Poor vegan, cheap living

[amethyst]

I eat a lot of veggies and lettuce type things....I'm not a big fruit person. And most of my veggies and fruit are frozen so they won't go bad if I don't use them right away. :)

Thanks missbettie. I am sure everyone eats differently, but I was wondering if most vegans stress the veg/fruit part of the menu, or mostly eat grains and beans. I tend to eat more whole grains and beans than veggies, although of course, I eat the veg, too. I seem to be planning my starch, and then what veg to add to it for the meal. I don't know if this is a good plan or not. For grains, I use whole wheat homemade bread, brown rice, oats, quinoa, and others. I eat a lot of pinto and white beans. Not a big fan of kidney beans. Sometimes eat black beans and lentils. I do have a large salad once a day, and add broccoli, root veggies, or a frozen stir fry mix of veggies to my grains at each meal. And of course, these are all cheap. I buy store brand or bulk grains, and whatever fresh or frozen veg/fruit are on sale.

Thoughts, anyone? Does this sound balanced enough for long term health?

[Ananas]

Grains and beans are usually more economical than veggies and fruits... but personally i think the latter two are more important. Thus, i always try to fill my plate with half veggies, 1/4 beans and 1/4 grains. And i always plan around the veggies by the way, but that's also because i always have all sorts of greans and beans in the pantry, while the veggies are fresh and should be eaten in time.
Your way of eating does sound healthy to me however, i mean, if you eat a big salad a day, i think you meet your nutrition requirements.

[harpy]

Yes I'd agree with Ananas that it's probably better to treat the grains and beans as an adjunct to the veg rather than vice versa, because I think there are more nutrients in veg., and also because I find it easy to overdo the carbohydrates (not that they are a bad thing if they are wholegrains etc). But I also agree with Ananas that your diet sounds healthy so perhaps it's just a different way of thinking about the same thing :)

[charliko]

some comercial sites are still being advertised here

[amethyst]

Thus, i always try to fill my plate with half veggies, 1/4 beans and 1/4 grains. And i always plan around the veggies by the way, ....... veggies are fresh and should be eaten in time.
Your way of eating does sound healthy to me however, i mean, if you eat a big salad a day, i think you meet your nutrition requirements.


Yes I'd agree with Ananas that it's probably better to treat the grains and beans as an adjunct to the veg rather than vice versa, because I think there are more nutrients in veg........ But I also agree with Ananas that your diet sounds healthy so perhaps it's just a different way of thinking about the same thing :)

Ananas and harpy, thank you both for answering. This is what I suspected the opinions would be. I worry about not eating more veg/fruit than grain, but the grains are so much less expensive here. I looked at apples today when I walked to the market today, and they were approx $1 per apple when I weighed them. That is crazy! Not even organic apples. One pound of beans was 69 cents. I bought the beans and ONE apple. :rolleyes:

When I am not so poor, I will make up the difference then. Until then, I sure hope the grains and beans will carry me through. I don't ever get sick. Haven't had a cold (or worse) in over a decade. I figure if it's working, I will stay with it until I can do better. I do agree with both of you though. :)

[harpy]

You sound pretty healthy amethyst! If you do want cheap fruit and veg you can try the following (which are probably all covered above and you probably know about them anyway)

- grow your own (even if you haven't a garden perhaps you can do sprouted seeds or legumes in a jar, or salad leaves and tomatoes in a window box)
- look for stuff marked down at the end of the day
- buy whatever's in season rather than looking for specific items
- buy frozen stuff
- look after someone's garden in exchange for some of the produce

[amethyst]

Thanks harpy. As we are going into the colder months, I will have to wait til spring to grow more veggies. I have limited space, but did grow some things this year. Love that!

My house is over 100 years old and very drafty, so I don't know if anything will grow in the cold rooms in the winter. I would love to sprout some things, grow others in jars. Those are good ideas. I might give it a try to see what happens in my cold house.

I do buy frozen veg. Store brands are sometimes $1 for a 16 oz bag, even though they are not organic. I usually end up eating that, in addition to whatever is on sale.

After this thread, I am brainstorming on what to buy, and will make a bigger effort to buy more veg and fruit, one way or another. I know it is important. Meanwhile, I keep eating my grains and beans. And for some reason, I was doing a popcorn marathon yesterday. LOL. Popcorn is cheap too, if you pop it the old way, rather than using the non-vegan microwave brands. Seems like the general rule is: old-fashioned = healthier for most things. :)

[harpy]

FWIW I live in an old draughty house too and manage to sprout seeds OK so you might find it works. I actually do it more in winter because if the weather is warm they tend to go a bit manky unless rinsed every 5 minutes - also because there's more of a shortage of fresh salady stuff in winter I suppose. If the temperature was really low they might not germinate, but then you might be past caring anyway ;)

Yes popcorn is a great invention isn't it?

[amethyst]

Well, now I am seriously thinking about this. I will do a little Googling and make a plan. Thank you! :)

[DiaShel]

Is there a way to make popcorn without the actually popcorn maker thing?

[Risker]

^ Just put some kernels in a (large) saucepan with a little oil, put a lid on and take off the heat when the pops slow right down. It's a bit of trial and error.

[amethyst]

Is there a way to make popcorn without the actually popcorn maker thing?

I make it two ways....

1. Put 1/2 cup popcorn in a clean, brown paper bag (like a lunch bag), fold the top over a couple of times to hold in the steam and popcorn, and sit it in the center of the microwave. Micro on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. My micro likes 2 min 15 sec for nearly perfect popcorn. I eat it out of the bag after I sprinkle on some sea salt, or other seasonings. See below for ideas.

2. Use a heavy pot with a lid. Place the pan on the stovetop on med high. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan, then pour in 1/2 cup to a full cup of popcorn. Place the lid on tightly, and don't lift it until the popcorn is done and you have removed the pan from the heat. I can't remember how long it takes to pop it this way, because I have become lazy and use the micro every time, now that I know how to use it without the store-bought, non-vegan microwave popcorn. Once you hear the first pop, start moving the pan around on the burner a little, to keep the oil and corn moving around and prevent it from scorching. As long as you hear a lot of pops, keep moving. When it slows down, remove the pan from the heat because it will burn SOON. Let it sit until the popping stops, then open it up and enjoy.

You can pour on some Earth Balance or whatever favorite vegan 'butter' you want to use. Or just sprinkle on some sea salt, or any of these: garlic powder, chili powder, dried herbs, cajun seasoning........practically anything works. I have even tried cinnamon and raw sugar, which was amazing! Try one flavor at a time until you figure out some favorites. :)

[DiaShel]

Thanks. I found a vegan microwave popcorn but it's quite expensive. I'll have to give this a try.

[Ananas]

forgive me if i´m being silly, but why isnt microwave popcorn vegan over there? :confused:

[amethyst]

forgive me if i´m being silly, but why isnt microwave popcorn vegan over there? :confused:

Ananas, LUV LUV LUV your icon! LOL

Most of the micro popcorn here has butter in it. If it doesn't, it seems to have other animal products or derivitives in it that I did not expect. I haven't looked for vegan popcorn, except in my local health food store and another store that stocks a large veg and health food department. I am sure if I look long enough, Iwill find one.

This seemed more economical to me, and the old-fashioned popcorn is easy to find in the stores that I go to. Cheap, baby, cheap! LOL

[Ananas]

Ananas, LUV LUV LUV your icon! LOL

:bigsmile2:


Most of the micro popcorn here has butter in it. If it doesn't, it seems to have other animal products or derivitives in it that I did not expect.

That sucks! I'd never heard of popcorn with animal ingredients. Here in the Netherlands, its just corn with some oil and salt (or something sugary).

[Pthalo]

I'm just starting and it's hard for me to buy for just one person and not keep throwing fresh produce away. Any ideas would be appreciated

[Glory]

Meal plan. If you know exactly what you'll be cooking, you can get only the amount of produce you'll need for those recipes.

Alternately, buy less produce more times a week. Meaning, make smaller trips to the store more frequently.

[Pthalo]

Thanks Glory, that makes sense. I was thinking of cabbage, lettuce, celery, etc. that I have to buy as presented. I never use all of the head/bunch. Planning is not my strong suit but now I must learn.

[Risker]

Soups are good for using up veggies before they die.

[Glory]

Yes, I do the same thing with lettuce since my hubby doesn't really like salad. Here's what I do. If I buy a bag of lettuce, let's say, I'll plan when I'm going to eat it. A side salad with my penne one night for dinner, then the rest of the bag for lunch two days later. You'll get the hang of it really quickly and it will help you out.

Also, try Allrecipes.com -- you can type in the ingredients you have (so if you have produce you wan to use up) and it will give you some recipes.

Oh, and you can always freeze things. If I have peppers that are getting close to the end of their life, I might slice them up and throw them in a freezer bag. Next time I want a stir-fry, I can just pull them out of the freezer and voila!

[amethyst]

Glory, I was going to suggest the freezer, too. I chop up my vegg that is getting near time to either eat it or throw it out. If I keep it in a bag chopped up for stir fry, it makes things sooo simple for a quick dinner one night when I am too tired or don't have time to cook a big meal. I almost always have some brown rice leftover in the fridge, so I throw it into a skillet with the frozen chopped veggies, saute a few minutes, splash on some tamari or other seasoning, and it's ready. :)

I also use veggies to make "kitchen sink soup". (Everything goes in but the kitchen sink.) ;) Great way to clean out the fridge and/or pantry.

[harpy]

I'm terrible at planning, but I tend to try and decide what to cook based on what I've got, rather than buy stuff for a particular dish.

In addition to soups, stirfries, stews, pizza toppings, pasta sauces and so on can all be made out of virtually any vegetable (including lettuce!). You can freeze the cooked dishes as well, if you make too much.

[amethyst]

I bought a huge bunch of kale and swiss chard today. $1 a pound for each, and they look "just picked". Yippee! :)

[Ananas]

Great! Swiss Chard is so rare here, i can only buy it very high priced at a health food store.

May i ask how much you spend on grocerys per week, Amethyst? just interested because you seem to eat so low budget. i've managed to stay below 30 dollars a week for a while, but somehow i got a more expensive taste now... and i try to buy organic which i didnt do back then.