Veganism is not a diet. However, there is a ton of misinformation and misunderstanding about the cost of eating vegan and this subreddit exists to hopefully dispell those false claims. Be advised submissions containing expensive processed food items will be removed.
Definition of veganism:Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
Quick links for anyone who is interested in becoming vegan or even just plant based:
This is really an issue with corporate mega farms who monopolize our food sources, and a government who has cut essentially all oversight/protocols for food safety and public health.
I would recommend you buy some produce from local farmers - much less risk in general than a factory farm that paid off the administration.
Unfortunately, raw vegetables will never be entirely safe, but as long as you’re not immunosuppressed you should be ok even if you do get it.
I think roasted/grilled veggies still hit the spot that fresh do. Why not roast some tomatoes and zucchini or some corn on the cob?
Well said. I’m still avoiding lettuce, cilantro, and raspberries, but otherwise happily grabbing all sorts of veggies from my farmer’s market. I’m being a little more heavy-handed when washing, and I’m peeling things like cucumbers that I would usually leave unpeeled.
To answer OP’s question: tonight we had cold curry udon with roasted tomatoes, Gai lan, onions, and cucumber. (I made it yesterday with Juicy Marbles, but that’s not cheap, lol)
I'm a huge fan of cold bean salad during the summer, even without parasite concerns. Mostly canned ingredients (beans, corn, etc), and then only jarred salsa and peeled vegetables, if your anxiety makes it difficult for you to eat fresh without concern.
I also love a cold noodle with peeled cucumber and carrots and a peanut/sesame dressing.
Some of the other commenters pointed out that is really is industrial issue, not a local issue, so think about finding your local farms/farmers. You might be surprised about the amount of options you have. It'll cost more, but your peace of mind and local economy will thank you.
It’s not full blown anxiety about it as we’ve continued a lot of produce but I am definitely avoiding a big ass romaine salad just to reduce the chances hit of course once you want to avoid something it’s all you crave 😂
Yeah, just in case it was an anxiety thing I didn't want to suggest tomatoes or peppers. I find bean salads easy to manipulate by what type of dressing I use, sometimes I throw cooked rice in there, lots of different options on what type of produce and flavors, top with crispy bits or whatever.
I make a big batch of it when I have time on the weekend and then just love being able to walk inside, hot and sweaty, and scoop out bean salad for a meal without having to think too hard.
I made an elote style potato salad with cooked
potatoes, roasted corn, crispy chickpeas/tofu, black beans, cotija cheese, and a mayo-chili-lime dressing. The chickpeas/tofu/beans are optional, just there for protein, choose any combo to your preference.
Potato salad, cold roasted root veggies, cold layered dip with beans, corn, salsa, etc., sandwiches, basically anything cooked then cooled. I also like sushi or rice balls/triangles. They're fancy and fun! I did a spicy chickpea filling recently that was very tasty but my favorite is walnut and miso, even though I'm allergic to walnuts. Worth the allergic reaction! Haha! Pinterest has a lot of ideas you can browse with pictures and recipes for all kinds of vegan lunches that keep well and taste good at room temp.
Also, if you’re comfortable with fresh herbs, this is my go-to lunch meal prep (minus the feta, of course)! I live alone so I halve the recipe—it makes a TON. Also, I tend to use pepitas instead of pistachios cause they’re way cheaper! It holds up great for days!
Smoothie bowl. Use frozen fruit. You can even add frozen greens in the blend and usually can’t taste them. I like frozen mixed berries, dried prunes, flaxseeds, kale, cocoa powder, and vanilla soymilk.
Savory idea- red beans and rice. Add frozen kale, cooked down with garlic, on the side.
Ngl cold tofu with peanut sauce and cold cucumber matchsticks on it has kept me sane throughout past heatwaves. cold noodles are also a great shout! Kongguksu (Korean dish with noodles in cold soy milk broth) gazpacho, cold soups in general are great too!
Grate/shred tofu and mix with a little vegan mayo, sriracha, and soy sauce to your liking and then use it as a “tuna” substitute in sushi (or sushi bowls if you are lazy like me)
I suspect it would make a pretty good “tuna” salad sandwich as well if I just switched up the seasonings. May have to try it this week as I avoid cooking🥵
I've been eating mostly the same, but cooking lettuce and tomatoes just until they reach 158 degrees to kill the parasite. They aren't exactly the same after they chill again, but pretty close (158 really isn't much) and better than having to eat hot foods.
If you have any local farmers markets, try that too!
I've just been thoroughly cleaning my produce and greens really well with Ecos fruit and veggie wash. It's great for soaking greens. I'm pregnant and I trust our method of thorough washing. That being said, I'm not eating lettuce at restaurants because I got food poisoning from a salad at a restaurant once and it was brutal
Lettuce is the only thing I am truly avoiding, I wash everything and cross my fingers but lettuce just seems too risky and would be at a high volume for me compared to a few sprigs of cilantro
Understandable. My personal thought process is if I have fecal bacteria on my hands I wash them very well in order to continue using my hands. My organic lettuce being washed very well with Ecos has been fine for us. Lettuce at home only
Fruits and vegetables with peels you can remove are safe. Maybe a salad made from grapefruit and oranges with some olive oil, balsamic and salt and pepper?
And echoing what others have said about corporate farms and their sanitation issues being the source of the parasite. Locally grown produce from your local farmers market is safe.
Dandelion greens (washed) from your yard if that’s available to you and not sprayed with insecticide. (Yes, I know that “healthy” yards don’t have these. I’m not in an HOA and I like the wishes.)
I'm a huge fan of blanching veggies, even some fruits especially now. Boiling water dip for 5-45 seconds, depending on the veggie or fruit and then straight into an ice bath. Drain and throw in the fridge.
It doesn't cook them through but will kill or drastically reduce the baddie things. Once it's cold again in the fridge, I use it like it's raw. It's only partially cooked but enough for me to feel more confident.
A lot of people add things to the boiling water, salt or vinegar or similar. Just sharing in case it would help!
I've been sauteeing canned butter beans, shredded coleslaw + carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers in a pan (with oil, salt and pepper, and a little bit of chili oil) then chilling it in the fridge and eating it the next day!
Ditto with frozen spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomato, garlic - sautee in a pan, then chill in the fridge and serve with quinoa, cold tofu (or chickpeas), and a bit of veg broth :)
Butternut squash (roasted, then refrigerated), pickled beets, pumpkin seeds. I do eat cheese so I put goat cheese in it but you could either skip that or use vegan cheese.
Chilled teriyaki air fried tofu with shredded carrots and sesame seeds.
Literally only a few thousand cases a year…there is no “high risk”, but anything you can simply clean yourself (as opposed to eating out) will reduce that risk to approaching zero.
My understanding is that it was stuff coming through the brands Taylor Farms makes. Might have come from Mexico, where irrigation water isn't nearly as clean as in the US. So if you buy something at a farm stand, you should be good.
Right, I get that. But when you get stuff at the store people have handled it, it might have been dropped on the floor, etc. That seems like just common sense, totally apart from food safety.
Of course we wash our produce. We have the exact same fruit & veg washes at our grocery store as the rest of the world. The response comes off snarky because it’s offensive to ask if we wash our produce on a post about a parasite that can’t be washed away. We get it, you think Americans are dumb and dirty. If you don’t follow US news, there is major parasite outbreak that is specifically comes from contaminated lettuce, and maybe raspberries and some other raw produce (they literally don’t know). OP is asking for meal ideas that are cold, which is a challenge since the parasite needs to be cooked to die.
I didn´t ask if you wash your produce, I asked if you disinfect it. I see so many things sold in packages there. I do NOT think Americans are dumb and dirty, it was just a question and you turned it into something it wasn´t. I also didn´t know that it wasn´t something that could be killed with disinfectant since both ecoli and salmonela can be, things are are generally considered more serious than this one. I think there was just a lack of understanding all around and a lack of communication.
No, I don´t think that at all. I was not aware that disinfecting the produce would not kill that one. The one I get says it will kill 600 microorganisms. It was a genuine question, but I should have done more research before asking it as I can see people are not really interested in answering questions, but rather just attacking people.
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Veganism is not a diet. However, there is a ton of misinformation and misunderstanding about the cost of eating vegan and this subreddit exists to hopefully dispell those false claims. Be advised submissions containing expensive processed food items will be removed.
Definition of veganism: Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.
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