{"id":18579,"date":"2014-09-29T09:33:27","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T13:33:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/?p=18579"},"modified":"2025-01-30T07:47:26","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T07:47:26","slug":"going-vegan-affected-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalskyweb.co\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/2014\/09\/29\/going-vegan-affected-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"How Going Vegan Affected Our Grocery Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years ago, my wife and I decided to switch to a vegan diet,<\/strong> taking us on a journey I’d like to share with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food And Your Wallet With A Vegan Lifestyle<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The decision was difficult, but after some research, we wanted to make a healthy change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to start avoiding meat products and processed foods that were heavy in calories and made me feel tired after consuming them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, despite the health benefits, going vegan affected our monthly food budget<\/strong><\/a> (and some were surprising).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating A Veganism Diet<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Known as a vegan or veganism diet<\/strong><\/a>, there is much to learn, but it’s worth it if you’re serious about going this route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vegan diet eliminates meat products, and \u2018strict\u2019 vegan diets also avoid consuming eggs, dairy, and other animal-related by-products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Veganism<\/b> is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products<\/a>, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan<\/b>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distinctions may be made between several categories of veganism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dietary vegans, also known as “strict vegetarians”, refrain from consuming meat, eggs, dairy products, and any other animal-derived substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An ethical vegan, also known as a “moral vegetarian”, is someone who not only follows a vegan diet but extends the philosophy into other areas of their lives, and opposes the use of animals for any purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another term is “environmental veganism”, which refers to the avoidance of animal products on the premise that the industrial farming of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned above, the term vegan is described as \u201cnon-dairy vegetarian,\u201d typical vegan diets are usually high in fiber, magnesium, vitamin C\/E, and iron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also tend to be lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since most processed foods tend to include animal-related products, a vegan diet usually consists of eating more raw, lean, and healthier foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Famous Vegans<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"How<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Some notable vegans include Ellen DeGeneres, James Cameron, Al Gore, Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, and Bryan Adams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life Before vs. Now<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll be the first to admit going vegan was a complete shock to my system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grew up eating meat and dairy products and loved a steak dinner grilled on a BBQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since most grocery stores didn\u2019t carry some vegan food items, I shopped at specialty grocery stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Monthly Vegan Budget<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Vegan<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Switching to a vegan diet also meant changing the monthly food budget, but we didn’t know until we tracked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While overall spending per month did increase, there were a few things that I surprisingly no longer needed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n