Is going vegan expensive?

This writer went meat and dairy-free, and made some surprising discoveries

We’ve all watched documentaries which made us question our meat and dairy intake. But going vegan is scary, riddled with constraints, the biggest being money.

If you’ve tried to substitute cow milk with almond milk, you know your grocery expenditure can go up (almost triple!) All those fancy (read: expensive) gourmet stores with stocks of tofu and tempeh, and Instagram ads of mock meat kebabs certainly don’t help its image. But is it really bankruptcy-inducing?

5 CONDIMENTS FOR VEGAN SNACKS

A question of cash

But, this has never been the case in India where we come face-to-face with an affordable sabziwalla every 200 metres or so. In fact, Chennai features in the top five ‘most vegan-friendly cities in the world’.

India already has a culture of vegetarianism which makes the journey towards veganism easier. But cutting out ghee, paneer and milk can be a Herculean task when you realise how easily ingredients like milk solids sneak up on you. But the base items are the same as anyone else’s: Carbs (bread, rice, roti, tortillas), proteins (legumes, tofu, hummus, tahini, dry fruit), vegetable oil

and coffee/tea.

Navni's picks to spruce up your vegan meals • Sriracha sauce

• Miso paste or black bean sauce

• Apple cider vinegar

• Peri peri sauce

• Cacao nibs

The answer to the question is yes and no.

Many people in the West face financial challenges when it comes to an all-vegan diet as fresh produce isn’t the norm; processed foods has been the easier and cheaper alternative.

More and less

“When you’re eliminating meat and eggs from your diet, you do have to eat a little bit more to give your body what it needs. But this doesn’t mean more expenditure. You just have to increase quantities of dal, veggies and the like,”

Arjun Shankar, a Delhi-based vegan, tells us.

This isn’t heavy on the pocket. When he goes out to eat at the same restaurants, his share of the bill is lower: `700-900, not `1000-1,500!

The most expensive vegan item is vegan cheese which can cost `400-700 per 100 grams. You can opt for a home-made version (with cashews) and get your fix. The same can be done for plant-based milk.

If you’re switching from a non-vegetarian diet, you won’t even feel the financial pinch. There are also many lndian brands now producing mock meats, which come at affordable prices.

PS: Don't go cold turkey. Dedicate a few days a week to vegan meals and transition slowly.

“CHENNAI FEATURES IN THE TOP FIVE ‘MOST VEGAN-FRIENDLY CITIES IN THE WORLD’” —NAVNI KUMAR

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Try Guy is an occasional column where we put a reader through an experience, and ask them to write about it.

Navni Kumar is a freelance lifestyle journalist who has been an on-and-off vegan for six months.

It’s easy to talk to Mirabai Chanu. The soft-spoken 27-year-old makes her way across each word with deliberation, weighing each one carefully (the irony, by the way, is not lost). Her conversation is charming in its simplicity, and it is humbling to see and understand how a simple village life has honed the Manipuri sportswoman’s stellar focus that won her a silver medal at the Olympics in Tokyo, last year.

Bereft of fripperies, her repartee is refreshingly urban and addresses issues most sportspeople probably wouldn’t open up about: From period pains, to establishing the importance of a psychologist in her training routine, Chanu is as frank, unfettered, and open as they come.

“When the medals come, then the country applauds us,” she says. “But the journey before that is known and supported only by our gurus, our families and our close friends. The country needs to know what we have faced, the problems and the smaller triumphs, especially for women in this category,” she says, gently adding how she has often heard that weightlifting is only for men in India.

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