Food budget and vegetarianism

[Titus2:5Catholic]

We've been vegetarian (not vegan) now for 2 months, and for 2 months our food budget, which was doing fine, hasn't made it until the end of the month. It seems like so many recipies call for ingredients that cost so much money. Meat is actually relatively cheap around here- I can buy family packs that provide protein for 2-4 meals for 7 bucks (we have 3 adults and 2 kids eating solids). This month I have to make 100 dollars last until Sepetember...it's not goign to happen.

We have NO wiggle room in our food budget. We're not buying tons of extras, and we aren't trying to replace the meat with veggie substitutes (we do maybe one a shopping trip as a treat) and the non-vegan items are paid for by WIC, so that isn't costing us money.

Has anyone else found it is more expensive to be veggie then not?

[Singingmom]

Hmm. . . I know those substitutes are expensive, but tofu is pretty cheap, and eggs and beans. Maybe you need some different recipes. Or you could try making things you used to make but leaving out the meat, like spaghetti sauce or tacos. I do think you can spend a whole lot in the produce section. Cooking more gourmet type recipes, which you see a lot in veggie cookbooks would be a problem. . . Should we all post a cheap veggie recipe?

[Titus2:5Catholic]

Should we all post a cheap veggie recipe?

Please! Pretty please? Preferably tofu free- don't really like it.

[milkmommy]

Should we all post a cheap veggie recipe?

Please! Pretty please? Preferably tofu free- don't really like it.

I'd love some also, were doing are sarndest to cut down of meat for health reasons so I'm trying to limit meals with meat to twice a week but its soo expensive. I love havings lots of fresh fruits and veggies but they are just soo expensive. I'd like to find veggie dishes not substitute meat meals KWIM?

Deanna

[Singingmom]

Ok, first a confession: I'm not actually a vegetarian! I could call myself a semi-veg, I guess. I do eat meat, but I try to fix a lot of meatless meals as well. I don't actually have many tried and true recipes (whose bright idea was that, anyway? :P~). I have more meal ideas, I guess. So I'll be hoping we get some more experienced veggies chiming in.

Here's a White Bean Pasta recipe. Beans and pasta are both good inexpensive staples. You could serve it with a green salad, bread, and fruit if you like.

One pkg of your favorite small pasta, preferably whole wheat
2 t. salt (the original recipe calls for 2 T. - it goes in the water and you drain most of it off, but that seems a little nuts to me)
Two 16 oz. cans white beans, drained (great northerns are good)
2 T. olive oil
2 T. marg. (like Earth Balance or Smart Balance)
1 t. dried rosemary, more if you like (I put mine in a baggie and bang it with the bottom of the jar. Otherwise it's too twiggy.)
2 med. onions, sliced very thin
black pepper

In a lg. pot, bring 5 qts. water to a boil. Add pasta and salt. When the pasta is half cooked, add the beans to the pasta. While the pasta and beans are cooking together, warm the oil and marg. in a skillet over med. heat. Add the rosemary and onion and saute until lightly browned, about 10 min. Drain the pasta/beans when the pasta is done and transfer to serving bowl (or not). Add the browned onions and toss. Sprinkle with pepper.


Black Bean Soup ( I hope you like beans!)

Four 15 oz cans black beans
8 c. water/veg. broth
2 carrots, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
2 t. chili powder (or to taste)
1 t. ground cumin

Place all of the ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for at least an hour. This could work nicely in a crock pot. If you like, you can puree half the soup for a thicker consistency. You can serve as is or top with cheese or sour cream, even salsa. Serve with a green salad and corn chips or bread.

I'll come back later with a few more ideas. :)

[Singingmom]

Potato Soup :yum

Just peel, thickly slice, and boil in enough water to cover until fork-tender, 5 lbs of potatoes. Then drain off the water and break up with a potato masher until they're bite sized. Cover with milk and heat again. Add 1 t. crushed rosemary, 1 t. salt (or to taste), and pepper. Serve with crusty bread and something green.


Pasta Salad

Combine 1/2 c. Italian dressing and 1/2 c.mayo. Toss with cooked whole wheat corkscrew pasta and any and all leftover veggies, cooked or raw, that you have in your fridge at the end of the week. Again with the bread. Love that bread. . .


Breakfast for dinner

Pancakes, waffles or biscuits
Eggs any way
Fruit

[Radosny Matka]

Hmm. . . I know those substitutes are expensive, but tofu is pretty cheap, and eggs and beans. Maybe you need some different recipes. Or you could try making things you used to make but leaving out the meat, like spaghetti sauce or tacos. I do think you can spend a whole lot in the produce section. Cooking more gourmet type recipes, which you see a lot in veggie cookbooks would be a problem. . . Should we all post a cheap veggie recipe?


What can you subsititue in place of the hamburg??

[Singingmom]

What can you subsititue in place of the hamburg??


I think tofu is a great meat substitute, but you have to prepare it right. If you drain it, freeze it, thaw it, and squeeze it, it has a whole new texture, and it will absorb the flavors you cook it with. Use a non-stick pan if you have one, otherwise it can be hard to brown. Cut it or crumble it into small pieces. Saute it with onions and a little oil and seasonings for something like spaghetti sauce or chili. Add taco seasoning and it works in tacos. Seasoning it and salting it is important, because it has practically no flavor on its own.

Another idea is to add veggies to your spaghetti sauce or lasagna to add texture and interest (you may need to leave some plain for a picky eater). Mushrooms, zucchini, cooked carrots,diced tomatoes, anything you like, really. My family likes it plain with cheese on top, too. And for tacos or burritos, just leave out the meat. Toss your favorite beans in taco seasoning if you like. You'll be getting enough protein from the beans or the whole wheat past that you really won't need the meat. Hth :)

[gamomof2]

What can you subsititue in place of the hamburg??

I like using beans. Especially kidney, pinto, or garbanzo beans. It is still filling, and has good texture. You can't get much cheaper than beans! :grin

[ArmsOfLove]

I think one thing that most new vegetarians do, and I admit I still struggle with, is trying to "substitute" for meat in a meal. It helps make an easy transition, but it's like the difference between school at home and true homeschooling. True vegetarian eating doesn't have to look the same as omnivore eating but is rather an entirely differen thing! Dinner can be a salad with lettuce, tomato, avacado, cucumber, (keep inserting veggies) and a can of beans :tu Rice and stir fry *is* a meal :) Broccoli is 49% protein ;) But protein isn't really an issue when you're eating vegetarian. If you eat a wide variety of healthy foods including beans, nuts, veggies, and fruit youll get what you need :)

[ShangriLewis]

Potato Soup :yum

Just peel, thickly slice, and boil in enough water to cover until fork-tender, 5 lbs of potatoes. Then drain off the water and break up with a potato masher until they're bite sized. Cover with milk and heat again. Add 1 t. crushed rosemary, 1 t. salt (or to taste), and pepper. Serve with crusty bread and something green.


My Dad is the king of Potatoe soup. It's his favorite winter meal. He actually cooks the potatoes right in the milk and adds corn or peas. Usually peas because he is, also, the King of peas..lol. Just saute up onion and garlic in oil or butter. Then toss in cubed raw potatoes with the skins on. Cover with milk or you can do half milk and half broth. Cook till the potatoes are almost done and toss in some frozen peas or corn.

[bliss]

Warning- stream of consiousness thread where bliss tries to think of all the cheap-o things she makes for dinner. . .
ditto pancakes. We eat a lot of pancakes. A LOT of pancakes. Can you buy food in bulk? This makes staples so cheap. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. (WIC cheese and 4 for a dollar walmart soup) chili and cornbread - there are several good veggie chilis on the shelf that are not spendy . . .thin it with water to stretch. Sloppy joes with TVP (soak 1 scant cup TVP in 1 full cup BOILING water till it "comes back to life" - it will soak up all the water and not be crunchy anymore) then fry it up in sloppy joe stuff just like meat. Burritos. Um, quesedillas (again, that WIC cheese coming to the rescue. . .) with some refried beans with (cheap to make, but when it's this hot Rosarita are only .67 a can.) Tell your husband you have a splitting headache and he'll have to give the kids cereal for dinner. :mrgreen No one ever died from eating cereal for dinner every once in a while.

[mummy2boys]

Okay....stupid question here....what is TVP?????


...running to hide :blush :blush

[bliss]

I buy it in bulk, but I suppose you can get packages of it somewhere? It is little pebble-things that are beige and unappetizing, dry it looks a bit like something you'd put in when potting a houseplant. It is made of soy. I don't know how. There is a bit of a pipe-dream mentality about it in some circles that you can do anything with TVP you could do with a pound of hamburger - well, I've cooked with both, and 'taint true. It mostly works best in something like chili or sloppy joes where it's kindof disguised, if you know what I mean. Oh, and TVP stands for
TEXTURIZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN
but don't tell your kids that or they'll never eat it!