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How to be a social vegan on a college budget? any suggestion?
Started
by Myanda Servoss
on September 24, 2012
Hello!! I have a few questions to ask. I am a college student and have been vegetarian for a couple of years. The trouble that I am running into trying to become a vegan is socializing with friends. None of my friends are even interested in vegetarian/ vegan diet which is fine, but when everyone is ordering pizza or having microwaveable "crap" food, it is hard not to succumb to self-indulgent desires. I know I should plan ahead and cook something for myself, but in my dorm there is only a mini fridge and a microwave. I also want to eat with my friends, so any suggestions? oh and I am cheap.
i'm in the same situation. i've found that you have to know what junk foods are "accidentally vegan," such as fries, potato chips, popcorn, and oreos (surprise! bet you didn't expect that one). then when your friends order nachos, you can order salsa and chips. when your friends order late night milkshakes, you can order fries. obviously, these aren't the healthiest options, but hey it's college! i've been eating pretty healthy on the weekdays, and some of the foods mentioned above on the weekends. but you should definitely have some instant vegan meals like annie chuns when all else fails. the hardest part is definitely pizza, because it's everyone's go-to food for club meetings and such. but once you make the commitment to not eat cup noodles and funfetti, it's not terribly difficult!
Step yourself down gradually...? Instead of two slices of cheese pizza, have only one for a handful of evenings....? You may find that a few times without the foods helps you re-develop your taste buds. [I really miss a certain kind of blue cheese, for which there is no vegan substitute at all...and after being vegan for two years, I had about two crumbles of that cheese. I thought there would be some kind of explosion of awesomeness in my mouth, but nope. Just a creamy-ish melting, okay, meh. Turns out, I didn't really miss it - more just the thought of it.]
Emily Adler gives some great substitution suggestions too!
Hi Myanda! I too have many non vegan friends. I carry around snacks or sometimes eat before going out to a restaurant that I know has bad options for me.That way I don't get too tempted. Vegan or not, I don't like eating junk. One of my favorites is the Simply Bar because it has 17 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar.
As for going out, I used to feel left out when I didn't attend certain outings, but then felt uncomfortable when I did go because I didn't want to! Now I know that I can skip on certain activities and join in on others. When its a birthday or big get together that I don't want to miss, then I will go. Otherwise I know that I will still be able to hang out with friends in situations we are both comfortable with.
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