The Cost of Health

One of my few vegetarian friends is also one of the few people who reads my blog.  And after she read one post about alternatives to animal products, she went to various grocery stores and spent nearly $200 on vegan products and fresh fruits and vegetables.  We both agreed that was a bit excessive for one shopping trip (and I'm still sure not how she wracked up that much buying food) and I told her that that it didn't have to be that expensive all the time.  Does it cost more to buy organic and all-natural?  Yes.  Apparently it costs about 50% to 100% more than non-organic foods.  I will be the first person to admit that it costs more to eat a vegan frozen pizza than it does to eat a Celeste or Tombstone frozen pizza.  And when your meals are based around different fresh vegetables that rot within a week, yes, they add up.  You will likely spend more money trying to be healthy.  That's not new information.  But it doesn't have to break your bank.

I don't have an ostentatious salary by any means (that's what happens when you pick a career you love over one that pays well!), and I pay bills and student loans like everyone else, and I have weaknesses for expensive purses and natural skincare products.  Yet, I still manage to eat healthy and eat a variety.

I found a fantastic article on Hipsterfood about the cost of veganism.  The bloggers over at that site suggest spending about $25 a month on the basics like pasta and rice, and about $35 a week on fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread.  I probably don't spend close to that much a week on fruits and veggies, and I cook for two people.  But I do agree with their theory to make sure you have the basics on hand, and then add to that every week with fresh produce and things that spoil easily.

I always have on hand:

• a variety of spices, condiments and sauces
• whole wheat organic pasta 
• brown rice
• organic vegan soups
• Earth Balance butter
• vegenaise
• Newman's Own marinara
• nutrition bars
• Kashi cereal 
• Amy's frozen meals
• nuts

All that stuff lasts awhile.  Then every week I buy these staples: spinach, bread, tomatoes, hummus, carrots, and at least two different fruits.  During the week I will stop by the grocery store to pick up fresh things I need for the meal I plan to cook that night, or if I'm really ambitious, ingredients I have planned out for the week.  That's when I pick up fresh heads of broccoli or stalks of asparagus or multi-colored peppers.  I normally don't buy cookies, sweets or peanut butter, because I have no willpower with those things and they're just unnecessary expenses.  I also don't buy any juices unless I happen to be fighting a cold.

Fruit can get pricey.  I touched on that one in an earlier post Apples, Spice and Everything Nice.  But they're necessary, so get used to factoring them into your budget.  I would rather spend a few extra bucks to overindulge in raspberries and strawberries, than give into something that's unhealthy.

The variety part can be hard-- especially when you live in a smaller city and options are limited.  I wish I could make Indian food, or Thai, but that's not always doable in areas that don't have ethnic markets or a Whole Foods.  Spices help:  You can take asparagus and roast it with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, or you can sprinkle some Italian seasonings on it and saute it in on the stove.  Sauces do too:  what was once a stir fry, is now a pasta primavera!

I make up most of my recipes, but others come from Vegetarian Times or random food blogs.  I am not a big fan of vegan cookbooks because they always have about two dozen ingredients and way too many steps.  I like low-key, inexpensive cooking, and believe it or not, but it's actually doable.  So if you're trying to convert, don't let the fear of it costing more stop you.  I'm proof that you can make vegetarianism or veganism work on a budget if you have to.