Last year following taking part in Veganuary 2017 I continued being vegan until about June/July as it became increasingly difficult I decided to take a shot with dietetic journalism. Here’s a little snippet of it … There’s always the common phrase that eating healthy is ‘expensive.’ However, I strongly disagree and as a postgraduate student keeping my food expenditure to a budget is critical.
During my undergraduate degree a couple years ago I was a vegetarian for a short period of time to experiment with my cooking. As the idea came to me and I continued my research on the positive impact Veganism can have I become increasingly excited to begin my vegan journey.
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Shopping on a budget
As a full-time postgraduate student funding myself through working part-time I enjoy cooking simple and easy meals, such as veggie bolognese, curries, stir fries. On average I purchase a big online grocery shop costing between £40-£50 plus possibly one or two additional mini shops for snacks of fresh fruit. I planned my meals every couple days, making large portions of meals to spread throughout the week and freeze for another time.
Meeting my protein requirements
The first comment I would hear from family and friends about taking part in “Veganuary” and still continuing as vegan (most of the time) is I couldn’t possibly be getting enough protein. My main protein sources include beans and pulses, tofu and nuts. I’ve found that my favourites are tinned beans and pulses easily added to any main meal, especially as you don’t have to pre-soak them for 24 hours beforehand.
Veganism is one of the most effective ways a person can make to reduce the suffering of animals, contribute to the environment and improve personal health.
Fruit and vegetables
“Fresh is best” is what I used to go by following my undergraduate nutrition degree when buying my essential 5-a-day fruits and vegetables. Being on a monthly budget, frozen is definitely cheaper and is always available. My frozen vegetables include butternut squash, stir fry veg, chopped peppers, kale, broccoli and cauliflower, and green beans. Nowadays, techniques are used before flash freezing and studies have shown that there are no consistent difference between fresh and frozen.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in anaemia and nervous system damage. Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal-based sources, therefore the main vegan sources are food fortified with B12 and supplements. At first I wasn’t too concerned about becoming deficient, but since last month I have been taking a B vitamin complex supplement.
Once again I start my vegan journey in 2018 and hopefully this time it will fully stick.
Eat For You Dietitian 
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