Monday, April 15, 2013
A Carnivore's Transition to a Vegetarian: How we eat vegetarian for less
A Carnivore's Transition to a Vegetarian: How we eat vegetarian for less: I think the number one reason that people give for not being able to eat more healthy is the cost of the food. Unless you are trying to b...
How we eat vegetarian for less
I think the number one reason that people give for not being able to eat more healthy is the cost of the food. Unless you are trying to buy only organic, you can cheaply feed your family a healthy diet. Here are a few of my tricks:
1) Buy local. I am fortunate to live in an area where there are several farmer's markets in the area. We even have organic farmers who sell goods for less than what you would pay at the supermarket. We also have 2 markets located in our center city so that even low-income families can get great food for less. I can get 2 -3 weeks worth of vegetables/fruits for around $30.
2) I use a discount grocer (like Amelia's) to buy items. I do have to read the expiration dates but I get great discounts on wonderful products that still have expiration dates several months away. The store where I shop even sells bulk items, like nuts and grains, for less than I would spend at the grocery store. The quality is great and I can walk out with paying under 1/2 what I would normally pay for groceries.
3) I use my local grocery stores flyers to plan my visits. Anything that is on sale that I use is what I try to aim for on my visits. It is harder to find a coupon but if I buy enough of the product the grocery store will cut me a coupon at checkout for my next visit. I usually limit my visits to almond milk, vegetarian meat products (which is starting to be cheaper than real meat), frozen veggies/fruit, and bread products. I spend on average around $40 to $50 a week (depending on if I need veg meat or not). There are some weeks that I spend less than $20 a week.
4) I also make my own cleaners using green ingredients which helps cut the cost of cleaners and allows me to save money so that I can spend it on food. If you are wanting some good recipes for cleaners, you can either google search or use a site like www.frugallysustainable.com. I love the way these green cleaners work and an added bonus is that my family doesn't have to breathe in the chemicals that are used in the commercial brands.
5) I am fortunate to have a deck so I plant herbs in the Spring and can usually keep them until after the first frost. It's wonderful because I pick up the plants at my local farmer's market and replant them into flower boxes that I get from the dollar tree. I use Miracle Gro to make sure that the herbs get the nutrients they need. I can buy the herbs for $1 a piece and that saves me a lot of money on herbs.
These are some of the ways I use to save money on my groceries. I am not wealthy and I do not get food stamps. If I am able to make it work so can you. The one thing I would tell you is try to make non-meat versions of your favorite meals. I recently made meatloaf with vegetarian beef crumbles and you couldn't tell the difference. It is so simple to make tacos, meatless meat sauce for pasta, and even meatloaf! So, give it a try. The one thing you will find is that your food will taste wonderful just by adding some veggies to your diet. Have fun and eat local!
1) Buy local. I am fortunate to live in an area where there are several farmer's markets in the area. We even have organic farmers who sell goods for less than what you would pay at the supermarket. We also have 2 markets located in our center city so that even low-income families can get great food for less. I can get 2 -3 weeks worth of vegetables/fruits for around $30.
2) I use a discount grocer (like Amelia's) to buy items. I do have to read the expiration dates but I get great discounts on wonderful products that still have expiration dates several months away. The store where I shop even sells bulk items, like nuts and grains, for less than I would spend at the grocery store. The quality is great and I can walk out with paying under 1/2 what I would normally pay for groceries.
3) I use my local grocery stores flyers to plan my visits. Anything that is on sale that I use is what I try to aim for on my visits. It is harder to find a coupon but if I buy enough of the product the grocery store will cut me a coupon at checkout for my next visit. I usually limit my visits to almond milk, vegetarian meat products (which is starting to be cheaper than real meat), frozen veggies/fruit, and bread products. I spend on average around $40 to $50 a week (depending on if I need veg meat or not). There are some weeks that I spend less than $20 a week.
4) I also make my own cleaners using green ingredients which helps cut the cost of cleaners and allows me to save money so that I can spend it on food. If you are wanting some good recipes for cleaners, you can either google search or use a site like www.frugallysustainable.com. I love the way these green cleaners work and an added bonus is that my family doesn't have to breathe in the chemicals that are used in the commercial brands.
5) I am fortunate to have a deck so I plant herbs in the Spring and can usually keep them until after the first frost. It's wonderful because I pick up the plants at my local farmer's market and replant them into flower boxes that I get from the dollar tree. I use Miracle Gro to make sure that the herbs get the nutrients they need. I can buy the herbs for $1 a piece and that saves me a lot of money on herbs.
These are some of the ways I use to save money on my groceries. I am not wealthy and I do not get food stamps. If I am able to make it work so can you. The one thing I would tell you is try to make non-meat versions of your favorite meals. I recently made meatloaf with vegetarian beef crumbles and you couldn't tell the difference. It is so simple to make tacos, meatless meat sauce for pasta, and even meatloaf! So, give it a try. The one thing you will find is that your food will taste wonderful just by adding some veggies to your diet. Have fun and eat local!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Start of Our Journey
This year, I decided to give up meat and sweets for Lent. I used to tease that I basically gave up everything that rhymes with 'eat.' I also started to exercise again (30 minutes of walking a day) which I let go after I sprained my ankle last year. I noticed something within 2 weeks after starting this diet - I started to feel more energetic. I couldn't believe how long I could keep working at a task. Before I started it, it took a lot to keep me on track and I wanted to sleep half my mornings away. Now, I'm up by 8 (okay, it does take about 20 minutes to actually leave the bed) and I'm ready to take on my day.
Once I went on this diet, I felt my desire for meat actually fade. I no longer craved McDonald's or Sheetz. Now, I find myself hating the smell of meat rather than wanting to eat it. When I first started, I decided that if my son was going to take this ride with me I was going to have to swap out the meat for meat-substitutes (Boca, Morningstar Farms, etc.). We both found that the mock chicken was disgusting but we both liked the meat crumbles as they can be used just like ground beef. I started making tacos, adding it to lasagna, using chicken nuggets (not as disgusting) to make Asian stir fry, etc. We both fell in love with the taste. I had found a way to incorporate a vegetarian lifestyle into our house that my son could tolerate as well.
Just before Easter, as my Lenten fast was ending, my son asked if I was going to remain a vegetarian. I said yes, but if he wished, I would make meat for him to eat. He said no as the vegetarian diet was making him feel more alive and focused. He liked the foods and would remain on it with me.
To date, we have learned how to incorporate a plant-based diet into our meals. I love using frozen vegetables as well as fresh. We go to the local farmer's markets and buy fresh greens and other vegetables. We use almond milk rather than regular milk and we are learning how to cook fantastic dishes using vegetables, pasta, and rice. I have even made a vegetarian meatloaf that tastes better than the reg. meatloaf. We are trying new vegetables each week and my son actually craves them as well. His exact words to some of my dishes are 'Mom, this looks divine.' We have not yet given up all dairy although we do severely limit its use in our house. Mostly, eggs are used to bake with and cheese is used sparingly. I just picked up nutritional yeast but do not seem to find the cheese taste they say is there. Will keep trying....
I now walk 7 miles a day and am getting ready to start running again. I am no longer fatigued and have more energy than I know what to use it on. I rarely have headaches or any other illness and feel an overall sense of happiness. I am hoping to continue this journey and invite you to join me on it.
It is a known fact that a meat-based western diet is a path that leads to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. By changing your diet you can regain the energy you've lost, hopefully lose some weight if that is what your goal is, and reverse the damage that has been done. It sounds difficult but it really isn't. The best part about this diet is the plethora of tastes you can now enjoy. If you like this post, please follow me on my journey. In future posts, I will start posting some of our favorite recipes starting with transition recipes that taste better than the ones you eat with meat.
Once I went on this diet, I felt my desire for meat actually fade. I no longer craved McDonald's or Sheetz. Now, I find myself hating the smell of meat rather than wanting to eat it. When I first started, I decided that if my son was going to take this ride with me I was going to have to swap out the meat for meat-substitutes (Boca, Morningstar Farms, etc.). We both found that the mock chicken was disgusting but we both liked the meat crumbles as they can be used just like ground beef. I started making tacos, adding it to lasagna, using chicken nuggets (not as disgusting) to make Asian stir fry, etc. We both fell in love with the taste. I had found a way to incorporate a vegetarian lifestyle into our house that my son could tolerate as well.
Just before Easter, as my Lenten fast was ending, my son asked if I was going to remain a vegetarian. I said yes, but if he wished, I would make meat for him to eat. He said no as the vegetarian diet was making him feel more alive and focused. He liked the foods and would remain on it with me.
To date, we have learned how to incorporate a plant-based diet into our meals. I love using frozen vegetables as well as fresh. We go to the local farmer's markets and buy fresh greens and other vegetables. We use almond milk rather than regular milk and we are learning how to cook fantastic dishes using vegetables, pasta, and rice. I have even made a vegetarian meatloaf that tastes better than the reg. meatloaf. We are trying new vegetables each week and my son actually craves them as well. His exact words to some of my dishes are 'Mom, this looks divine.' We have not yet given up all dairy although we do severely limit its use in our house. Mostly, eggs are used to bake with and cheese is used sparingly. I just picked up nutritional yeast but do not seem to find the cheese taste they say is there. Will keep trying....
I now walk 7 miles a day and am getting ready to start running again. I am no longer fatigued and have more energy than I know what to use it on. I rarely have headaches or any other illness and feel an overall sense of happiness. I am hoping to continue this journey and invite you to join me on it.
It is a known fact that a meat-based western diet is a path that leads to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. By changing your diet you can regain the energy you've lost, hopefully lose some weight if that is what your goal is, and reverse the damage that has been done. It sounds difficult but it really isn't. The best part about this diet is the plethora of tastes you can now enjoy. If you like this post, please follow me on my journey. In future posts, I will start posting some of our favorite recipes starting with transition recipes that taste better than the ones you eat with meat.
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