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| Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Cost of Food | |||
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| bluesky
Joined: 01/11/10 Posts: 2 |
Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 4:19 AM How does a person with little to nothing ($)become a vegan? Suggestions for me? Thanks |
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Wild4Stars
 Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 7:12 AM You do have to shop smart. Beans and brown rice purchased in bulk are very inexpensive foods. Maybe look at frozen veggies instead of fresh. Beans are really the best bang for your buck. Try to center your meals around beans and grains, then buy the veggies that are on sale that week. The cost of meat is much higher. Not to mention the cost of the illnesses caused by that type of diet. Then you have cheap, fast food, double cheeseburgers for 99 cents, etc. While that may seem the cheapest way to go, I think if you really look at it, you'll find that you can eat pretty inexpensively AND ten times more healthy. Possibly the moderators would come up with some great, inexpensive meal ideas. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
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VeganRecipeGuy
 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 7:35 AM yeah beans and rice are the cheapest foods, calorie for calorie that you can buy.
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| Wild4Stars
Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 7:47 AM "The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
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| mommyof2nc
Joined: 12/31/09 Location: North Carolina Posts: 172 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 8:28 AM Here's what we do: Eat produce that's in season, buy dried beans instead of canned, only buy things like tofu and tempeh when they're on sale, grow your own veggies if you have any space (you can even grow a surprising amount in pots, so even if you live in an apartment, if you have a patio or deck, you could grow a pot of lettuce or even a patio tomato or pepper plant), shop at farmers markets, and around here, we have a produce co-op where we can get a pretty large basket of produce for $17 (enough to last about a week), so look around your area for something like that. Our co-op isn't organic, but I think it's better to eat non-organic veggies than to skip them and it's such a good deal, so it works for us. Oh, and we don't normally buy meat substitutes like veggie burgers because they never go on sale around here, they're expensive and, frankly, I can make them from scratch and they taste 100% better. |
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| markacz
Joined: 01/08/10 Posts: 8 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 8:28 AM Beans and brown rice are certainly less expensive than most other foods. They are healthy and filling too. The seasonings that give these recipes their zing can be costly. I buy mine at my local market that sells all of them in bulk. I can buy the minimum amount and the cost is pennies - usually from 25 cents to maybe $1. Marilyn |
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| DianeJ
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 134 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 9:06 AM some suggestions... |
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| VeganRecipeGuy
Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 9:57 AM Spaghetti and tomato sauce is cheaper than spaghetti, tomato sauce and meat. Homemade bean-burgers are cheaper than meat burgers.
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| veveveveggie
Joined: 12/28/09 Posts: 114 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:04 AM Some of the seasonings are a bit of an investment if you purchase from the grocery store. Often I find spices in bulk at specialty and health food stores. These make food more fun and they usually last a long time. If you have spices and beans you can make a lot of good food. Fresh greens and fruit cost about the same as a bag of chips. Guess which is more nutritious? Jean |
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| klmchan
Joined: 12/29/09 Posts: 24 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:17 AM Compare the price of a bag of potato chips to the price of a bag of potatoes. There is no comparison in terms of both quantity and nutritional value. The simpler the diet, the better, for both our bodies and our pocketbooks. Sure, one can spend a lot on fancy "health food" products, but the bottom line is, whole food, simply prepared. Nothing wrong with eating a can of garbanzos - and I have. One of the things I'm trying to learn is that food is FUEL, not pleasure. That's important for me because I'm trying to lose weight. |
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| ZenBohemian
Joined: 01/05/10 Posts: 10 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:38 AM Bluesky, I completely understand where you're coming from. I've been unemployed for a while and I'm really struggling. I eat lots of legumes (canned usually, but dry when I'm really broke) and have unprocessed food as much as possible. I don't have all the ingredients that we're supposed to have because I simply can't afford to buy them. Just remember that whole foods are usually cheapest, and cook yourself as much as possible. The only prepared food I buy is spaghetti sauce (because my daughter won't eat it if I make it from canned tomatoes). When I'm really broke I make my own no-knead whole wheat bread that is really cheap to make (though I had to save up to buy the jar of yeast). You can still get a fair bit of variety when you're broke, though sometimes foods are a little bland. Some days, however, I do feel like pulling out my hair if I think I have to eat the same foods again. GOod luck. |
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| txgirl
Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:47 AM Meat and dairy substitutes, organic items, vegan tv dinners, and spices can all be expensive. I blew $250 this week at Whole Foods and about had a heart attack on the drive home. I kept telling myself over and over again that this should last two weeks. If you are using these recipes, you might use items that you already have in your pantry in place of similar items they call for. (Like using all cornmeal instead of buying barley flour for the cornbread recipe - or the dried beans you have in place of a type of canned beans you don't.) Consider buying a couple of spice bottles a paycheck to spread that investment over time. I don't know about where you live, but a lot of the stores in my area sell little baggies of spice cheaper than the bottled spices. If you don't see these at your regular grocery store, try the ethnic markets. I especially like to look for these when trying out a spice I've never had before and don't know if I'll even like. |
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| slowcarr
Joined: 12/27/09 Posts: 33 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:55 AM I have the same problem. I am on social security & because of my food caused health problems a lot of my money goes for doctors & drugs (Medicare is not quite up to what most people think it is). I have been a vegan for approximately 18 months & I don't think I will ever change. I feel too good. Even my doctor says I'm healthier than I have ever been. I use mostly died beans & frozen vegetables. I look around to see which store has the lowest prices for produce in season. I use a lot of coupons. I buy most of my spices at the dollar store or Big Lots. I have even found soy milk at the dollar store. While most things organic are too pricey for me I agree with what someone else said here . It's better to eat wholesome food than to not eat fruits & veggies because they are not organic. |
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| goobygirl
Joined: 12/31/09 Posts: 70 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 12:22 PM You might want to look into a CSA for your area. Also my state of michigan allows people with food stamps to buy food from the farmers market. My county allows people to adopt abandoned properties and garden them. The county will even plow, provide compost, and seeds! You can do a lot with containers. I recommend the new square foot gardening book b mel barthalomew who has options for disabled gardeners. I am disabled and did containers this year, even pulling out some swiss chard from under the snow blanket last week! If you cant do it by yourself, ask for friends or neighbors who might be interested in community gardening. I highly suggest books by Jeavons who explains biointensive gardening and how a family of four can grow a complete vegetarian diet in 700 sq ft, including compost! I also shop Aldi and sales and reduced produce. A pressure cooker will allow you to cook beans from scratch. If you cant make your own bread, check out bakery outlets. We have one in town where i can buy almost $4 loaves for .75 cents. As your body adjusts you also may feel it is easier to eat less. Of course buying in bulk and freezing meals and canning in season will help. |
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chrisfisher
 Posts: 23 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 1:40 PM It is definitely more expensive to eat healthy. It also takes a lot more time and planning in my recent experience. I have found that spices are much cheaper at ethnic grocery stores. For example my roommate bought black sesame seeds at Safeway in a little jar for about $8. I went to the greek grocer and bought about 3x as much for around $1.50. Also, things like coconut milk are usually cheaper there too. |
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| Jill Eckart
Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 79 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 2:39 PM Here's a cheap lunch or dinner: McDougall's cup of soups - they range from $1.30 to $1.50 and they are delicious. Particularly good for a light lunch or dinner! You can find them for sure at Whole Foods or your natural food store, but I am seeing them in Giant and Safeway here in the Washington, DC area. They are literally a cup of soup, you fill with hot water and pour in the packet of seasonings and then steep for 5-6 minutes. Sometimes I eat with crackers, bread or a side salad to make the meal more substantial. Jill Eckart |
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| bluesky
Joined: 01/11/10 Posts: 2 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 5:41 PM THANK YOU ALL! I really appreciate all the different ideas. Some I have done some I have not even thought about and will make great use of them. I have never been one to like meat and have given it up not only beacuse of animal cruelty but because I want to get healthy. Last month I found out I have systemic scleroderma on top of several disorders so I am really trying to change my daily diet. I pray I will feel as good as some of you here do on a daily basis. Living in Alaska is not very helpful when it comes to buying fresh produce. A simple bell pepper can cost $3.00. So I do shop the sells and if it is cheap I buy a little more and put it in the freezer. And sometimes organic is on sale. Again thank you all I really do appreciate your time and ideas. Bright Blessings, Bluesky |
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| goobygirl
Joined: 12/31/09 Posts: 70 |
RE: Cost of Food Posted Monday, January 11, 2010 at 6:00 PM Angel food ministries has just produce packages as well, biweekly food distriBution for reasonable cost at local churches. www.angelfoodministries.com Unfortunately does not look like they are in Alaska. Might want to introduce yourself to your produce manager and Ask is they can save edible produce for your pet rabbit. You might be surprised at whar good produce u can get! |
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