Hi, I have recently become interested in vegetarianism. I was wondering if I could go without Soy Milk and Tofu, and still have a healthy diet. I have to buy groceries for three other people, who still want to eat meat. I am under the impression that health foods are more expensive and i am on a budget. Basically im really poor right now and am also wondering what some cheap but healthy things to buy are =/
Well, in the first place, it all depends on what you're planning on eating. Are you planning on being a vegetarian (eating dairy products and eggs) or a vegan (not eating any animal products). It would help a lot if we knew that. I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, so I don't think it's difficult or expensive for me to find cheap, healthy things to buy at the store. For example, I eat eggs, pasta, and cheese-all cheap, healthy sources of protein.
Oh sorry, i should of been more specific. Im going to start vegetarian but i plan on eliminating dairy products eventually.
I don't know if you saw this thread-the variety that folks have on their grocery list puts me to shame- http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277813 I'm lazy about going to a lot of trouble cooking or buying a lot of ingredients if I'm just cooking for myself. If I'm cooking for someone else, well, pull out all the stops. I buy a lot of eggs, cheese, pasta, beans-also green vegetables of different kinds, ingredients for salads-you're right, tofu and soy milk can get expensive, but they're quite a bit cheaper if you get them in a Chinese grocery store (if one's near you). I can't handle a vegan diet-I feel too weak on it, because I'm not getting enough protein-everybody's made a little differently. I have to have the eggs and dairy products to get enough protein in my diet, and I take a good multi-vitamin that gives me extra b vitamins, iron and such. If I do all of those things, I feel great.
Hello, Tyler, and welcome. Did you get a chance to read through "so you want to be a vegetarian?" subforum? Be sure and look at the links thread. the short answer is yes, it can be simple to be vegetarian on a budget as long as you cook for yourself and plan a bit. any site with menu planning can show you the basics of "oh, I need X amt of rice this week." I find that cooking with intentional leftovers (which then get frozen in serving size portions) is cheaper than pre-prepared meals. I also plan on taking half of whatever I order out to be leftovers, too. That allows me to have a few things I don't cook so well to mix in other menus.
I personally can't handle soy so I don't use it. I'm vegan so I don't eat eggs either. I get most of my protein from oatmeal and nuts. Almonds are very high in protein so they're pretty much a staple for me. If I really want some sort of milk I drink rice milk or almond milk though sometimes I just can't afford it so usually I go without. I make smoothies instead.
