October 1 is World Vegetarian Day, and the perfect places to live if you’re following a plant-based diet might be on the west coast.
Walletub’s The best cities for vegans and vegetarians in 2022 ranked 100 among the largest US cities based on three equally weighted qualifying categories:
- Ability to pay
- Diversity, accessibility and quality
- Vegetarian lifestyle
The survey looked at factors like average fruit and vegetable consumption and the city’s ranking on GrubHub’s list of cities most likely to order a vegetarian or vegan order.
For variety, accessibility and quality, WalletHub examined the market share of restaurants serving vegan and vegetarian options, accessibility of fresh vegetarian food, and even classes. Vegetarian cooking per capita.
#1 Best Cities for Vegetarians and Vegans: Portland, Oregon
While Portland doesn’t make the top 20 for affordability or a vegetarian lifestyle, its variety, accessibility, and quality are what have helped “Rose City” secure the top spot. overall.
The West Coast city ranks among the top five with the highest per capita farmers’ markets, vegetable nurseries and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.
10 best cities for vegans and vegetarians
- Portland, Oregon
- Orlando Florida
- Los Angeles, California
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Austin, Texas
- Seattle, Washington
- Sanfrancisco, California
- Tampa, Florida
- City of San Diego, California
- Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
Orlando’s diversity, accessibility, and quality put the city at number two on the list.
The city’s large number of salad shops and juice and smoothie bars have increased their offering of vegetarian food to plant-based dieters.
But most California cities, including LA in third place, rank high because they have great options for a vegetarian lifestyle including vegan festivals and vegetarian festivals.
When ranking for affordability, the report looked at the cost of vegetarian groceries, average meal costs, and the availability of affordable but highly rated restaurants serving the Vegetarian and vegan options.
Tips for practicing a vegan, vegetarian diet on a budget
With The price of meat and other non-plant foods is increasingYou may be considering adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Here are some tips for doing so on a budget, from Lisa Herzig, registered dietitian and academic program director at California State University, Fresno, as WalletHub reports:
- Shop the store’s branded items
- Shop in bulk
- Consider beans and legumes
- Buy tofu
- Bored of expensive protein powders like pea or soy protein
- Try incorporating more vegetables and peas into your meals
“Life as a plant-based, vegetarian or vegan is easy to manage,” says Herzig. “It can be sustainable and has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity.”
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