I am a poor college student, but I want to go raw. And I don't doubt that it is possible, I just don't know where to start, and how to do it cheap. I go to school 2 minutes from my apartment, and thus have no problem eating all of my meals at home, but I need to eat cheap. Its frustrating that McDonald's cheeseburgers can be a dollar, and fruit and veggies can be so expensive, especially organic. Thus, I would love some advice on eating raw on the cheap.
Also, I recently went from morbidly obese to almost "average" (still working on the last few pounds) and am enjoying the new life. I would really like to hear some of your experiences with eating raw, and how it has affected aspects of your health. I don't doubt that it will have a great impact on my health, I'm just curious about various experiences with health before and after going raw.
Any other advice/tips/stories/anything would be greatly appreciated as well. Thanks!
-Bryan
Comments
I'm a struggling full time student and a single mom. I have learned to dumpster dive. A lot of good health food stores will leave boxes of clippings that might not look perfect for the yuppy trendy crowd, but can be great for us raw foodies for juicing and salads.
Just wash everything really well.
Also, I reuse the left overs from when I juice stuff to make pate's and dehydrator breads.
I don't have a top of the line blender, juicer, and dehydrator, and you can find these things on Craig's list.
Being a raw foodie can be cheaper than you think if you don't focus on fancy over priced nuts ( use sunflower seeds instead) and the expensive items many of the raw sites try to get you to buy.
Omgoshh I'm in the same boat I'm a poor college studnt and all u need is the famers market so cheap and local !
Wow, thanks for the comments everyone!
These are a lot of great tips, I appreciate them. I grew up in North Carolina and then Northern California, and in both places I had no problem finding local farmer's markets and other local marketplaces, etc. I moved to LA for school, and I must say that maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but I've yet to find good local produce (I think this city's main exports are inflated egos and bad drivers) but I'll have to ask around.
Thanks for the tips! If anyone has any more or any resources you'd recommend, I'd greatly appreciate it! I'm just trying to get as much information as possible. :)
I am in the same boat as you Bryan! I fortunately work at Whole Foods, so the discount helps and I just budget the hell out of my life! But it can be hard an I try as hard as I can to incorporate as much raw foods into my day as possible :)
I am actually interested in writing a story for my school's e-zine about how incorporating more raw foods in our diets would be beneficial to our health and productivity. Bryan, would I be able to contact you to ask a few questions about your interest in a raw diet and all things accompanying. If you can help me out email me at tarapelette@hotmail.com
It would be greatly appreciated!
This is my boat exactly! I'm excited to see if it works - I'm going high raw next week. I'm addicted to oats though - I make granola and oatmeal all the time. Does anyone know of a good raw-substitute or if there is a brand of oats that is raw?
I am a senior in college, pinching pennies, and living in frozen, expensive new england. i was raw for a while this summer and the benefits were amazing. if only i could go back and still live on my meager budget. let me know how it works out - i'd love any tips!
Do you have a local "Food Not Bombs" collective? They often have the good connections to find the free produce.
I actually heard about Food Not Bombs at a Unitarian Universalist general assembly in Long Beach a few years ago, but I haven't ever seen one. I'll have to look it up. I would guess there is one in LA.
Will do, thanks!
Bryan- Food Not Bombs" believes in free vegan food for all. I have seen them at work during protests.
You might also want to get in touch with "freegans" in your area to find the best dumpsters.
My heart goes out to you, I just found out that one of my texts books for this semester is going to be $110, so it looks like my daughter and I will be dumpster diving weekly now.
Oh, and if the cops try to mess with you, tell them you are hungry and they usually will let you be.
Being on a tight budget is hard, I can totally identify with you... here is a sight with 5 helpful tips, hopefully they help:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Raw-Food-Diet---5-Essential-Budget-Tips&id=1403837
I hear you Bryan! I was going to start a similar thread!
I like all the suggestions so far (I've even spent a few months dumpster diving myself)...
My advice is to buy a lot of cheap dried beans and grains and keep sprouting, start a new batch every other day (if your diet can keep up with that). You'll have sprouts at every stage continuously. It's a great way to turn cheap dried beans into yummy live food! Eat them plain, in recipes, throw them into smoothies, just keep eating them! yum!
Vegirl, Slazikk, thanks for the tips!
I'm absolutely in love with fruit, so I've been eating a ton of it, and mixing spinach and greens into my smoothies, eating lettuce and celery for snacks. So far I've found some good deals at my local supermarket and I am going to be checking out some more locally-operated places this weekend. Thanks for the tips everyone! I really appreciate them, and all the advice and tips I've been getting from the raw community have been so helpful in my transition to this new lifestyle.
I'm also in a major metropolis. What's worked for me:
*Are there any markets in LA? Fruit and veg can be very cheap at markets. Go at the very end of the market day when vendors are selling very cheap or giving away free
*I don't buy organic- I can't afford it. I figure that fresh fruit and veg is better than SAD and don't stress about it
*Sprouts are dirt cheap to grow, and very nutritious. With a sunny window and some effort you can grow salad greens and veg too
*scope out turkish, asian, and indian supermarkets for greens, fresh herbs, and produce
*If you're transitioning, frozen vegetables are cheap, and allow you to incorporate out of season and fancy produce into your life. Same with some fruits- particuarly frozen berries (fresh are very expensive where I live)
*Are there allotments or a community garden in your area? If not, can you start one? Dirt in kiddie swimming pools or builders' bags work well in an unused lot or on a rooftop. Would your university allow a student group start a vegetable garden on campus?
*find raw foodie meetups, food not bombs (great recommendation someone made), guerilla gardeners, freegans, and activist groups for advice :)
check out this blog.
she managed to do healthy raw vegan on 3.33 a day! i think that is incredible
http://melomeals.blogspot.com/
Hey Bryan!
Ive been eating raw in university (vegan too!) and recently am focusing on going 100%.
It IS possible! I suggest searching your college for groups that promote plant-based diets, you never know what new friends you'll make, and that kind of support will help you when times get tough. Financially, if you can find a chinatown near your area it would be the greatest thing! They always have the cheapest priced fruits and vegetables. In Toronto the most exotic fruits are the cheapest in chinatown, and can be up to four times the labeled price in regular grocery stores. Also buy a ton of greens, they will fill you up! Reassure yourself that you can eat ANYTHING you want, but you are CHOOSING to eat clean, pure, and beautiful food.
Good Luck!!
Hi Bryan - I don't know where you are in LA but i know there is a Waldorf School in Santa Monica -- there may be more than one Waldorf School by now. Call them and ask them where they are getting their produce from. There is probably a CSA nearby. They will probably let you have food in exchange for work on the farm (and it doesn't have to be a huge commitment). Here in Florida I buy food for at the local farmer's market - cheap - grown and harvested locally - it's the best. Very cool that you've transformed yourself - congrats! peace...Brenda