You’ve Ate Vegan Food Before & U.O.E.N.O. by Gio Randolph "Vegan Out The Mud"
When people see the word vegan, a lot of times their first thought is blocks of tofu or salads full of sprouts. They picture places like Whole Foods or “that one aisle” in the grocery store you always just walk past because the peanut butter there is twice the price you would normally pay. Vegan doesn't mean raw green food nor is it another word for a strictly vegetable diet. Veganism is a lifestyle that is focused on being as cruelty free as possible, which includes not harming animals by eating them or using their by products. Just now with the rise of the Beyond Meat burger people are learning there are more options to choose in the vegan lifestyle but outside of meat replacements, some of the most basic meals in most cultures are already made without animals.
Obviously, most salads, depending on their dressing, are vegan but not all vegans eat salad that often. You can make a completely nutrient dense meal full of protein and everything else you need with the simplest ingredients. For example: beans and rice. In many African and Hispanic cultures this combination appears. An inexpensive meal that covers your protein and fiber with the beans, tailored with rice, a great source of iron and carbohydrates. An easy meal with the beans and rice combination is called a power bowl. To construct this bowl you make your rice and beans, sauté a leafy green like kale or spinach and add a vegetable like corn or baked squash. These bowls can be made with ingredients from any grocery store and they will always be cheap to make.
When someone mentions vegan food your initial reaction should never be to turn your nose up! Always listen and judge the food based on its contents and taste because more often than not you’ve had vegan food before. We have to change our entire outlook on food as a community because the misinformation is killing us. Simple meals across many cultures involve cruelty free dishes that are easy to assemble and won't break your pockets.