Balancing Your Budget and Family Values while Going Vegan: A Conversation with Toni Okamoto

Toni Okamoto is an author, swing dancer, and the founder of Plant Based on a Budget, a food blog that shares budget-friendly vegan recipes.

When did you become vegan and what was your motivation?

I started phasing meat out of my diet in high school, where I was eating fast food almost every day. I ran track and would vomit after I ran nearly every time. I knew that wasn’t normal but didn’t make the connection that food was impacting my performance until I talked to a coach who suggested I cut out red meat. The results were immediate, and I continued cutting all meat out of my diet over the course of the next few years.

When I left my parents house after high school I wanted to be vegetarian but I still ate poorly – lots of ramen noodles! I joined the vegetarian club at my community college in Sacramento and met a professor there who taught animal ethics. I met like-minded people at this club and we educated ourselves on animal suffering in the food industry. From there I became an ethical vegan.

My transition was very long and I’m very grateful that people around me were so patient. I wanted to be set up for success and I don’t think judgement and accusatory tones would work for me – they would have turned me off at that time. It took me four years to go from meat-eater to vegan. I understand it’s hard to change over night. It’s important to make a gradual change at a pace that sets you up for success.

The change I experienced was more than just physical. I felt mentally and emotionally better. I think that once you start removing animal products, you begin to have a more open-minded heart to animal and environmental issues. You know, people love their dogs and cats but many people forget about the chickens and cows and other animals. I have gained compassion since becoming vegan.

Your upcoming book, Plant Based on a Budget addresses a huge issue for many communities: eating healthy on a budget. How did you become passionate about providing solutions to this problem?

If I find out about something new and decide I like it, I become obsessive. When I found veganism, I jumped in full force. I was working at an animal sanctuary and giving speeches and heard all the time, “Being vegan is too expensive!” Even my own family told me that healthy food is too expensive.

My family members have undergone multiple bypasses, amputations, and a heart attack. I told them that I felt better and healthier since becoming plant-based, but they didn’t believe you could be vegan if you couldn’t afford to shop at Whole Foods. That’s how I founded Plant Based on a Budget. Since then, I’ve been sharing low-cost, plant-based recipes on my website.

Now my family is more open to eating plant-based meals and they’ve branched out from Preggo and spaghetti when I come home to eat! My mom will even make Soyrizo™ instead of chorizo and they are really accommodating.

You say, “Going vegan is not only an attainable goal, but the best choice for your health, the planet, and your wallet.” Can you explain how going vegan makes an impact on your environment?

I think anyone who has seen Cowspiracy understands that how your meal got to you matters, and it affects our planet! When I worked at an animal sanctuary I visited small family farms, organic free-range farms and big industrial factory farms. All you see is land wiped of trees and clean resources. Going there and seeing mounds of feces and waste was just awful. Factory farms are not only a huge cause of pollution, but the conditions the animals live in are just terrible.

Eggs are a huge problem – not just the way the chickens are treated but the way they are bred. They have nutrients depleted from their own bodies to pump out more eggs than they would ever lay in the wild, and chickens who don’t lay good quality eggs are killed. Chickens are being bred to produce more eggs than is healthy for their bodies. It’s very sad.

What were some plateau points in your plant-based journey?

Well, my family is Mexican and we express love through food. When you go to your aunt’s house and say, “I don’t eat anything you’ve made.” it’s hurtful to them. My way around that issue is food-sharing with them. I bring food that they can share with me and that’s a good opportunity to expose people to new foods.

You can usually get chorizo and Soyrizo™ at the same grocery store. I’ve shown my mom that she can shop at the same place, be healthier, and we can eat together! I overcame the obstacle in a way that is respectful to her and it allows us to participate in food sharing still, which is so important to my family. For Thanksgiving last year my family made all the sides vegan and that just means so much to me. It shows me the power of positivity and patience.

Another thing that is challenging for many people is budgeting. I didn’t have a lot of money when I became vegan. My best advice is to try meal planning to stop impulse purchases. Also, I have free meal plans on my blog, Plant Based on a Budget! Look in the fridge and see what you can build off of!