Vegetarianism question

[CyrillaAnise]

To the Veggie people of the forum:

I hope I'm in the right area for this :)

Ok, here's a little background info:
When I lived at home with my parents, I decided to begin a vegetarian diet. I ate that way for like six months, I was very satisfied. I lost weight, felt better, blood pressure went down, everything was great.
Well, I got married and of course I couldn't spend the money I was spending on the vegetarian diet and be able to make the house payment, car, truck, utilities etc.. Also, my husband prefers meat, but he likes a lot of the vegetarian food products, but he said for me he'd be willing to do whatever food wise.
We've been married for about 2 years, and I'm really dying to go back onto the vegetarian diet, and still try to remain in our budget, and eat the right foods. Of course now I'll have to get used to eating that way again. I won't have a problem giving up the meat, I did it once and it was great so I know I can do it again, nor the milk because I found out that our local Save-A-Lot recently started carrying organic soy milk for a dollar or more cheaper than the bigger retail stores.

The only problem is the cash. We won't be able to stock up on the Boca burgers/garden burgers/morningstar farms etc because they are outrageously priced around here.. I'm thinking it's some kind of thing that since we're in the Midwest they think we need to eat all this beef taking up pasture space around here.. ha! Just kidding.. but it *is* rather rediculous.

I scan the papers for coupons, but I can't find too much of those either.. Sometimes the products come with coupons but you have to buy them to get them first.

I also realize that before boca and morningstar there were vegetarians, but I'm a 'meal on the go' kind of gal.. I love to cook, but not every day.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Quick meal ideas?
Cheap-shopper suggestions??

Thank you for anything you might suggest :)

[Theres]

interesting.
i found that we had MORE money to spend after we cut the meat out of our budget. that animal flesh can get expensive!
one option is to buy in bulk. alot of the veggie burger stuff is available as a dry mix, just add water, shape and cook. of course it's not as convenient as the frozen food, but it's ALOT cheaper.
the same with beans, lentils, rice, etc. all good soup stuff, and alot cheaper in bulk. with a slow-cooker (crock pot), you can let it cook while you're at work, and when you get home dinner is ready!
out here in the west some of the big food chains have started carrying a limited selection of organic veggies and natural foods, and the prices have come down a bit.
but if you're living in cattle country... i'm surprised you don't get lynched! (lol)

[Yvonne Belisle]

Check the web sites for those brands and see if there are any promotions available. You may also want to check with them to see if they will ship to an individual you never know some companies will just watch how much they require you to buy. Try making twice as much food as you need and putting half in the fridge in containers that will give you ready to go meals and it really doesn't take much more time to make more and store it. There are lots of good recipe adapting programs out there that will adjust the recipe for the number of portions you need. www.allrecipes.com I think that is right has a good one if that is not correct drop the s. You can check reastrant supply stores too sometimes they have much better deals.

[mato]

Oh crap it looks like it's just the two of us :D...

I live in the Soy Capital and soy is still over priced!

Ya I had a simmilar problem with money and stuff. I found that the stores that carry my stuff were all the higher priced stores so I figured they would be cheaper else were. Unfortunately the cheapest I have found vegie burgers were wallmart for $2.50 for four. They are now a delicasy for me :lol:. Rather than waste my money I went back to the drawing board. I found that when I was a kid and homeless on the streets I ate very little meat and cheese so I just asked my mom for some of her shopping secrets. Dry beans rice canned vegies (none we ever bought but that were given by charities...) canned fruit (rinse them all off for a better taste...) anything frozen that keeps that way powdered milk (rarely is real milk so read the lable) there are some canned vegie patties that are good, then go for the cheap fruits and vegetables that do not have names like Tropical, or Sun kissed. Dry fruit while it is in season and save it. One step (financially speaking) above this is the make it yourself stuff using the materials available. There are some god aweful recipies for home made fruit goo, the more practical uses are jam and preserves, ask a Grandmother for the spacifics of it. Talk to parents and older people for their 'secrets' and how they got through the depression or (if there are no elders available) how they got through the last recession! Poor substitute for the real thing but ya get what ya get.

Fast food ideas, alter appropriately any meal idea and they will be fast food. Use five minute rice instead of regular, canned beans instead of dry (costs more though), save left overs and then nuke em for lunch or dinner, or make food ahead of time and nuke em. Try using prepared breads and stir fry for a good sandwhich with some ceaser dressing it is great. Eat freash foods that dont need prepareing, there is one diet the 'garden of eden diet' that uses this but unless you live in The Garden it is expensive. Spinach is an under rated base for some quick foods, such as salads if you do it right it can make a delicious mushroom and spinach patty that works well as a burger. Expariment!

[Yvonne Belisle]

Also try www.stretchers.com for money saving ideas that you may not have thought of if you can save money in areas other than the kitchen you can use it to spring for the higher priced items without feeling it. The green room has a large assortment of recipies of many different types and if you are looking for something specific just ask in there the cooking people of the site go there a lot. Personally I aplaude you both I am a meat eater to a very high degree I do not have what it takes to be a vegiterian but I think it's great that you both do. If you were here and we were in a restaurant at least I would know what to do with my salad. I do make lots of vegitable dishes due to the fact I have children so I may know a few you can use and I have fed a family of 6 on less than $200 a month for several years so when it comes to money saving I do quite a bit.

[Twilight Garden]

Sorry to say it, but most of the cost efficient vegetarian meals are not necessarily "on the go" meals. My best friend is a veggie and tours with a band, so she has to have on the go meals. She usually opts for veggie lovers pizza w/no cheese, rice dishes, peanut butter sandwiches, pastas, chips and salsa, things like that. Not the most healthy diet, but on the road, she has to take what she can get.

[Twilight Garden]

Originally posted by Yvonne Thomas
I have fed a family of 6 on less than $200 a month for several years so when it comes to money saving I do quite a bit.Wow... I'm impressed! It takes $200 every two weeks to feed my family of three! And we're all rather thin. I guess we don't really try very hard, do we? :(

[Yvonne Belisle]

Just think LunarMist most months I have less than that:) You would be amazed at some of the little things you can do to save money at the store. Checking the stores expiration date policy can be a real good money saver many stores will discount something if it is within a certain number of days before expiration since they don't want to lose the money on it and most of those things freeze really well. Meats are very expensive and we have them dailly. Often the produce department will have discounted things like bananas when they are a bit dark but still good! Banana's can be frozen and make wonderful muffins cakes and breads. Smoothies are a cinch to make and bananas go great in them too. They are also a great quick on the go snack. Rice is our extender of choice cheap economical fills us up and can make a pound of meat seem a lot bigger it absorbs the flavors of any seasoning you toss in the water at the begining too. Have you tried tandori seasoning in the rice water then when cooked add some peas and a packet or two of gravy or our preference cream of mushroom soup? It works really well! You can also toss some taco seasoning in the water then when the rice is cooked add some veggies you have done in a frying pan and some kidney beans for a great dish we like to use peppers onions and some celery in that. Works great with or without meat! There are so many fantastic rice dishes out there if you haven't tried Indian cooking you should many people in that culture are vegitarians and thier dishes are well balanced and not that hard to make the flavors are wonderful as well. By the way pizza is very easy to make at home with a ready made crust and the toppings that can be used are limitless.

[CyrillaAnise]

MM All: :) So many good suggestions! Thank you!!

You know I didn't even think of preparing meals ahead of time... we even have a huge chest freezer where I could end up making meals for the next couple weeks and store 'em in it. sheesh.. guess I was just tired when I wrote that.. :)

Buying in bulk is a good idea too.. We do actually have a small health food store about 30 minutes from here and they carry tons of veggie-friendly (even vegan friendly) stuff. Dry beans, tofu, soy products, etc. They even take checks. Some of their things are expensive (like the organic peanut butter, which is REALLY good) but they also have stuff that isn't... I'll have to pay that store a visit here shortly when we get out that way. I'll also really have to end up just driving around to find the best prices for everything. Our Save a Lot store has the best canned goods prices, I don't recall them having any dry beans though..

Thanks all for the websites, I will have to check them out!

I really appreciate the responses!


Hey Mato:
You must be from Decatur, Right? :D
I'm about 2 hours from there, my husband's mom's family lives there. We go to visit on special occaisions. As much as I love soy products.. man.. that is one stinky factory to drive by... the one when you go into town and right next to it across the highway is that junk yard looking place. I'm in lower eastern Vermilion County. Near the Indy border, and near the Edgar County border, In Georgetown.. you may have heard of it.. it's pretty dinky, but at least there's a Subway (love the veggie sandwiches). I guess the manager of our Subway went to a conference in California (I think) and got to meet that Jared guy, a little 'town trivia' for ya!
haha :) I do know what you mean about the whole 'soy capitol' and high soy prices thing.. that is completely rediculous. I mean, you're living there, and we're 2 hours away, and we still can't get a decent price! I guess since they know people will pay for it they'll buy it at whatever price. *grumble* Oh well..
Maybe we IL veggies ought to write a letter to the state officials and gripe about it.. hell, everybody else does.. :P :D


Thanks again :)

[mato]

Yes I know that factory, it is just a few blocks from were I live (luckily it's down wind most of the time) and it is stinky! In the summer it's not so bad, with all the trees and leaves and green stuff producing keeps the smell down. Doesnt do much good if you use the overpass though!
I am sure the two of our letters will have them shaken... :p

Sounds familiar, I might have driven through there a couple of times... or seen it on a sign some were :lol:.

Heres some right back, this is the most haunted city in illinios and it was built on a native american sacred site. But we still cant get a desant price on occult perafanalia! (and I cant spell!)

[CyrillaAnise]

Built on a sacred site?? No wonder it's haunted. :)
Most of our haunted stories in this neck of the woods come from an area called "Grape Creek" There's lotsa odd stories from out there...

Maybe we ought to start an Illinois Veggie-people revolution..
..

I wonder why, but suddenly I thought of that one scene in Dune with Paul talking to the fighters... "A Storm is coming... OUR Storm"..

Ok.. maybe I don't want to be THAT radical.. but my heart is in the right place..

*going to find the snail mail addy for the IL Gov.*

[Lavender]

If you're interested in making your own patties, here's a recipe for lentil burgers that even my meat-eating hubby loves.

1 cup dry lentils
2 - 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh taragon
2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

In a medium saucepan, simmer the lentils in water with the bay leaf until the lentil skins split easily, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the onions & celery in the oil, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients except the oats and bread crumbs. Process the oats in the blender or food processor until finely ground. Combine the oats and bread crumbs with the lentil mixture. Shape the mixture into 12 patties while it's still warm. You may freeze the patties at this point. (Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook - Lucy Moll)

I'm not a vegetarian but I don't care for meat burgers. So I usually make a batch of these & freeze them. You can play around with the seasoning & they do freeze well.

[Twilight Garden]

Originally posted by Yvonne Thomas
You would be amazed at some of the little things you can do to save money at the store.Thank you for the money saving hints. I'm going to try to keep them in mind when I go shopping next week! You have some great ideas. :)

[Yvonne Belisle]

If you ever want more just let me know you would be surprised at where you can save money. Note in one of my freebie circulars I saw one for tofu I will see if I can find it and if it is still going on if so I will post it here. :)

[Ganga]

Great vegetarian books: Higher Taste; A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian and Karma-Free Diet. It says "gourmet", but the recipes are easy enough. The publisher is BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust). My favorite is Gouranga Potatoes:

serves 4
8 potatoes
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups sour cream (or some tofu-substitute)
1 tsp turmeric (for a pretty, yellow color)
2 tsp hing (you may use onions instead if you like them - I don't)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika

Boil the potatoes and peel & slice them. Alternatively, you can peel & slice them first, then boil (which cuts down the boiling time). Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl, mix with the potato slices, and bake in 400 degrees F. for about 25 min. Easy and delicious!

Another great author of vegetarian cooking books is Yamuna Devi. Her books are usually available in any public library.

[Yvonne Belisle]

I haven't run back across the one for tofu yet but here is a freebie for soymilk

http://www.bestlifeint.com/free_sample/reg.asp

[Nect]

I think it would be the cheapest to do the cooking yourself (and veggies are so much cheaper than meat). And a lot healthier, too. Here are some great sites you can check out:

www.vegweb.com/food
www.vegcountry.com/recipes.html
www.ivu.org/recipes

Specifically vegan sites (I 'm vegan and I've tried most of the recipes from these two sites - the results were excellent!):

www.veganvillage.co.uk
www.mikiwalsh.com

Have fun with the cooking!

Nect