16 Cheap Vegan Recipes for College Students - TheDiabetesCouncil.com (2024)

FAQs

What percent of college students are vegan? ›

A new survey of 2,000 undergraduates finds that 14% follow a vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diet. Just 4% of adults nationally never eat meat, according to a 2019 survey conducted by The Harris Poll.

Even if your college doesn't provide dedicated vegan options, it doesn't mean that you can't follow a vegan diet—you'll just have to get a little creative with what's available to you. For example, you can make easy meals like oatmeal, salads, grain bowls, and veggie sandwiches out of your dining selections.

Black Americans are almost three times more likely to be vegan than the general population. Celebrities like Beyoncé and Serena Williams have spoken publicly about the benefits of a plant-based diet and are increasing the visibility of plant-based eating in the Black community.

UK surveys show that younger adults are more likely to be vegan; the demographic group in Britain most commonly adhering to a vegan diet is women aged 18 to 34.

A meatless diet can be healthy, but vegetarians -- especially vegans -- need to make sure they're getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns of the risk of vitamin B12 deficiencies in vegetarians and vegans. Vitamin B12 is found naturally only in animal products.

You could start by removing meat or dairy one day a week and go from there. Or you could try changing one meal at a time, having vegan breakfasts during your first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on.

Staple vegan foods such as oats, lentils, pasta, rice and chickpeas are among the cheapest foods and are in *a lot* of vegan recipes, so should definitely make an appearance on your list. Oh, and avoid shopping whilst hungry.

About four percent of the U.S. population follows a vegan diet. It is noteworthy that the number of vegans is so small, that surveys have a hard time clearly showing how many vegans there are.

However, according to a survey by Compare the Market, the United Kingdom has the highest percentage of vegans in the world, with around 6% of the population identifying as vegan in 2021. Other countries with high percentages of vegans include the United States and Germany.

A vegan diet can be healthy as it is typically higher in fiber and lower in cholesterol than an omnivorous diet. As a result, some studies find a vegan diet lowers the risk of heart disease and premature death, helps manage type 2 diabetes and reduces the risk of cancer.

How many people are vegan for ethical reasons? ›

As of December 2021, 89 percent of polled consumers in Great Britain stated that they were vegan due to an ethical motivation. These vegans view farming methods and killing of animals as cruel. Furthermore, approximately 40 percent responded that they followed such a diet, because of personal health reasons.