats. The quality of grass grazed, un-processed beef and chicken is almost unlike what you see in the supermarkets creepy saran wrapped isles.
Yes. Not just quality, but taste is also positively affected.
The ground beef I get from http://www.lamauve.com/ for example tastes so much better than that of local grocery stores (which always has a slightly bitter and uninspiring taste).
I'm carnivore too. I was going to make the point to the OP that the mental clarity, feeling of wellbeing etc. is probably due to abstinence from processed carbs i.e. sugar, not plants
South Indian vegetarian diet is primarily vegan.
Major source of protein is lentils and beans. Micronutrients are provided by eating a wide variety of vegetables, leaves and roots
> South Indian vegetarian diet is primarily vegan.
Please don't spread misinformation.
I'm a South Indian (Tamilian specifically) and we consume a lot of milk, curd, eggs on daily basis with meat and seafood (goat, chicken, vanjaram, crab, prawn, etc.) on at least weekly basis.
It is only a subset of Indian population categorically known to belong to the "Brahmin caste" that tend to be vegetarians. Otherwise we South Indians generally enjoy eating meat; it is being limited only due to economic reasons (for Brahmins the reasons are religious taste--they consider meat "repugnant"--yet they consume dairy).
Read the sentence I wrote "the south Indian vegetarian diet" is "primarily vegan".
It naturally follows if you eat meat your diet isn't vegetarian. Compres?
If you're Tamil as you claim to be then you'd know the Tamil word for vegetarianism is "saivam" referring to saiva pillai community
Hope this helps.
In North india banias, jains, several kayastha communities are vegetarian and several brahmin communities are non vegetarian.
So when you say that the subset of Indian population that is vegetarian is only brahmin you are factually incorrect.
Please go easy on the hate. Bigotry isn't cool.
Peace!
> Read the sentence I wrote "the south Indian vegetarian diet" is "primarily vegan".
The subset of South Indians on a vegetarian diet are not "primarily vegan" as they consume a lot of milk and curd on daily basis (and eggs and fish if any of them are wont to).
> If you're Tamil as you claim to be then you'd know the Tamil word for vegetarianism is "saivam" referring to saiva pillai community
The existence of a Tamil word for vegetarianism referring to some community does not automatically prove that the subset of South Indians on a vegetarian diet are "primarily vegan" any more than the existence of a Tamil word for non-vegetarianism ("asaivam") indicates anything of that nature.
> Please go easy on the hate. Bigotry isn't cool.
Since when did pointing out the facts of the matter, so as to prevent the spread of ignorance, come to mean bigotry?
I'm pretty sure in the vast majority of these "red meat" studies they don't differentiate between a steak bought raw at the butchers and a hot dog. I would bet that if there was a study on the difference between good quality steak vs processed garbage like hot dogs and spam, the results would be different.
Sadly most people will uncritically gulp up these "studies" in order to justify their being influenced to going vegetarian or vegan. One could argue that the authors themselves are working under such confirmation bias.
Actual Paper:
Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Red
Meat Consumption in Comparison With Various
Comparison Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors