Vegetarian On A Budget

In many family budgets, one of the largest food expenses is often meat. So in theory at least becoming a vegetarian should be an outstanding financial maneuver. In theory, if all you ate was rice and vegetables, you should be able to live for very small.

But theory and reality are often far apart from each other. Because the culture of vegetarian living has developed so many high quality foods to fill the gap left behind by a excellent steak or a plate of barbeque ribs, you can spend as much or more on your vegetarian lifestyle as you did when you were a meat eater. The high cost of living as a vegetarian is not entire attributable to gourmet foods but.

The truth is if you are going to live in day in day out and month in month out on a vegetarian diet, not only do you need some high quality foods to substitute for taking a whole food group out of your diet, you need variety. The quality is needed because its your health on the line if you don’t get the proper nutrients. The diversity is needed because if you get bored with the vegetarian lifestyle, you may quit and give up. And nobody wants that.

Another reason that the cost of vegetarian eating is often higher than a “normal” diet comes from the fact that vegetarians are still in the minority. So prepared vegetarian foods and vegetarian only restaurants are rare. And to be able to make a profit, these specialty stores must charge a lot because they are specialty stores. Unfortunately, even though we see the vegetarian community as a supportive one, if you are going to be able to afford the vegetarian lifestyle, you are going to have to learn to cut costs.

Cutting costs means eliminating shopping at “boutique” vegetarian markets and no more eating out. Or at least it means cutting down on the eating out significantly. You can buy fresh vegetables and fruits at farmers markets or grocery stores that are just as valid as vegetarian options as any you get as a specialty store. Using a excellent food processor and other means, you can chop, dice, boil and puree just about any kind of vegetarian meal that you might be able to imagine getting in a restaurant. And at a much lower cost. Not only that but the leftovers can go into a compost pile to make fertilizer for your garden when you can grow your own vegetables next spring.

That “grower to consumer” market that often surfaces as a farmer’s market is a fantastic way to save lots of money also because you are buying your produce directly from the farmer and you cut the grocery store out of the loop entirely. One way to make sure you capitalize on every opportunity to buy inexpensive produce is to work as a community. Get about a dozen vegetarian families working together to always be on the lookout for a fantastic buy. One might find a small farmer’s market or roadside stand that is selling produce far below grocery store prices. Another might find a farmer who will basically give his food away just to clear the field. With some coordination, you could field an army of vegetarians to grab those bargains while they are fresh and stock everybody’s kitchen with low cost fresh produce.

These are just a few of many ways you can find to save money on your vegetarian groceries and still have just as much quality but without as much cost. By shopping smart and shopping for bargains, you can live the vegetarian life and feel excellent about it because you are not only healthy, you are smart.

Vegetarian Living On A Budget

In many family budgets, one of the largest food expenses is often meat.So in theory at least becoming a vegetarian should be an outstanding financial maneuver. In theory, if all you ate was rice and vegetables, you should be able to live for very small.

But theory and reality are often far apart from each other.Because the culture of vegetarian living has developed so many high quality foods to fill the gap left behind by a excellent steak or a plate of barbeque ribs, you can spend as much or more on your vegetarian lifestyle as you did when you were a meat eater.The high cost of living as a vegetarian is not entire attributable to gourmet foods but.

The truth is if you are going to live in day in day out and month in month out on a vegetarian diet, not only do you need some high quality foods to substitute for taking a whole food group out of your diet, you need variety.The quality is needed because its your health on the line if you don’t get the proper nutrients.The diversity is needed because if you get bored with the vegetarian lifestyle, you may quit and give up. And nobody wants that.

Another reason that the cost of vegetarian eating is often higher than a “normal” diet comes from the fact that vegetarians are still in the minority.So prepared vegetarian foods and vegetarian only restaurants are rare.And to be able to make a profit, these specialty stores must charge a lot because they are specialty stores.Unfortunately, even though we see the vegetarian community as a supportive one, if you are going to be able to afford the vegetarian lifestyle, you are going to have to learn to cut costs.

Cutting costs means eliminating shopping at “boutique” vegetarian markets and no more eating out. Or at least it means cutting down on the eating out significantly.You can buy fresh vegetables and fruits at farmers markets or grocery stores that are just as valid as vegetarian options as any you get as a specialty store.Using a excellent food processor and other means, you can chop, dice, boil and puree just about any kind of vegetarian meal that you might be able to imagine getting in a restaurant. And at a much lower cost.Not only that but the leftovers can go into a compost pile to make fertilizer for your garden when you can grow your own vegetables next spring.

That “grower to consumer” market that often surfaces as a farmer’s market is a fantastic way to save lots of money also because you are buying your produce directly from the farmer and you cut the grocery store out of the loop entirely.One way to make sure you capitalize on every opportunity to buy inexpensive produce is to work as a community.Get about a dozen vegetarian families working together to always be on the lookout for a fantastic buy.One might find a small farmer’s market or roadside stand that is selling produce far below grocery store prices.Another might find a farmer who will basically give his food away just to clear the field. With some coordination, you could field an army of vegetarians to grab those bargains while they are fresh and stock everybody’s kitchen with low cost fresh produce.

These are just a few of many ways you can find to save money on your vegetarian groceries and still have just as much quality but without as much cost.By shopping smart and shopping for bargains, you can live the vegetarian life and feel excellent about it because you are not only healthy, you are smart.

Is Healthy Eating Possible on a Budget?

I have heard many times over the years when discussing with people about changing their eating habits, that it is impossible to be healthy on a tight budget. This is a misconception. Convenience foods are generally not healthy and more expensive for what they are. Here are 20 tips that might help you save money, get you eating healthier to reduce inflammation and stiffness.

1) There are always fruit and vegetables that are cheap, especially when they are in season. Supermarkets now have offers on fresh fruit and vegetables – buy one get one free etc.

2) Try local markets they often have cheaply grown local produce that is in season.

3) ‘Pick your own’ can be a very excellent way to get cheap local produce for the freezer.

4) If you are unable to grow your own fresh produce for one reason or another, and you know of someone who does grow their own, offer to buy their surplus (there is always surplus) or trade with them – for instance some sprouts you have grown (see below).

5) Whenever you see anything on offer – prepare it and freeze it.

6) Bought frozen vegetables and fruit can often be cheaper and there is no wastage.

7) Sprouting is a really wonderful way of getting highly nutritious fresh food for pennies. Sprouts can be grown all year round in your kitchen (huge or small), take up nearly no space, no expensive equipment, and next to no time needed. It’s as simple as ABC. Sprouts really are incredible as they can be used in soups, salads, stews, and stir-fries, they are extremely versatile. It is possible to sprout all seeds, whole grains, beans and lentils (simple to digest when eaten this way).

8) Buying fresh herbs is expensive so start a herb garden, they take up very small space and are decorative. Herbs look excellent and will save you a fortune, medicinally and culinary wise. If you don’t have a garden you can grow herbs in window boxes or in pots indoors and/or outdoors. Herbs are very useful as part of any health program. Use them fresh, frozen or dried herbs in cooking or for making teas.

9) Forget the hype avoid any thing with lots of fancy packaging that ends up in the bin, that is only wasted money.

10) Eating more beans and lentils with grains like rice (to get your protein) and cutting down on meat can help the budget, is healthier and increase your life expectancy. Bean and lentils are cheap, extremely versatile and excellent for you.

11) Getting together with 3 to 4 friends, to share the cost of buying things in bulk, this is a very excellent way of cutting costs. The difference in the cost of buying some brown rice for instance in small packets compared to buying a 25lb bag/sack, the saving per person is considerable.

12) Generally homemade food is cheaper and better than pre-pared processed foods. The Internet is full of free recipes and the local library is bursting with cook books from healthy ethnic to vegetarian to raw foods.

13) Saving a small on gas or electricity and time – make two three or four times the amount you need. For instance if you cook some chicken in the oven for dinner, add some extra chicken to eat cold the next day with a salad that includes your home grown herbs and sprouts. Also place another dish or two in the oven at the same time, on another day can just be heated up quickly.

14) Look in the supermarkets for the reduced section, there are always foods that have nearly reached their sell-by-date, you can pick up some incredible bargains, leave the unhealthy ones, just pick up the healthy ones.

15) Breakfast cereals in general are very expensive especially when you reckon of the cost per pound. Eat porridge, or make your own muesli, much more filling and better excellent for you.

16) Can’t afford to go out to eat, find some like-minded friends that also like healthier food and take it in turns once in a while to eat in each others home. It is fun and you get to go out occasionally.

17) Supplement on a budget Spiralina is a broad spectrum supplement full of a wide variety of nutrients. Buy in powder form it’s cheaper than buying capsules or tablets.

18) Go out during the autumn months and pick blackberries they are free and freeze them. Berries are bursting with plant compounds and anti-oxidants.

19) Wild crafted dandelions – it is very vital you know for sure they have not been sprayed with weed killer. Dig up the whole plant use the fresh leaves in salads or dry the root and the leaves an brilliant tonic for the liver and kidneys.

20) Wild crafted nettles are extremely excellent as a general health tonic, makes really excellent tea. Pick the nettles wearing gloves, then tie them into loose bunches and place the leaves down into a large paper bag this protects the leaves from flies and dust. Then hang these bunches up by their stems. Any leaves that fall off will end up in the bag. It is vital to hang any drying herbs in an area that is dry with air movement, maybe a garage, utility room, laundry room or airing cupboard.

Budget Meal Planning – 7 Clever Ideas For Meal Planning In March

In our hectic lives there is very small time to be creative when it comes to cooking on a daily basis.  When do you get the time to peruse all those glorious cook books and glossy magazines for new thoughts?  With a small clever meal plotting, you can place a new meal on the table every day of the month.  This saves your time, money and your sanity!

1    Make a Ground Beef Goulash.  If you add another 1lb of ground beef and adjust the quantity of your ingredients, you will be able to make a very simple Beef and Noodle Casserole.

2    There is no point in roasting 1 chicken.  Always roast 2 chickens.  This means one dirty pan, one load of washing up – but 2 – 3 meals!  If you make 2 Oven Baked Whole Chickens with BBQ Sauce, you can easily turn the second chicken into a number of clever leftover meals:  Simple Chicken Curry Recipe, Chicken Pasta Bake or even a Chicken Pie.

3    Slow Cooked Leg of Lamb with Lemons and Olives is a treat in our family.  But it is just as well loved when it re-appears as a Leftover Lamb and Couscous Salad.  This has to be one of the simplest meals around.

4    Always make extra tomato sauce.  If you do this, you will quickly be able to produce a formidable Homemade Meatball Recipe with Fresh Tomato and Coriander Sauce.  Using the same sauce you will be able to produce a completely different meal by way of Oven Baked Fish in a Tomato Sauce. Your family will never guess that they are eating the same sauce: the meatballs and fish impart such different flavors.

5    Make double Sweet and Sour Sauce.  Use it one night to make Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe and for a vegetarian option, make Baked Butternut with the same sauce – this sounds unusual but is tasty.

6    Following the principles above, if you are going to make one Simple Pie Crust Recipe, why not make two?  Again, one lot of mess but the base of two recipes.  In this case, you can use the pie crust for both a Tomato Tart and an utterly delectable Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe.

7    Lastly, double up when you make roast butternut.  You can serve the butternut as a vegetable side dish the one night and follow the Butternut Squash Soup Recipe the next night. Alternatively, you could make the Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe.

All the recipes above are available at Meal Plotting for March

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes – Budget Meal Planning for November

Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey and Turkey Leftovers

The festive season brings with it both joys and stresses.  And the place where the tensions are often most evident is in the kitchen!  If you want to avoid being harassed over the holidays, a modicum of thinking ahead can avert potentially fraught situations.  Plotting your healthy Thanksgiving recipes is the first step.  You’ve got the recipe for cooking Thanksgiving turkey  But what to do with the turkey leftovers? Turkey a la King is a fantastic way of producing an entirely new meal with the previous day’s turkey.  Turkey Burgers with Coriander, Soy and Pickled Ginger also ring the changes and give a slightly fusion twist to a traditional recipe.

Ground Beef Casserole Recipes and Simple Chicken Recipes

But, November is not ALL about Thanksgiving!  We all have three weeks of meals to produce before then.  This needn’t be a chore if you plot wisely.  The trick is to try and get another meal out of a main meal.  For example:  Shepherd’s Pie Recipe on one night will easily make a reappearance as a glamorous Meat Pie Recipe, complete with light puff pastry.  Oven Baked Whole Chicken as a main meal could become a tasty Chicken Pasta Bake with Pesto Sauce and Parmesan Crust.  Your Best Grilled Salmon Recipe could then double as Fresh Salmon Croquettes.  So, you can see, that with a small monthly meal plotting, putting nutritious daily meals on the table needn’t be too onerous.

Fresh Pumpkin Recipes

Autumn Meal Plotting wouldn’t be complete without an offering of Pumpkin Recipes.  Of all pumpkins, Butternut Squash is my favorite for its intense, nutty flavor.  Using vegetables  that are bountiful at this time of year makes sense if you are trying to cook economically.  So, what better than a Butternut Squash Soup Recipe with a Pumpkin Muffin? Butternut Squash Recipe with Coconut Milk and Cashew Nuts makes an ideal Thanksgiving side dish recipe and for a vegetarian optional main course, you could try Vegetarian Moussaka with Butternut Squash and Aubergines.  Simply tasty.

Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

Budget Meal Plotting is not all around sensible main meals!  What would Thanksgiving be without the best Pecan Pie recipe?  Or you could try an simple Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe which is light and nutritious.

Thanksgiving Cookie Recipes

Homemade cookie recipes come into their own over Thanksgiving.  There is nothing like making a batch of cookies as a gift – they are a symbol of your time and thought.  Snickers Cookies are fun to make with the family and Greek Cookies not only look gorgeous, they taste fabulous.

November Meal Plotting is currently available for your daily cooking thoughts. All recipes are free.