Frugal Vegan Nutrition

[organica]

I am hoping people here can help me eat better on a budget.
I have $150 a month for food (disability pension is my only real income).
Right now I feel horrible: I am overweight, very depressed & acutely affected by generalized anxiety disorder.
I thought being vegan was supposed to make you feel better, but I guess if you are the type of vegan I am, it doesn't work.
My diet consists of: baked beans, pasta, tea w/ soy milk, chips, sometimes Clif bars, rice crackers w/ hummus. That's about it.
Produce is too expensive & I am too depressed to cook it anyway most of the time. It just goes bad in the fridge. :(
I don't really know what to do. People on here have suggested multivitamins, B12, B complex & iron in another forum on here, but I don't see how I can afford them.
I have thought about dumpster-diving freegan-style but that just makes me feel even more depressed.
Sorry for being a downer, but I hope there is an answer I am not seeing, that doesn't involve eating meat/eggs/dairy. Thanks.

[herbivorous]

Your depression could be caused by a lack of protein in your diet, I think it would be best for you to look into vegan foods with high levels of protein, such as bean and rice dishes (they provide a complete protein), also think about buying high protein items in bulk like lentils, or nuts. I think you should get into making casserole dishes which can then be frozen and defrosted later on in the week. Taking multivitamins is a good idea for you, if you aren't getting proper nutritents in your meals. An unhealthy diet that is lacking essential nutrients is definately a catalyst for your depression. You should make sure to exercise on a regular basis, because despite how unappealing it may seem you will feel better about yourself and your body.

I hope this advice has proved beneficial to you.
:o

[soilman]

baked beans, pasta, tea w/ soy milk, chips, sometimes Clif bars, rice crackers w/ hummus. That's about it.

If you buy raw fruit, you don't have to cook it.

$150 is not a lot of money at all. Spending it on pre-packaged foods is not going to work.

For starters, you are buying food that is low in calories and high in price. The rice crackers for example. They are a couple bucks for only about 1/4 of a pound. I would suggest buying instant tortilla mix -- it is whole corn that has been soaked in lime water, ground up, and dehydrated. You mix it with water. patt it flat, and heat it on a teflon skillet without oil. Takes 2 minutes to make a tortilla. You can make about 30 pounds of tortillas for about $2.00. compare that to 1/4 pound of rice crackers for $2.00

Cliff bars are a waste of money. If you must eat crap like that, buy cheap cookies. A pound for $2.50 instead of about 1/8 of a pound for $2.50. Then take a cheap multivitamin pill -- that's what a cliff bar is -- a cookie with a vitamin pill mixed into the dough.

Commercially prepared soy milk is a VERY expensive way to get your protein. The cheapest -- and most nutritious -- way is to buy dry legumes. Lentils cook up in 20 minutes, like with rice, you can eat the water they are steamed in (with some beans this is not a good idea), that is, like rice, you can cook them until they absorb all the water too -- and you get a pound of DRY lentils for about 0.75. That makes about 3 pounds of cooked lentils -- equivalent to about 4 or 5 cans of cooked lentils.

Put the cooked lentils on a tortilla. You can eat this every day for a month.

Put chopped up raw vegetables on the tortilla with the steamed lentils. Radishes, green beans, lettuce. tomato too if you want.

I like to buy pita breads but they are easy to make from flour.

Buy bananas and freeze them raw for later use.

Buy lots of citrus fruit. Get a cheap juicer or a good citrus press (which costs about 100).

Get a cheap electric blender for $30 and make almond milk from blanched (you can find them blanched) almonds.

Eat potatoes. Just cut into small pieces so they cook fast, then steam or microwave.

Make rice. White rice only takes 20 minutes. It is real easy to make, and much cheaper per pound than rice crackers.

[nikkip]

Hi there. I can really really relate. I am on disability and im a student.I suffer from a list of various disorders and etc. money is scarce and i really really want to be vegan - It was my new years resolution. Yesterday i had a crap day so cooking was out lol. what i try to do is bake some high protein , whole foods baked stuff to nibble on when im down and make some things like chili to freeze so when im sick i can heat them up . I try and do what i can when i feel well. add wheat germ, oat bran and /or flax seeds to oatmeaal to make an easy power breakfast.
beans are awsome and are in many varieties. beans and rice and lentils and rice are easy and can be done in a microwave. go see if your local library has the books "how it all vegan " and "the garden of vegan" one of the authors is on a budget and theres a microwave section.
good luck . write to me if you need moral support from someone who gets it . i do take a multi - i was lucky to find a good veg one for $20.00(canadian) for three months. so its not too expensive and its the only supplement i take.
Good luck
nikki :yes:

[organica]

Thank you both immensely!!!
I am printing off your replies so I can remember the tips when I next go for groceries.

[SeaSiren]

Organica, I have noticed through several of your posts you suffer from depression. Are you home most of the time?

I am not a doctor. However, I think the other posters are correct. More protein in your diet would be beneficial. I would also try to stay away from heavy starches, when you eat pasta, rice, bread, be sure to eat the high fiber versions, i.e. brown or wild rice, whole wheat pasta, bread with 4grams or more of fiber. This keeps the sugar levels from spikeing (and dropping) wildly in your system, and gives you nutrition your body can use.

On another note, excercise is so important to help with depression! You can run or walk outdoors (fresh air does wonders) or do aerobics in your living room. Also, see if you can borrow or pick up at a yard sale or thrift store some hand weights. You'll be amazed at how much better you will feel in as little as two weeks.

Also, I understand people who suffer from depression do better on routines. It forces them to get up and move and continue on through the day. It gives them a sense or normalicy and something to look forward to. May I suggest http://www.flylady.net (http://www.flylady.net) to help you set up daily routines. It is a FREE service (yahoo group) which helps you get your home (and your daily life activities) under control. I have seen several testimonials from people who suffer from depression and the FlyLady system has helped so much.

Good Luck and Take Care!

[Ludi]

Thank you for this thread, I'm also trying to improve my nutrition without eating meat, and I want to grow more of my own food such as legumes and grains, and need to know which are most nutritious.

[Jinga]

150 per month for one person is not too bad. As already suggested, you should steer clear of highly processed foods. They are expensive and often less nutritious. Beyond shopping the sales and buying bulk, you really need to get some fruits and veggies in your diet. For the price of 1 cliff bar, you can get a pound of fresh produce ... maybe even more! 7 cliff bars would equal 7 lbs of fresh fruits and veggies of different varieties, colors, and nutrients (Writing this is starting to make me hungry :lick:). Not all produce is extremely expensive and in season items are usually the cheapest. Strive to buy some unpackaged leafy greens (cheaper than the bagged variety), carrots, squash, apples, pears, citrus, etc. You may also want to check out the freezer section for sales.

Dried beans, lentils, peas, etc. are usually very cheap. If you can get them in bulk, its even better. Same goes for rice and pasta. Just make sure to go for the whole grain variety. Otherwise, you are paying them to strip your food of most its nutrients.

What type of Soy Milk do you drink? For B-12, calcium, etc. I buy Silk 'Enhanced'. 1C has 10% of your potassium, 20% Vitamin A, 35% Vitamin C, 35% Calcium, 6% Iron, 30% Vitamin D, 20% Vitamin E, 30% Riboflavin, 20% Folate, 30% Vitamin B-6, 50% Vitamin B-12, 10%Phosphorus, 10% Magnesium, 10% Zinc.

I'd forego the chips and rice crackers for something more nutritious. For chips, you can try whole wheat pitas. Instead of snacking on crackers try seeds, nuts, fruit, carrots, etc.

I am also needing to cut way back on my grocery expenses. I only had 25 dollars a week alotted, but I rarely stay in those limits. I'm going to try for more like the 30-40 dollar range, so I'll see exactly what I can get. It seems like we'll be in the same monthly range.

Good luck! I also hope you find the strength to get out and get moving. I know it dramatically helps my depression.

[rvijay]

A lot of the Vegetarian produce is not frugal at all. Specially, at this time of the year, after holidays and during winter.
One needs to look for great deals and be selective. Also, prepackaged foods, canned foods are more expensive now.

Vijay

[SeaSiren]

Frozen veggies would be my next best choice if lower cost fresh veggies are unavailable, such as this time of year. Check out the fliers to your local grocery stores and look for the special sales -such as buy 1 get 1 free.

[sky73]

I would suggest canned veggie soup for lunch. For a quick & cheap dinner, cook some pasta (about 3/4 cup), when the pasta is almost done, throw in a handful of frozen broccoli for 30 seconds. In addition to that, cook a veggie burger. I'll have that for dinner about 3 nights a week. The whole thing only takes about 10 min to make and it's filling. :up:

[kristadb]

I'd like to point out that organica lives in an area where fresh produce is very expensive in the winters and that pre-package foods is often a lot cheaper most of the time (I used to live near there and I know what it's like). For example, cliff bars are $1.25 where I live. I can buy 1 orange for that; maybe 2 small ones. Cliff bars are more calories, more nutrients, and more filling then 1 apple. And I live in a city with a lot more options and cheaper food then where she lives. Just an FYI.

Organica, I'll make up some grocery lists and ideas and PM you with them over the weekend. I lived off $100 and less for groceries for almost 2 years. I can help you out :D

[Jes]

Make the soup - It's cheaper, more nutritious and you can freeze it.

Have you ever sprouted your own seeds? You can buy a little thing of sprouting seeds for a dollar and they make a ton! Sprouts are ridiculously nutritious because that little seed contains the necessary nutrients for a plant to grow!

I really hate the lie that Clif Bars tell us. They are as soilman says - just junk food with a vitamin mixed in.

With brown rice and lentils, both bought in the bulk bin, and a few carrots and applesauce, you can make a TON of veggie burgers and freeze them up. If you want the recipe, just ask.

I hope that tweaking your diet has you feeling better!

[kirkjobsluder]

Cliff bars seem awfully pricy compared to making your own. They are pretty much an overglorified no-bake cookie.

[Ludi]

With brown rice and lentils, both bought in the bulk bin, and a few carrots and applesauce, you can make a TON of veggie burgers and freeze them up. If you want the recipe, just ask.

Please can we have the recipe? :help:

[Gracie]

Frozen veggies can be inexpensive, and if you live pretty far from where the veggies are grown, frozen might be more nutritious, too. Most stuff is frozen very soon after picking, whereas fresh veggies may be sitting around losing nutrients for a week or so before you buy them.

[delicious]

$5 dollars a day is not very much :(
If that's what I had to work with, I think that I would buy a big bag of brown rice, a big bag of beans and the rest would be spent on fresh fruits and veggies (or frozen if fresh is unreasonably expensive)

[Jes]

Hey Ludi,

The measurements are very inexact, but I use:

-Equal parts cooked brown rice & lentils (usually 2 cups each)
-some grated carrots (I do 5 or 6 baby carrots)
-chopped onions and celery or green peppers, if you have them on hand
-2-4 tbsp flour or wheat germ
-chopped nuts if you have them on hand
-whatever herbs you like - I like lots of sage, because it gives this a nice stuffing flavor
-2-4 tsp. vinegar
-enough applesauce to bind the mixture together

Saute the carrots and any other fresh vegetable you've added. Then combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into patties and either grill them or bake them at 350. Freeze what you aren't going to use for later.

I use cranberry sauce mixed with a little Nayonaise as a dressing for this. It goes really well with it if you use sage in the patty mix.

[Jes]

Also, a potato can be 'baked' in the microwave - just poke holes in it in several places. Then add some salsa for an easy lunch!

[beforewisdom]

Hi Organica;

Below are some notes on eating cheap, eating nutritiously and eating veg*n I made from an earlier incarnation of this forum

HTH

Steve

How to eat healthy, economically, and vegan:



1. Cook your own recipes from scratch. Prepared foods cost more
money. As a bonus, you will be avoiding a lot of unhealthy
ingredients.


2. Buy a pressure cooker and/or a crock pot. Either will make
preparing longer cooking, cheaper, nutritious foods like dried beans more
convenient.


3. Buy dried beans, brown rice, kasha( buckwheat groats) and oats from
the cheapest discount super markets you have access too. For even more
savings buy them on sale and in large quantitites.


3. Buy conventional seasonal produce from supermarkets and farmer's
markets. You can save even more money on vegetables by buying
frozen vegetables from supermarkets and discount stores.
If you are strapped for money do not buy lettuce or spinach.
Lettuce has very little nutrition and much of calcium is spinach is not
absorbable. Buy sweet potatoes or yams versus white potatoes. Both
are much more nutritious then white potatoes and satisfy hunger longer.
( lower glycemic index ).


4. Fortified orange juice, fortified soy milk, and calcium set tofu
are the best vegan calcium sources. Many markets now have a cheap brand of
OJ that is calcium fortified. You can save even more money by buying
frozen OJ concentrate that has been fortified. "Better Than Milk' also
sells a dried soymilk that is far cheaper then other soy milks. If you
can't find this in a store search the internet for bargains. Many Asian
markets sell calcium set tofu and sell it cheaper then most supermarkets.
If you are still short on money buy a good calcium supplement. Calcium
citrate is the most absorbable form of calcium when it is in pill form.
You want your supplement to use the vegan form of vitamin D
( D2, ergocalcerfol ) and have 1 part magnesium to 2 parts calcium.
Check the big discount drug store and the internet for bargains.


5. Use ground flax seeds as an omega 3 fatty acid source. Flax seeds are
orders of magnitude cheaper then flax oil and have health benefits that
flax oil does not have. You need to grind flax seeds into powder to digest
them. You can get a cheap coffee grinder from Starbucks for about $20.
If you can't find flax seeds in a store you can buy them on-line.

6 Use avocados, tahini ( cheaper from middle eastern markets ), and unsalted
nuts from the supermarket as a source of healthy fats.


7. As cheap as they may be avoid foods made out of white flour and refined
corroborates(cookies, bread, bagels, pasta ...etc ) They are
nutritionally void, may use up nutrients you already have in your body,
cause deficiencies, and give you other problems you don't want, especially
if you are living on a limited budget.

[beforewisdom]

The Cheap Vegan
http://homepage.mac.com/spirit_vw/cheapvegan/

[Ludi]

Thank you so much Jes! :bobo:

[kristadb]

Just as a side note, she did mention that her depression is a stumbling block for her not being able to cook.

So I think some fast, cheap, convinence food ideas would help her a lot to getting nutrition to help with the depression then, hopefully, the depression will decrease and she can start to make more home cooked meals.

[4EverGrounded]

$150 per month sounds about like my budget give or take and here's what I do (I'm in upper US, btw).

I buy lots of frozen veggies so long as they don't have funny names in the ingredients list. A blend of carrots, broccoli and corn should list just that. If it lists anything else, put it back. I keep about 5-6 different bags blends and types of veggies going in my freezer all the time because it's easier and more long-lasting than fresh.

I don't buy frozen fries because I like making my own and I don't like all those funny ingredient names that every bag seems to have on it.

I also buy frozen fruit but again, I want only the fruit(s) that I'm getting listed. If I can't pronounce it, I won't buy it. I also buy frozen fruit when it's on sale because it tends to be a bit dear otherwise.

Beans, I'll buy canned and bulk. In canned, I make sure the ingredients are water, whatever beans and a bit of salt. If there are any preservatives or chemical names in the ingredients, I put it back. I buy canned for short cuts nights and bulk for when I have some time for cooking a proper pot of beans. Lentils are almost always cheap and good nutrition, too. If baked beans are on sale, I'll get a can or two but that's rare because baked beans are usually more expensive than regular ones (hint, hint for anyone with a good baked bean recipe ;) ). I think I remember reading that beans will freeze as well but Im not sure about that - can anyone confirm this?

I buy canned tomatoes that are diced and in their own juice. They're more versitile and in a pinch, they're good on salads. :)

I like whole, unprocessed grains and a pound or two either from bulk or from the aisles will last me ages. I also make up a goodly amount and freeze the rest for nights when I don't have a lot of time for a lot of cooking. AFAIK, most to all grains will freeze well and thaw with no problem making it a real time-saver that's full of nutrition. I never buy flavoured grains because 1) I like putting my own flavours in and 2) flavoured grains are more expensive than regular ones.

For soup bases, a package of bullion is much cheaper than a can of veggie broth. Cheaper still is to simply flavour the water with your spices.

Spices, I like to keep a goodly supply of but normally I'll either get that cheap brand that comes in the plastic can or I'll get the bagged spices that are found in the hispanic section of the store. Tip: those little plastic cans are great to wash out and use for the bagged spices. :D

Tofu is not cheap where I am so tofu nights are rare ones. I also don't buy a lot of soy milk for that very same reason. When it is on sale, I stock up. When it's on sale and I have coupon, I really stock up. :D

The only fresh foods I keep around are lettuce during the summer and hearty greens during the winter, potatoes - both yellow and white, onions, garlic and sometimes a winter squash or two (in winter when they're cheap).

I make homemade food as often as possible. Not only does it save money, it's also pretty theraputic to make your own food. Plus, it's tastier because the seasonings and ingredients are easier to control. It's also healthier because again, the seasonings and ingredients are easier to control.

I use my deepfreeze as much as possible, too. It's a real time-saver, especially if there are some pre-cooked meals already waiting for me because I thought enough to make a bit extra of a dish so I could freeze some for later in the week.

I turned myself into a hunter - a hunter of deals and bargains, that is. :D There's nothing like the thrill of the low-cost find or getting a real bang for the buck. Each area's different so ya gotta keep eyes and ears open for what's good to be gotten at the good price.

[Jes]

Ohh, pasta with frozen veggies, especially whole wheat pasta. You can just add the frozen veggies to the boiling water - easy shmeezy. Top with some lemon juice or vinegar & oil.

Also, as a cost cutting tip, I shop at Super Stop and Shop and am insane about checking through the circular to purchase what is on sale. Shopping in a store that has store-brands helps too.