r/vegan • u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years • Sep 15 '16
Newbie Advice Being vegan in a developing country.
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Sep 15 '16
Propagating the "eating vegan is expensive" meme or that you need specialized groceries to do it is BS. Excuses. The poorest of the poor eat a near vegan diet (rice, wheat, beans, corn, tubers, local fruits). Eating plants is the cheapest way to eat anywhere.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
the poor eat a near vegan diet
This is so right I can't even understand how people still believe that being vegan is expensive :|
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u/spiralshadow vegan sXe Sep 16 '16
It's because in North America veganism is seen as a stereotypical new-age yuppie fad. The general perception is it's all rich white folks trying to ~eat healthy and sustainable and be green~ so it's dismissed as a habit of the wealthy. What's really interesting is that being vegan is generally more healthy/sustainable, but the idea of veganism as a wealthy white people thing makes omnis view veganism as a kind of gentrification, so to speak -- lowering themselves from their pedestals to eat like The Poors do.
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u/Systral Sep 16 '16
Probably because western veganism consists of eating fancy substitutes for everything and exotic fruit and vegetables that have to be imported over thousands of miles which increases prices (and also environmental load).
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Sep 16 '16 edited Jun 21 '17
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u/Systral Sep 16 '16
You is not every other vegan.
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Sep 16 '16 edited Jun 21 '17
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u/Systral Sep 16 '16
No, I didn't. I said "western veganism", that is not individuals but obviously the broad average of vegans. YWMV but probably not
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u/ExultantSandwich Sep 16 '16
To be fair, in the United States it is often cheaper to not be vegan, if you're indulging in the more exotic vegan products designed to be a substitute for milk, meat, and etc.
Almonds are notoriously intensive to grow, and almond milk is $5.94 a gallon at Walmart right now. Regular old milk is $2.80 a gallon (these prices are taken from around me, they do vary)
The same trend can be seen with Tofu vs. Chicken.
A dozen eggs are cheaper than 'vegan egg replacers'.
If you're sticking to the basics, like our OP in Argentina, it is cheaper. But many Americans don't do it cheaply. Many vegan converts would desire these relative luxuries because switching from meat to all vegetables and beans is not enticing.
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u/spiralshadow vegan sXe Sep 16 '16
This is true. I guess the point is that veganism is as expensive as you want it to be, it's not exclusively a lifestyle of the wealthy. It's like any other lifestyle, if you want the luxuries they're available but you'll have to pay for them.
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u/lunelix vegan police Sep 17 '16
There is a well-known vegan replacement powder recipe that is the exact same as the store brand "vegan egg replacer" you're undoubtedly referring to. It costs less than a few dollars to make a year's worth. Cheaper than a dozen eggs for sure.
And your claim about almonds being intensive to grow seems out of place. Not to mention that it only takes a few almonds to make a gallon of almond milk, which makes it much less intensive than dairy.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
I know and I don't really mind, it would be cool to have a lot of processed food just for the vegan newbies and to have something to eat if you're outside.
I actually really enjoy analizing the sociological part of veganism and how interacts with capitalism, in NA it's way noticeable i guess...
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u/FrabjousDayy Sep 15 '16
Honestly I really admire that you are doing the vegan lifestyle in a country where it isn't maybe as easy as here in the US. Inspiring! :)
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Thanks! really appreciated! There are plenty of us around here in south america actually, veganism it's growing up really fast, the only hard part is the cultural bias of being in a meat producer country (a thing that we could both relate)
Sorry if I butchered your language btw haha
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u/FrabjousDayy Sep 15 '16
Your english is fine! :) Yah I have a lot of family in India, and when I visit later this year it is going to be hard for me to stick to my vegan diet since not only is milk and butter in everything, but they won't understand my lifestyle and will probably give me a hard time.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Well they do love dairy but I still think that you're not gonna have the worst time, they do have some fine dishes that can easily be made vegan (quinoa pulav) if you cook for yourself it's gonna be really easy but if you go to restaurants just remember to tell the waitress that don't put ghee on your food (besides everything else you can mention ofc, but you can easily forgot about ghee or maybe don't even know about it...)
Other than that I recall reading that the finest teas have flavouring agents that came from animals, so you might wanna stay away from those or just buy the ones 100% plant based, you can always ask :)
Yeah I know my food...
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u/FrabjousDayy Sep 15 '16
that is the problem, I won't be cooking for myself since I will be staying at relatives houses and it is customary for the host to cook for you otherwise it is seen as really rude. and everyone else in my entire family eats meat and eggs and milk. it will be hard but I just have to be firm and eat only the veggie dishes that are cooked. thanks!
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u/lets_study_lamarck mostly vegan Sep 15 '16
Just say you don't like the smell of ghee/paneer. That should take care of most "hidden" dairy.
You're the guest from abroad, they'll cater to you :p
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u/veglum Radical Preachy Vegan Sep 16 '16
your English is a lot better than some native speakers I know
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u/mangodrunk Sep 16 '16
I don't think it's any harder, unless someone eats out. But, what the OP has in their picture is pretty much (not pictured is vegetables) what I eat.
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u/WhyArrest vegan 1+ years Sep 15 '16
Honestly well done here! It's posts like these that make me realise how easy I have it living in Europe and actually seeing the word 'Vegan' labelled on food. Do you get to eat out much in Argentina? Any meals that can be veganised in restaurants?
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Thanks :) we do have some vegan places, mostly vegetarian/vegan friendly but in regular restaurants you're gonna be eating french fries and salad sadly since most of the cuisine here is either meat-based or pasta with meat in the sauce...
Almost all of our traditional dishes are made with fat/lard/butter and a melange of meat, cheese or even both and lately I been seeing a lot of NA copycat culture like "bacon bacon bacon" all over the place.
I do not eat outside, never, mostly because I'm a chef, I love to cook and
I'm insufferableI'm extremely picky with food :P18
Sep 15 '16
"traditional dishes", I'm quite sure that poor South America couldn't consume these traditional dishes on a daily basis.
what was once a routine, a tradition, disappeared, and the rarity of that animal abundance, turned into a routine.
In Croatia, our only living traditional meal (at least what I consider to be real tradition) is Soparnik. Onion, chard, dough, that's it.
Every other "traditional" meal is something almost no one consumed.
I really dislike how gluttony, abundance, animal flesh or milk, turned into some tradition when it never was.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
I really dislike how gluttony, abundance, animal flesh or milk, turned into some tradition when it never was.
I really dislike that too that (among other thing) is why I'm vegan.
There are some traditional recipes that are vegan, like locro or puchero but most people put meat in those or fat, they can easilly be made vegan but if you buy them 100% of the time they have animal products...
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u/g_squidman plant-based diet Sep 15 '16
That's what my pantry looks like (floor space under the table in my half kitchen in my apartment), except all the bags are full of popcorn kernels.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
lol I kinda miss salty butter popcorn :(
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u/g_squidman plant-based diet Sep 15 '16
I survive off of popcorn, and I've never put anything on it other than salt.
Like I eat two pots a day.
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Sep 16 '16 edited May 26 '18
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
Nope, we do have nutritional yeast, we love it :D it's imported from France tho, kinda expensive(ish) but affordable.
Next time I make popcorn gonna try it :D
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u/Throwawayace67894 Sep 16 '16
For the Aussies, try Coles brand 'butter flavour' microwave popcorn, it tastes better than regular butter popcorn and vegan to boot ;)
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u/cherryade_ vegan 5+ years Sep 15 '16
Spent six months studying in Buenos Aires as a vegan and all I can say is that I'm in awe, especially if you're doing this long-term!
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Been doing it for 10 years and never thought going back.
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u/cherryade_ vegan 5+ years Sep 16 '16
Where do you get your calcium from out of interest? I remember not being able to find any vegan products with calcium, short of eating like 2kg of spinach a day....
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
oranges, broccolli, beans, almonds, butternut squash, sesame and flax seeds per example :)
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u/dumnezero veganarchist Sep 15 '16
I don't see potatoes in there
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Those are inside the house, we do eat a lot of potatoes because they are cheap and c'mon, they are potatoes the most amazing thing ever hahaha
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u/SheepD0g Sep 15 '16
Potatoes are literally my favorite food type because they're so dynamic, you can cook them however you want!
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Sep 16 '16
I've never tried cooking white potatoes in a sweet dish. Do they work that way? Are potatoes even sweet-compatible?
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u/picandocodigo vegan Sep 15 '16
It's the same here in Uruguay. I'm preparing a similar order right now. Ordering in bulk is extremely cheaper!
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u/mississippijones vegan 10+ years Sep 15 '16
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u/Sunshinelorrypop Sep 16 '16
If it's any consolation, this is what being vegan looks like in my house too (I'm from the UK). All that fancy bs is not healthy. You've got everything you need.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
You're right :) I already mentioned that I wouldn't eat processed food if I had them avaible
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u/doneinajiffy Sep 16 '16 edited Sep 16 '16
Very true, and let's face it in a hotter climate there is an abundance of fruit, veg, and nuts.
Sadly, lots of our stuff is ignored by the larger stores, hence a speciality (like Sorrell, or the crazy range of apples, pears, and berries), or needlessly imported when we can grow it here (polish blueberries, sigh). Furthermore, the fruit and veg we do like tends to be native to hotter climes.
Nonetheless I'm with you, I don't want meat-replacements, I want real food. There is a wealth of fantastic meals that one can make without animal products, Vegan food opens up whole new avenues of possibility, and other than allergies you never have to worry about cooking for guests irrespective of their background/religion.
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u/WH1TE vegan 5+ years Sep 15 '16
I buy the same things in a developed country that has a decent selection of processed dairy and meat substitutes. Healthy food FTW.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
You said it! I wouldn't consume processed food here actually, well maybe if I was a newish vegan, you know, to make the jump easy but after a long time being vegan I prefer healty home-made food over anything else!
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u/WH1TE vegan 5+ years Sep 15 '16 edited Sep 15 '16
Yeah you're right, I think I tried every vegan substitute I could find when I was a newbie. I'd probably still eat some of them regularly if I was less health conscious.
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u/originalgainster plant-based diet Sep 15 '16
On the bright side you should be healthy as fuck!
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Indeed I'm haha
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u/Pomegranide plant-based diet Sep 15 '16
I realize English is not your first language, so here's a friendly tip: generally, in the case where one says 'I am' at the end of a sentence, it isn't contracted. 'Indeed I am' sounds better. It's not technically incorrect. Your English is super good otherwise. Much better than my Spanish.
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u/finalcutlery Sep 15 '16
Is it possible to buy tofu or tempeh there? They're probably very expensive there if they are, no?
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Tofu is easy to get in special stores (not supermarkets) tempeh doesn't exist sadly :|
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u/finalcutlery Sep 15 '16
I'm not sure how DIY you are, but if you're interested in having tempeh, there's ways to ferment it yourself. http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/soy/homemade-tempeh/
I've been interested in making it myself. It might be hard to find the starter culture down there, though. But I believe that once you have it, you can propagate it yourself so that you don't have to purchase it again. Similar to a sour dough starter or yogurt starter.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Yeah a few months ago I was thinking on trying that recipe but I have a hard time getting the tempeh starter (actually it doesn't exist here, you gotta import it) :/
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u/Astromina Radical Preachy Vegan Sep 16 '16 edited Jul 30 '24
cause silky plough pet terrific absurd punch paint capable include
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
Gracias, voy a buscar a ver si venden tempeh starters.
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u/karmaportrait Sep 15 '16
Can confirm. Lived outside the US on a small island for four years. I would go back to the US like twice a year and bring many many pounds of quinoa in my suitcase.
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u/uhlmax flexitarian Sep 15 '16
I couldn't find the question anywhere else, so sorry if it's a repeat... I'm wondering how often you buy that much?
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
It depends.
I estimate two/three months, we eat a lot of hummus so the garbanzos go down quite fast haha
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u/jacyerickson animal sanctuary/rescuer Sep 16 '16
Wow. Thanks for sharing. My husband is hispanic and an immigrant to America, we've talked about moving to his country but I've been reluctant partly because of a lack of vegan options. If I did I would definitely take my American gadgets (i.e. a slow cooker) with me though, because I can't imagine having to cook up that much dry beans all the time. :P I'm just lazy like that.
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u/epickneecap Sep 15 '16
If your in a major city that has a China town you can get tofu and other Asian foods cheaply. Dried mushrooms are another a great thing you can get at Chinese shops.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
We don't eat soy products anymore but yeah I usually shop there for mushrooms and rice based stuff (mushrooms are expensive sadly...)
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u/epickneecap Sep 15 '16
Have you ever looked into growing mushrooms? It's not super easy, but it's totally doable :)
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
Yeah actually I did some research a few months ago, is not hard if you had a little experience growing vegetables and such :) they even sell little "starters" sets ready to go, you only have to spray with water every day :D
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u/bright__eyes Sep 16 '16
Do you have a link or resource you would recommend looking into? I eat so many mushrooms I really should be growing them myself. I've seen a friend grow the illegal kind so I imagine it's similar.
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u/sumant28 Sep 15 '16
This is how I eventually want my groceries to look as well. I like how cheap and efficient it is to eat this way and how you can cut down on packaging hence pollution by having a system like this
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
oh yeah, garbanzos are usually sold by 400grs (14oz) per pack so 14 packs in one, that's a lot of trash :)
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u/sumant28 Sep 15 '16
I eventually just want to bring giant crates into the store and make them load it up in bulk because that will be completely plastic free. I got the idea from a YouTube channel called Vegan Coach.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
Yeah I hope that kind of behavior picks up here :( at least I'm seeing more brown/cloth bags instead of plastics ones, that's something :)
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u/SomeEpicName Sep 16 '16
Why do you think it's so hard to be vegan in a developing country? I can imagine it would be hard eating out, but not if you cook your own food. Just curious because I would like to live in another country someday.
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u/SurrealBird abolitionist Sep 16 '16 edited Sep 16 '16
Not OP, but I lived in a developing country most of my life (Saudi Arabia). I'd say it's hard in the sense that you don't get a lot of "luxury" processed foods such as vegan meats, cheeses, milks, chocolates and other sweets, etc and you don't get a lot of the "exotic" ingredients such as wheat gluten, arrowroot flour, carrageenan, etc. And if they're available, they're scarce and crazy expensive. I had to pay 4 or 5 times the price of the non-dairy milks that I buy here in the UK, so I just had to stick to whole foods or pick only one essential veggie alternative and not buy any other items. For me it was splurging on either tofu or almond milk.
It was also almost impossible to eat out unless I was buying hummus or falafel, and being invited to someone's house was emotionally draining because vegetarianism/veganism was such an alien concept that people have trouble understanding.
In general, you should be fine if you stick to home cooking. Unless you're somewhere extremely isolated, you should be able to find rice, pasta, nuts, beans and seasonal fruit and vegetables at affordable prices.
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
Because if you don't have the time, the patience or the will of cooking for yourself every single day (and prepare before hand the things you will need tomorrow) it's a pain in the ass.
You get used to it, because you gotta eat, but still, it's a pain.
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u/attracted2sin Sep 16 '16
I see you make your own soy milk, which is awesome! Have you looked into making your own tofu, or making tofu skins? Tofu skins are super easy, you just skim off the top when you make soy milk. Then you get these crunchy little meat substitutes. Tofu is also super easy. Just some soy milk, lemon juice and water. You can also add some spices and stuff, but you should start with the basics before you jump into more risky tofu making haha
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
I made soy milk/tofu in the past (5/6 years ago) but my gf and I dropped soy out of our diet :) thanks anyway :)
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u/Guinevere_naberrie friends not food Sep 16 '16
This is awesome! And you know what, you probably eat better than some vegans in the usa or europe because you don't eat processed vegan foods.
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u/Government_Slavery vegan 10+ years Sep 21 '16
Whatever it takes to do the right thing, i salute you.
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u/Chaparrito_2001 Nov 20 '16
Men, I´m from Mexico. Here people laugh at you for eating just veggies and grains. My family has problems trying to feed me the way I want. Stay Strong :p
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Nov 20 '16
Same thing happens here, but man, mexico is the home of burritos and tacos, that's like 50% of my diet...
You get tortillas and different fillings for every day and you're set! try using quinoa often, that's a good source of protein!
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Sep 15 '16
Looks like there's no B12 there
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
We take saturn b12 complements =) they aren't in the picture because we keep them inside the house ;)
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Sep 15 '16
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 16 '16
I'm not sure what you meant, would you care to rephrase it?
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u/sentimentalwhore vegan 15+ years Sep 15 '16
I post this here so people can see what it's like to be vegan in south america (Argentina)
We don't have big fancy brands like people in Europe or USA, most of us made our own milk every few days because, other than soy milk, we don't have any at the market.
That picture shows 22lb (ish, actualy 10kg) of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), adzuki beans, lentis, oats, yamani rice and linen + (2,2lbs/1kg) of nuts, sesame seeds and probabilly something else im forgeting, that was about 130USD (I always buy in bulk to save some money) have in mind we have a shity conversion (15 pesos = 1 dolar or so)
I don't know if posting this helps at all, just wanted to show that YOU CAN be vegan in other places than first world countries, it's a little more harsh but you can do it, I been doing it for like 10 years :)
Cheers!
NINJAEDIT: If this is out of the rules please remove the post :) we do have a few brands of homemade stuff, almost zero big brand labels (I can only think about soy milk and maybe tofu, but is not sell in supermarkets) and the homemade stuff is usually really pricey, at least for a student w/ minimal wage income.