expensive foods??

[Guest guest]

Hi, Tootsie!

(I like your name! That's the title name of one of my favorite movies, too!)

 

Donna's right. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg (Excuse me, Vegetarians!--it's

just a figure of speech!)--to eat WELL and go vegetarian or vegan.

 

I don't call myself a vegetarian (unless I am at a restaurant, because the

server always asks me that if I want a " vegetarian " menu item: " Are YOU a

vegetarian? " --so I say, " yes " , because I don't want to get into a complicated

explanation...

 

Whatever!-- My husband and I don't eat meat. I love the fact that it is MUCH

easier on the food " budget " to do this than one might think. Even if you buy a

LOT of fresh vegetables from the produce dept. of the grocery store...you would

be surprised at how FAR they can go in a meal! (In several meals, even!)

Vegetarian staples, such as brown rice or other whole grains, can be bought

cheaper in bulk--or just in larger bags (cost per pound or ounce is lower in

larger quantities), AND they " keep " in your pantry for a LONG time!

 

And BEANS--Oh, how I love them for so many reasons! Beans, especially dry beans

are LOADED with good protein, minerals, vitamins and are low in fat...They have

a lot of great fiber and help keep the blood sugar stabilized...they can be made

into so MANY dishes and foods...there are so MANY varieties of beans--oh, my!

And, if you are cooking them, each KIND has a different aroma and flavor! (When

I cook beans, I sniff the steamy aroma of the cooking pot and EACH kind of bean

seems to have a unique aroma and flavor!)

 

Beans are CHEAP! (Shall I say it again?)--Beans are good food and they are

CHEAP to buy! Canned cooked beans are not too expensive and are SOOO convenient

to use! Just open the can and heat in some dish (or use them cold in salads and

dips!) You can combine beans with other veggies and seasonings, mash them

slightly and form into patties to make as " veggie-burgers " . We call them " bean

patties " at our house. My husband isn't wild about them, but I am still

learning what makes for a good bean burger and what doesn't.

 

It doesn't have to be expensive. If you live where certain vegetables or fruits

are available at certain times of the year, buy those things when they are most

plentiful and enjoy them " in season " . Learn what kinds of foods are good for

storing (like dry beans and grains) in the pantry shelves and you can have

things on hand to make a meal out of just the stuff you " have " and not always be

running to the store--that also saves you the gas in your car. (You can also

freeze left-overs just the same way you might if it was non-veg food.)

 

When you stop buying meat or poultry, you will be surprised to see how far your

grocery dollars will go for veg-only foods. If certain vegetarian foods (I call

them the " specialty " foods) are more expensive or harder to find or whatever,

just think of them as your occasional " splurge " foods.

I like the Quorn brand faux " me*t/ch*ck " foods and will only once in a while

" treat " myself to a package of that. Store-bought veggie burgers--same thing. If

I bought those things all the time and made my meals center on them, I'd have a

huge food bill, and, really, it's healthier, I think, to eat a VARIED vegetarian

diet, and not just rely on the " specialty " foods that are " out there " .

 

Those are just my thoughts on the subject of cost and economy when it comes to

shopping for vegetarian foods, versus the non-veg. foods. I spent FAR more on

" groceries " before we did it the " other " way, believe me! I don't think I could

ever go back to it, just speaking from an economic standpoint!

 

I do feel healthier, too, and maybe it's because I am more AWARE of eating a

VARIETY of vegetable-based foods and a variety of " colors " of foods. My skin,

incidentally, is much better now than it used to be...I really do have " problem "

skin, and this has helped a lot! For me, this has helped me to be more conscious

of my over-all " health " than before. I know that's not the case for everyone,

but I can claim that as my experience.

 

Well, those are my thoughts. Hope you find you have a wonderufl time learning

how economical it is to " buy vegetarian " . Experiment! Try new foods--learn new

things about how to cook them! You don't have to eat the same things or ever be

bored!

 

Best wishes to you!

--Laura B., in Illinois

 

Tootsie New to group

Posted by: " thelilacflower " thelilacflower

thelilacflower

Sun Apr 11, 2010 6:57 am ((PDT))

 

You said you followed the 21 day cllenge sort of. Not sure how well you

balanced your meals.

Easy vegan food that doesn't cost 200 a week like celebrity vegans? What

exactly does that mean?

If you buy bulk, watch prices, cook at home you will have the least expensive

grocery bill there is.

I can buy 2-3 bags of veggies and some bulk beans and or rice compared to the

price of a ste*k.

Donna