Your poor and a vegetarian/vegan what do you do?

Question

How do you make it by without eating junk food ?

Since veggie porducts can be known to be expensive?

Answer 1

I am a broke college student (have been for 3 years) and been vegan 6, so I cook everything myself from scratch. When I have the money I go to whole foods/trader joes for cheeses/icecreams but for the most part tofu ($1) and soymilk, flour are your best friends. You can make just about any recipe into a vegan one by subsituting soy milk for milk.. etc. And look for deals like soyrizo is 99cents sometimes, mixed with tofu and potatoes (also cheap) make a yummy breakfast. Tofu with homemade teriyaki sauce and veggies- also cheap and a nice dinner/lunch... it isn't that hard, just have to be creative. You get used to it, good luck!

Answer 2

Plant yourself veggie...more healthier..or bought the cheapest one.

Answer 3

Hey!

I'm vegan, tofu is inexpensive you can make tofu scrambled eggs.  Also try to look at this website theppk.com it's really about vegan foods and shows you how to do that without breakin the bank!

Hope this helps!

Becky

Answer 4

I wouldn't buy soy meats and all that stuff. Just beans, nuts, fruits, veg, and grains.

Answer 5

well i don't know if i'm poor, but i know food prices are on the rise along with gas prices and everything else and it does hurt!  the price of the "fake meats" has gone up quite a bit, so basically i buy less of them!  more beans, tofu, peanut butter, nuts, hummus, etc... more frozen veggies instead of fresh... more canned stuff...

Answer 6

I'm a semi-vegetarian. Retired and fairly poor.

I've found that  I spend less money since I cut 95% of the meat out  of my food budget.  

I do buy fish.

Of course I love brown rice and beans and make it a number of different ways so I'm lucky I don't get tired of it.

I love oatmeal. I also use quinoa and whole grain blend pasta.

My biggest expense is fruit.

Answer 7

Hare Krishna!  we live in Crowdafornia & have raised 4 boys and 2 girls all veggie.  having that many kids made it so i had to be economical - while the kids were growing up, some of the most simple things & inexpensive got to be regulars on our weekly menu.  on Sunday nights i would cook a pot of pinto or black beans so the next a.m. i was making burriotos for them to take for lucnh at school.  Tofu - now there is an affordable staple, combined with some sort of gain is a complete source of whole protien, tofu burger, tofu shitake stir fry, tofu stix dipped in your fav sauce, spaghetti & tofu cubes.   the key to eating veggie & not paying a fortune is simple - do not buy pre-made stuff - cook from scratch - i know i know a whole lotta time, but saves a whole lotta $$$$$.  farmer's markets are a great economical way to purchase your veggies.  oh and don't forget good old steamed veggies - mmmmm - a hot steamy plate of colorful yummy veggies.  did you know the more colors in your meal - the more vitamins in your meal.  since i had so many boys - i couldn't have them be lame at food prep - SO i wrote a veggie cookbook 108 pages of all their favs they grew up with & cooking tips.  well hope this helps & thanks for eating plant-based diet - our mother earth thanks you too!  :)

Answer 8

Well really you dont need all those fake-meat products.  Eggs, nuts, beans...good.  

Plus, we eat too much protein as it is!  It actually flushes the calcium out of our bodies!  

Eating as many fruits and veggies and whole grains a day with some beans, seeds, nuts, etc....is simply the best way to go.  And cheaper!

Answer 9

Grains, beans and frozen veggies are cheaper than meat.

Answer 10

eat birdseed and be happy

Answer 11

Vegetarians eat vegetables/fruit buy a variety and eat them raw or cooked. The 'extra stuff' in the health food area isn't necessary to continue being a vegetarian.  Take a multi vitamin to make sure your getting all you need there.  Get a protein drink or soy cubes in a veggie soup will provide protein.

Answer 12

Meat is actually more expensive that vegetarian stuff, generally. Just by the cheap stuff like Boca burgers and Morningstar.

Answer 13

i would suggest lots of canned beans, pastas, etc....a box of pasta is under a dollar and usually has 4-6 servings in it.  beans are also under a dollar a can.  there are a ton of sauces you can add to get a good variety.  

if you have room you might want to consider planting some veggies yourself, since it's far cheaper than buying them at the grocery. frozen veggies are great too because you can portion out what you'll use and the rest can last a long time in the freezer.  

try to buy only generic brand foods, because the brand name stuff is expensive and really isn't any better.

i would avoid really expensive items like nuts and seeds...you can get protein and fats through plenty of less expensive foods.

rice is also great because you can buy it in bulk and it keeps for a long time.  also try purchasing more filling foods....if you stick with filling foods like potatoes you'll end up spending less because you're eating less.

i know everyone hates to do it, but clip coupons.....one grocery where i live does double coupons and you can end up getting 70 dollars worth of groceries for 50 dollars or so.  there really is no better way to get a good deal.

good luck, i've been there.....it's not fun being strapped for cash.

Answer 14

ramen noodles, rice,dry beans cooked in crock pot

Answer 15

Hey again mate =]

This is a good question...

But some veggie products are very cheap!

Im a vegan (as you know), and i buy loads of my vegan products from sainsburys, a good vegan meal consists of protein and carbs.

When i go shopping with my dad, we buy loads of vegan cheap products like pasta, kidney beans, chick peas, rice, vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers, soya milk, fruits and vegetables, tinned tomatos, potatos etc. So you can make quite a good meal out of these, but when it comes down to things like 'meat free' it isnt always cheap cheap cheap.

But, the other day whilst i was in holland and barret, i saw some veggie burgers and veggie sausages for only 99p each and for a 6 pack of sausages and 4 pack of burgers, which is quite good!

I have to admit, sometimes as a vegan, i really cant be bothered to cook, so i just get a can of baked beans out and have beans on toast, or some times i have vegan chips with vegetable gravy, these meals are perfectly vegan, but you can exacly live off them to be honest!

So what i suggest, is that when your shopping look for things like rice, pulses, soya milk, bread etc. Maybe buy something like nut cutlets and vegetable burgers now and again. You can get a good source of protein from these sources, so whats to loose?

Its cheap and nutrtious =]

If you want any more information, you know you can email me any time, good luck with it all.

Answer 16

Do you have a food co-op in the area?  Those are great!  I would stick to the basics...fruits, vegetables, brown rice, beans, and legumes.  You should buy rice, dried beans and legumes in bulk.  Those will last forever.  Produce can get expensive, but if that's all you'll really need to buy on a regular basis it's not too bad.  Are you near a Whole Foods?  I buy Whole Foods brand sunflower seeds (a pretty big bag) to put in my salads for only $2 or $3.  They also sell soy yogurt for only $1, and peanut butter for less than $4 and preserves around $2.  This is much healthier and cheaper than living on processed vegan food anyway.  You can get creative with salads - I love salads with arugula and fruit.  There are also a ton of meals you can make with cooked vegetables, beans, and rice that can be very filling.

Answer 17

You just have to cook.

A bag of dried beans, peas or lentils only costs a quarter or two.  Add water, a vegetable bouillon cube, chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, and you have a huge pot of soup for next to nothing.

The ingredients to make a basic loaf of wheat bread cost around 12 cents.