Vegans in need of help with tight food budget--IDEAS??

[peacefulveganmom]

We are a vegan family of 5 on a very tight budget. I'm looking for some very CHEAP meal ideas (including yummy breakfast ideas for the litle ones!)
We had eliminated processed foods completely from our diets at one point, but now with a toddler and a newborn, I find myself relying too heavily on them since they're so quick and easy. I am tandem nursing, so I know that I need more nutrients than I've been getting lately (especially protein) and the little ones are always growing, of course, so they need lots as well. I'm hoping you guys can help "remind" me of the some of the cheap & easy -but NUTRITIOUS- foods that are out there for someone with an almost non-existent food budget like ours!! We seem to be stuck in a "same old boring, nutritionally void food" rut. :blush Can you help??? Thanks bunches!! :tu

[abbiroads]

the only cheep and good thing i can think of is beans. We love beans but i need to rely on them more than i do.

[Mama Calidad]

I'm not veg or vegan, but one of my favorite lunches is. The recipe is here:
http://www.deliciouslivingmag.com/recipes/index.cfm?fuseaction=recipedetails&recipeid=812

I have that for lunch a couple times a week. It keeps pretty well in the fridge, so I make it one day and it's quick, easy and ready for several. :yum

[abbiroads]

looks like a great recipe!

[4thekids]

One of dh's favorites is a burrito casserole. It just takes a recipe or pack of tortillas, a recipe or jar of salsa, and some beans. We use pintos. You can use kidneys though. Take a caserole dish and put a small layer of salsa in it. Then cover the bottom with taco shells. Put in a layer of beans. Repeat till dish is full ending with salsa. I also throw in onions and green peppers in the layers. Dh likes black olives in it too. Just what ever you like. Bake it at 350 for about 45 min. Top with a yummy salad and salsa. Yum Yum
Another favorite is slop. Same ingredients as above plus tomato sauce and chili powder. Take a frying pan and saute onions and green peppers in some olive oil, other oil will do but I like the flavor of olive. Pour in beans. Add in broken up pieces of taco shells. Pour in enough tomato sauce to make it a desireable texture. Add chili powder to desired taste. Top with salad and salsa. And we add corn chips for a tasty crunch. This has a very different taste than the casserole.
Both of these are kinda put in how much you want recipes and they are Oh So good. We get our shells, chips and most of our veggies at aldi's. So that cuts down on price. If that is readable I hope it helps!

[abbiroads]

we're having baked potatoes topped w/chili for dinner tonight. I'm actually using last nights pasta sauce and adding beans and chili spices (cumin, chili powder). Dh said it sounds good so hopefully it will be a hit!

[ShangriLewis]

Beans, potatoes, rice, pancakes. Those are pretty big around here. For tandem nursing you should probably keep some pasta salads in the fridge. They keep all week long and fill you up and they are a great source of energy.

Do you like couscous? Here is how I fix it. My Aunt gave me the recipe, but I recently saw a similar one in the Vegetarian Meat and potatoes cookbook

Prepare a large bowl of couscous. I get that in bulk and it really fluffs up. Add as much thinly slice green onions and raisins as you like. You can add cilantro and nuts if you would like. I usually have some cilantro around. I use it for curry, salsa and salads. The dressing is really easy. Hold on to your seats.....squirt as much lemon juice as you like all over it or fresh squeeze some. Fresh squeezed is better but sometimes in the winter it's just easier to get the little plastic lemons. If you want you can add some oil, too. It doesn't need it though. Then the finally touch is cinnamon. Sprinkled it on and mix it up till it tastes right. You need a lot more cinnamon then you think.

I, also, do a noodle dish similar to that. I like to be able to make different kinds of foods with the same ingredients. Put still warm and drained whole wheat spaghetti in a very large bowl. Toss with sesame oil (you can use canola and then just season with the sesame to save money), green onions, cinnamon, cilantro if you like it and then put sesame seeds on top to look pretty. You can also put a bunch of seeds in the salad, but some times I can't afford any more seeds. I've been able to buy them in bulk now and that's way cheaper.

Homemade hummus is really cheap and a great snack. Although, tahini is really nice to have for it, it can be expensive and I have left it out before. I only buy it if I'm at Trader Joes or it's on a good sale. the great thing about hummus is if you accidentally cook the beans too much it doesn't matter. When I make chickpeas up I make a big batch. Then I make hummus, keep some whole for salads and the rest gets made into fake tuna. Just mush up the beans (you may have to blend them up) with mayo, celery, spike..whatever you like.

Muffins are pretty easy and you can just make up the dry ingredients one afternoon. My kids like the tiny ones for snacks. Have you seen my pancake recipe around here? I found it to be really, really nutritious and really cheap and easy. My husband bought me one of those non-stick griddles and it's been really nice because I can make it for us all and still get to eat with everyone.

Quiche. Do you eat eggs? If you don't you can use tofu and it's just as good imho. No crust Quiche is easy to make. You can eat it cold for a snack, too. I don't like the tofu based one cold as much though. Also, if you can make biscuits or get english muffins cheap you can make breakfast sandwhiches for a change of pace.

I always make sure to have cut up veggies, green salad and fruit salad at the table when we have a big dinner.

No one around here really likes potatoes too much unless they are those little square patties. We get those for 2.99 for a big package and the kids will eat one with an egg or a piece of toast or a muffin. It's nice in the winter when we want a hot breakfast and are tired of oatmeal.

I love potatoes. When I buy a bag I usually bake a bunch to keep in the fridge for me. (We have a nuker now. So, I just nuke them. That's my no good husbands birthday gift. He just couldn't stand it anymore that I would use one.) The rest are made into potatoe salad and sometimes if I have cheese around twice baked potatoes. Twice baked potatoes freeze really, really well.

We are on a tight budget (or so I think). I'm obviously not starving because I've slowly gained weight since Escher hasn't been nursing so much. My husband isn't really into the idea of me getting pregnant again so I can be skinny...lol.

[ArmsOfLove]

pssst Oatmeal :grin

[ShangriLewis]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1558322051/102-2485550-1524124?v=glance

Here is that cookbook!

And, hey Crystal is the queen of food shopping.

[gamomof2]

I know beans have been mentioned, but one of my very favorite meals is pinto beans made in the crockpot. You really can't get much cheaper than dried beans, and making them in the crockpot is so super easy and low maintenance. I take 3 cups of dried pintos, rinsed, and put them in the crockpot, along with 3-4 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 of a large onion chopped (or whole smaller onion), and fill the crockpot with water to about an inch or so to the top. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. You can eat them that day, freeze some, make refried beans, the possibilities are endless! :grin
Our favorite way to eat them is with chopped tomatoes, shredded (soy) cheese, sour cream (tofutti) and sometimes sliced black olives.

[Zoesmama]

AHHH I know this one all too well!! rice and pasta sauce. :giggle We've been there. One month after rent and bills we had $20 for food for 2 weeks.

We had a lot of rice and pasta sauce. And of course beans can't forget those. Gotta have protein/iron.

[memory maker]

I know beans have been mentioned, but one of my very favorite meals is pinto beans made in the crockpot. You really can't get much cheaper than dried beans, and making them in the crockpot is so super easy and low maintenance. I take 3 cups of dried pintos, rinsed, and put them in the crockpot, along with 3-4 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 of a large onion chopped (or whole smaller onion), and fill the crockpot with water to about an inch or so to the top. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. You can eat them that day, freeze some, make refried beans, the possibilities are endless! :grin
Our favorite way to eat them is with chopped tomatoes, shredded (soy) cheese, sour cream (tofutti) and sometimes sliced black olives.



so do you not have to soak them when doing them in the crock pot?

[gamomof2]

so do you not have to soak them when doing them in the crock pot?

Nope, I never have, and they turn out great! :tu

[Allison]

Great thread! Lots of great ideas!

[mamabeanbean]

When I'm going through tight times I find myself putting peanut butter in everything. In oatmeal, on toast, to make peanut sauce for noodles (just add hot sauce and vinegar) etc. It's good for making otherwise starchy inexpensive foods more rounded out protein wise.