Vegans More Affected by High Food Costs?
29 July 2008

I was quoted in a recent article in Metro Newspaper (along with Denyse of Urbanvegan) about which diet is most affected by the rise in food costs.  The article doesn’t delve very deep into the issue, but basically the conclusion seems to be that vegans are the most affected by these increases in food costs, because our costs are higher to begin with and we are hit harder when there’s bad weather that wipes out crops.  Of course, none of this is borne out by actual studies, which would actually be interesting to see.

Our grocery bill has definitely increased over the last several months, which I’m pretty sure is due to the cost of fuel that affects everyone no matter what they eat (unless you grow absolutely everything you eat yourself).  But from what I understand, there are other factors involved in the high prices.  Increased demand for wheat around the world is making flour more expensive.  Bad weather has hurt rice prices.  Floods in the midwest have ruined a lot of grain crops.  The price of milk, meat, and eggs is increasing because the cost of the animals’ food (corn and other grains) is increasing from all of these factors. 

Now, it seems to me that if you eat a diet heavy on meat, dairy, eggs, and processed foods (SAD, anyone?) that tend to contain a lot of wheat, corn, and soy by-products, then your prices are going to be through the roof. 

Our diet mostly consists of fresh produce, beans and other legumes, a few grains, and a few processed things like tofu, veggie burgers, and seitan.  Unless bad weather affects every single crop we eat (which is unlikely), then I don’t see how vegans are affected any worse than your average omni consumer.  It seems to me that everyone is affected in different ways by higher prices, but that vegans really don’t take a bigger hit than other groups unless you subsist solely on bread and processed foods.

I get frustrated when people have the misconception that veganism has to be expensive.  It can be, certainly, depending on how you structure you diet, just like if you’re an omni with a penchant for Kobe beef and truffles, it can be expensive.  (And unfortunately in this country, it is often more expensive to eat healthy than unhealthy, but that is a topic for another blog entry.) But there are plenty of things that vegans can do to lower their grocery bill no matter what state the economy is in.  As I said in the article and in a previous blog entry, you can eat locally, and try to eat what is in season, since it will tend to be the cheapest (and most tasty!) then.  You can stock up on bulk grains and dried legumes.  You can plan out your meals before you go to the store, and not buy on impulse.  You can stay away from expensive frozen or boxed processed foods.  You can make large batches of things like soup one day to eat throughout the week so you aren’t tempted to go out to lunch.  You can eat high fiber fresh veggies that fill you up so you aren’t eating more later in the day.  Veganism doesn’t have to be incredibly expensive or complicated if you get into the habit of knowing where your money is going and what to look for. 

  Posted by Jenna Torres    Permalink    Filed under: Food | News | Opinion | 

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