I made the decision to be plant-based for utterly selfish reasons. It wasn’t for animal rights or for the environment, it was so I could have more energy throughout my day and improve my mental health. Here are some hacks I’ve learned along the way.
EXPLORE
I work a full-time food service job, am finishing up my last semester of college, and live in a city where rent is skyrocketing. After rent, savings, and bills, I have about $40 a week for groceries. So bottom line, I don’t have a large budget for groceries, but being broke has always been a catalyst for creativity and resourcefulness. I never do all of my shopping in one place, so grocery hauls between stores is a common practice.
Walmart is a go-to for low priced dry foods to buy in bulk –– brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, beans, chickpeas, old fashioned oats, peanut butter. Trader Joe’s is the plug for specialty items like non-dairy replacements. For produce, I utilize Tampa Bay’s many ethnic markets, and my favorites are MD Oriental in Pinellas Park, Cho Lon Market in St. Petersburg, and Sanwa in Tampa. Pro-tip: Flea markets like Wagon Wheel in Pinellas Park and Temple Terrace’s Big Top drop their prices when it’s almost closing time. Even Dollar Tree has frozen fruit prime for smoothies and frozen vegetables to help meet my food pyramid requirements.
PREP IS QUEEN
If you’re like me, and you lack both time and money, you have to make sure you utilize the time you do have. Although I’m not a huge fan of meal prepping, I take steps like cleaning and chopping produce for future use rather than making entire meals and tossing them into a plastic container. Will six-day-old congealed salmon taste as good as day-one freshly baked salmon? Hell no. If a head of broccoli is already cleaned and cut, that’s two steps my lazy ass saves when it comes time to actually bake it.
WHEN IN DOUBT, GOOGLE
The internet has the answers no matter what questions you have about food or health. I’m constantly looking up easy recipes, grocery hauls, and advice from other broke college kids. I also follow a few plant-based accounts on Twitter including @plantbasedvibes and @bkjuni who offer nudges in the right direction rather than a guilty, shameful jab. Have I mentioned how much extremist vegan culture bothers me?
My diet, combined with taking vitamins, stretching, journaling, and spending time outside has me more energized throughout my day and my mental health less polarized. At the end of the day, don’t let anyone guilt you into an extreme vegan diet, and let anyone shame you for trying your best with the resources you have. Listen to your body, and above all and make sure eating is still fun.
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