The Veg*n On a Budget

In this time of financial strain, here is the place to let us all know how you are coping with your veg*n diet. I've been seeing more and more posts on the trials and tribulations of being a broke vegan or vegetarian, a college student, or just plain budget-conscious and thought this would be a great place for everyone to come to for some tips and some amazing recipes.

By answering some of these questions, you might give others lots of budget-friendly ideas for recipes, shopping, where to get the best deals, etc.

What's on your grocery list and what stores in your area have the best prices? What is your favorite budget-friendly recipe? What are some kid-friendly recipes that won't break the bank? Etc.

With all of the upcoming holidays and parties, what delicious-yet-easy-on-the-wallet party menu's have you come up with?

Please share! :)

Quick meal ... Soya mince with rice and spinch. I buy dried soya mince which you soak in hot water for 15 minutes, drain and fry. I use canola oil, fry onion and garlic when soft add a tbs of tomato paste and cook for a minute then add the soya mince let cook for 2 minutes, add some vegetable stock and simmer for afew minutes and enjoy with brown rice and steamed spinach.

Awesome thread. It is really inspiring me to become a veg again. I was a pesco-veg for 2 years before I was pregnant with my son two years ago. We moved to KS and lived with my meat and potato-eating in-laws for three months while looking for a house.

It has been hard to get back into better eating habits. I have been using the website a lot to keep track of calories and nutrients, and have been eating much healthier, but am having a hard time making that final push back to vegetarianism. My husband and toddler LOVE chicken! And when you are the mother of a two-year-old, it is hard enough to sit down and eat dinner, let alone make your own seperate dish! I have been toying with easy and quick options, especially where fish, nuts, eggs and beans are concerned, over the past few months.

**Single serve frozen and canned fish has been a life saver for work (where I have to bring my dinner) or when family is having beef (again). A salmon fillet, a single serve brown rice cup and a handful of frozen edamame or broccoli in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, top off with a dash of teryaki sauce or asian sesame dressing=fast, satisfying, nutritious meal. If you don't eat fish, tofu is awesome with teryaki and brown rice. Or, add extra edamame, some cashews, and a dab of natural peanut butter for a thicker sauce and a extra boost of protein and fats.

It is pretty easy to stay on a budget here with veg options--there are none, besides just winging it with whole foods! I live in a super small town in KS and there are no (and I mean NO) fancy, convenient, pre-packaged organic, vegetarian or vegan meals. I have to go (half an hour drive) out of town to get my son and I's Amy's and Annie's, and unless I drive 2.5 hours to the nearest Whole Foods, the organic/veg selections at even the big grocery stores are limited. Getting better, but still, nothing compared to Denver, where I am originally from.

Great post!  I'm a poor college student and a vegetarian.  I meal plan a week in advance.  I've built up a really great pantry full of grains and dried beans.  They're really cheap when bought in bulk and I put them in mason jars which are about $10 for 12 new or pick them up at Salvation Army.  I market on Saturday's and know exactly what I need from the meal planning.  I spend about 20-30 dollars a week on groceries and eat like a queen.  Soups are my favorite compliment to a grain dish and this is a cheap, easy recipe for one of my favorite:

2 tomatoes, quartered

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp safflower oil

3 tbsp beer or white wine

2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp veg. bouillon

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups water

Heat the oil and beer/wine in your soup pot, add garlic and saute about 2 minutes.  Add paprika and saute about 2 more minute.  In your blender put the tomatos and 1 cup of the water.  Blend until it's the consistency you like.  Chunky or smooth it doesn't matter.  Mix the tomatos, additional water, boullion and tomato paste with the garlic and heat through.  Mix in the cayenne.

You can serve this hot with some fresh chopped basil and some plain soy yogurt.  You can also serve it cold with alfalfa sprouts and basil.  Make it your own.  

This makes a really cheap meal if you make it with some white beans (throw them in a slow cooker with garlic, a bay leaf and some stock) and a big slice of bread.

Happy cooking!

The best, most affordable, versatile, and tasty protein that I can think of (outside of black beans, yummy black bean burritos...) is wheat gluten (also called Seitan).  I always use the Homemade Wheat gluten recipe on the following website, http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm, and I use wheat gluten as a substitute for most any meat in a recipe (your non-veg relatives/friends won't be able to tell the difference).  It is a chewy, dense, protein- and nutrient-rich food.  I just made egg rolls this past weekend using minced gluten in the filling...it was a huge hit!  When I was a kid, we used to make Seitan by forming a dough from regular all-purpose flour and water and then rinsing the dough until the water ran clear (to get rid of the starch and leave just the gluten)...It took forever but the results were so good that we almost didn't care.  Its a lot easier to make now that gluten flour is so readily available.  You just mix up the dough with the gluten flour and boil pieces on the stove!  Then you can save the boiled Seitan to use for recipes throughout the week.  I think of the boiling as the first cooking and then you have Seitan that you can lightly stir-fry with vegetables, saute, brown until crispy on the outside, add to soups or stews or chili, minced in eggrolls, etc.  Its cooked after boiling but I think the real boon is adding it to recipes that need protein or preparing it for a main meal like Seitan Bourguignon (a dish fit for company).  It can be spiced any way the non-compassionate stuff can be spiced.

And it is sooo cheap!  Vital wheat gluten flour (I use the Bob's Red Mill brand) is available in large or small bags (I see Kmart even sells this) and just 2 cups of gluten flour makes a large batch of seitan (more than enough for 1 person to add protein to their dinner for a week).  Anyway, I definitely recommend it as a cheap appetizing protein.  I am starting grad school in the Fall and will most likely be living off of Seitan dishes and black bean burritos.  :-)

Also, when I need very fast protein and don't have any more seitan or beans in the frig then I'll drink some soy milk or grab a bite of Soya Kaas soy cheese (not vegan unfortunately).  The Natura brand Soy Milk is fortified with a lot of important nutrients (like vitamin D and potassium) that can be a little harder to get as a vegetarian and it has no carageenan either which is good because carageenan (a thickening food additive found in many soy milk brands nowadays) is bad for your health (http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html).   And Soya Kaas cheese has fat and sodium of course so it isn't the best choice for protein...

Good luck getting all your protein and eating all around healthy, folks!  I have other ideas for cheap eating so I'll probably post these later.  Dried beans are dirt-cheap (e.g. $0.79 for a bag of beans that will feed one poor student for at least a week) and, again, Seitan is quite affordable as well and will satisfy any craving for a chewy dense protein that you might have.

Afterthought: I also love eating garbanzo bean dip with carrot and celery sticks.  Canned Garbanzos (chickpeas) too are very cheap and a great source of protein...and you can make a similar dip from northern beans.  Go beans!  :-)

My favourite cheap meal used to be sauteed mushrooms and onions with white rice and avocado.  I would mash the avocado and mix it with a pinch of seal salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and mix it into the rice/mushroom/onion mixture until it was all green and delicious.

Sometimes I'd end up with an avocado that was a little past it's prime, so I'd mix half with a bit of olive oil, and use it as a hair conditioning mask, while the other half I'd use plain as a face conditioning mask.  Works great, and makes bath-time feel more luxurious. 

Just make sure you shampoo and condition after the hair mask!  I use Live Clean shampoos and conditioners, which are vegan, free of harsh chemicals, and work awesome.

Original Post by brighteyes82:

In this time of financial strain, here is the place to let us all know how you are coping with your veg*n diet. I've been seeing more and more posts on the trials and tribulations of being a broke vegan or vegetarian, a college student, or just plain budget-conscious and thought this would be a great place for everyone to come to for some tips and some amazing recipes.

By answering some of these questions, you might give others lots of budget-friendly ideas for recipes, shopping, where to get the best deals, etc.

What's on your grocery list and what stores in your area have the best prices? What is your favorite budget-friendly recipe? What are some kid-friendly recipes that won't break the bank? Etc.

With all of the upcoming holidays and parties, what delicious-yet-easy-on-the-wallet party menu's have you come up with?

Please share! :)

 

 

I just ordered the Peta2 College Cookbook (Vegan obv!).
It was like 11 something CDN, so if you're looking into staying veg or vegan, I highly suggest you invest in it! It's great and has fast, cheap, delicious recipes.

And your delicious-yet-easy-on-the-wallet req? Look no further than the catalogue on PETA.org!

Good luck! 

it's not so hard to eat a veggie diet (financially) as it is to try and substitute meat products with things like tofu, tofurkey, or morningstar products.  here in SC where i live, a small package of tofu runs around $3-5.  the portion is barely enough to make a meal for a family, but could probably stretch over a couple of days for one person.  a pack of tofurky dogs is almost $4 for 5 links.  that's insane.

our family isn't completely VEG, but we only eat meat once or twice a week, and when we do, it's always lean poultry or seafood. 

our solution has been to substitute meats with things like eggplant, brown rice, beans, and i try to use EVERYTHING.  i don't waste.  if there are leftovers in the fridge from the night before, i almost always turn them into something else if we don't eat them all for lunch the next day. 

it's all about being inventive and creative.  if you poke around on sites like this long enough, it's simple enough to get your creative culinary juices flowing.

I love this thread!!! I actually just started a blog calle the cheapest vegan, and I think I will add a segment on dorm food because I was vegan in a dorm too when I was in school! Aweosome!

http://cheapvegan.tumblr.com

Try textured vegetable protein (tvp)... they sell it in the bulk bin at Whole Foods and I have seen it at other grocery stores as well! It is 1.99/lb a pound which is way cheaper than Boca or Morningstar crumbles. You just at one cup of tvp to one cup hot water, let the bits fluff up and use in place of ground beef in chili, tacos, sloppy joes! you can even add and egg and spices and make your own veggie burger. I found tvp a few months ago and it is my new best friend!

Hey guys, I just came across this link I thought you'd enjoy! I also find it funny cause being a poor student is what initially encouraged my veganism, hahaha. (And um, I love animals! I promise!)

http://www.good.is/post/is-it-cheaper-to-be-v egan-vegetarian-or-a-meat-eater/

Non-dairy/Meat completely Vegan Split Pea Soup -

This will take at least 2 hours to cook, but only 15 mins to prep. (If you want to use a crock-pot, you can start this in the morning, leave it all day and everything will be slow-cooked by the time you get home for work.)

What you need:
- 1lbs dry split peas - 1-2$
- 6-8 cups of water - tap does just fine
- 3 medium sized potatoes - 10lbs bags can go on sale for under a dollar where I am.
- 1/2 onion (yellow or white) - .99 per lbs
- 2 medium sized carrots (1 cup of baby carrots) - .99 - 1.99 per lbs bag
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1-1/2 tbs ground pepper
- 1 tbs salt
- 1/2 tbs Filé powder (This is ground sassafras leaves. It's got a very delicate taste to it but is a great thickener, you can also try using Arrowroot Powder.)
- Optional: thyme, rosemary, sage.
- Stock Pot (must hold up to 8 cups of water.)
- Stirring spoon

What to do: Pour the 1lbs bag of dried split peas into your stock pot. Add 6 cups of water. Set stove top heat to high until the water is at a boil. Once the water is at a boil, you'll be dropping the heat to medium. This will soften the peas and rehydrate them. This process can take between 30 mins to an hour. Cover with a lid, but keep the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape while simmering.

Time to prep those veggies! Peel the three potatoes completely. Make sure you give them a quick rinse before you cut them. Dice the potatoes into small 1/4 inch cubes. Dice 1/2 onion into small bits. Peel and slice the carrots into small bits.

Set aside your veggies until you are ready to place them into the stock pot with your peas. Check on your peas, give them a stir... in about 30 mins since you put the peas on the stove, check on them.. you're going to need to test how cooked the peas are. If they are tender enough to break apart when stirring, you're in business. If not, give it another 20 to 30 mins.. Honestly, you really can't over cook the peas, it's nearly impossible. You may want to add another cup or 2 of water.

Peas good and smooshy? Time to throw in your veggies! Just toss them in along with the pepper, salt, olive oil, any other spices or herbs (except for the filé powder) and cover over medium heat. Give the veggies about 10-15 mins to cook. Once they've become tender as well, you can add your thickening agent.. stir in the filé. Let that set on low heat for a min or two.. then let cool off before serving.

Best fresh Split Pea Soup I've ever had! And it's all from scratch. You can make this in large batches on the weekends to have throughout the week. You'll want to have more than one bowl. It's a great value.

This soup is good hot for the winter time... or chilled during the summers. Pure vegetable goodness!

Great thread. I have been vegetarian for 38 years - mostly vegan but not exclusively.

Favorite kid recipe - make it yourself tacos or wraps: Just cut up everything you want and put it in small bowls and let everyone make their own. Suggestions: cooked beans or refried beans, peppers, onions, coriander, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, lots of salsa etc.

Favorite healthy & easy: tofu w/stir fried veggies. I cut and marinate the tofu the evening before. I marinate it in soya or tamari sauce with a lot of fresh ginger and garlic. Then I fry it in oil. Then I stir fry tons of veggies and add the tofu at the end. You can have it with rice if you like.

Cheapest meals I make regularly: greek salad & rice; lentils or beans & rice, big pile of sauteed vegetables & some kind of protein

Favorite staples:

• chick peas
• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• tofu
• tofu hot dogs, hamburgers
• seitan
• lentils
• rice
• whole wheat tortillas
• greek salad dressing
• pasta
• Yves bologna for sandwiches

Her is a site I use for budget meals

http://www.lbveg.com/Recipes.php

isnt sassafras carcinogenic

when making veg soup, i put some of the veggies in the blender and puree them, then add back to the soup pot.

also you can puree some cooked chickpeas and mix them in a soup to make a creamy soup.  

This is a wonderful thread. I'm not completely vegan, but I am slowly converting. We only have meat once or twice a week. We love spaghetti with a fresh green salad and some garlic toast. I made chili and used mushrooms chopped up fine and my son thought that there was meat in it. I am definitely going to try the recipes i found here. Especially love the creamy asparagus soup!

Can someone tell me how to make dried beans do that they don't break apart. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but they seem to split and don't look very good. Oh and some recipes for the lentils would be nice, i've never had them.

Thanks,

Lisa

I start my days with a mix of bulk 5 grain hot cereal, bulk 7 grain hot cereal, TVP, and chopped mixed fruit.

If you find a reasonable store with a bulk food aisle, the ingredients aren't very expensive at all.

For myself at 6'1" and about 250 I use  1/4 cup each of the dried grain products, and a palmful each of raisins, dried turkish apricots, and craisins.

The fruits are a nice addition but if left out, the rest of the ingredients can be found for $1/lbs to $2/lbs, and used in lesser quantities than 1/4 cup each would last a long time.

Add about 1.3 times as much water as there is dry stuff (by volume), nuke it until it boils (4 minutes in my case), and then add milk (or whatever.)

Filling and it sticks to the ribs.

I also eat a lot of rice and beans and lentils. I eat them because I like them, but it doesn't hurt that at least in dried form they are about as cheap as food gets.

A rice cooked (for rice) and/or a crock pot (for beans and bean dishes) can help deal with the cooking, though a pot simmering on the stove is the classic way to cook such things...

Original Post by lisanovember:

This is a wonderful thread. I'm not completely vegan, but I am slowly converting. We only have meat once or twice a week. We love spaghetti with a fresh green salad and some garlic toast. I made chili and used mushrooms chopped up fine and my son thought that there was meat in it. I am definitely going to try the recipes i found here. Especially love the creamy asparagus soup!

Can someone tell me how to make dried beans do that they don't break apart. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but they seem to split and don't look very good. Oh and some recipes for the lentils would be nice, i've never had them.

Thanks,

Lisa

 Make sure you head on over to the veg*n recipes thread as well! There's tons of good info over there...

I believe someone also mentioned seitan (more generally, so-called wheat meat...)

Given that at least for me here locally vital wheat gluten is pretty inexpensive, I'd have to give that a thumbs up as well.

Mixed with coursely processed or chopped beans (cheap) and/or some processed mushrooms (cheap not so much) and some spices etc and then prepared, wheat meat can be rockin! Oh, and adding rolled oats to wheat meats can be a nice addition (and again, cheap.)

I use potato as a thickener, but that's just me...