My shopping list...

[ScrimpAndSave]

Someone else posted a shopping list and I thought it was a great idea. I am semi vegetarian and live on a budget. I get by with about $50 for food every week. I shop mainly at a farmer's market where I can get fruits, veggies, grains and dried beans very cheap.

My usual veggies:
Lettuce
Onions
Potatoes
Baby carrots
Squash
Eggplant
Mushrooms
Peppers (green, red and yellow)
Asparagus

My usual fruits (not a huge fan):
Apples
Tangarines
Bananas
Watermelons
Cantalope
Tomatoes

Grains:
Brown Rice
Bulgar

Beans:
Chickpeas (I practically live off of these)
Kidney beans
Lentils
Black Beans

I usually make a dish of roasted veggies and then mix in a 1/2 cup of a grain and 1/2 cup of beans. It keeps me full and I am sure to get a variety of different things. I also usually use a little light feta.

SO GOOD

I guess I am sort of a weird eater...I try to plant a lot of these things and grow them but I seriously have a black thumb.

[Radiance]

I have more questions than answers for you.,,

I usually make a dish of roasted veggies and then mix in a 1/2 cup of a grain and 1/2 cup of beans

That is a great idea, at least for me who love veggies but often lose them because I don't cook them fast enough.

When do you cook? Do you cook and freeze or do you eat everything fresh made each day? Do you have small kids on your household?

Unlike you I am a fruit fan, those don't last, and they never see the fridge.
Very much like you, I have a black thumb, I have killed even cactuses!

[GREENBACK]

I doubt that either of you have a "black thumb". There is nothing magical about growing vegetables or fruits. It's mostly common sense and a little science.

If I had to guess, I'd say you have never analyzed the soil(dirt) that you're growing in and it's probably not at the right PH/acid levels or the nutrients(calcium/phosphorous/magnesium) for what you want to grow. These are pretty easy to correct. Start mulching or use planters with prepared soil. Buy one of those cheap PH/Acid kits that tell you what you're lacking and how to correct it.

I live in a part of the Midwest that has great soils but, depending on what you plant, you have to make minor adjustments for the best results even here.

[creditcardfree]

Originally Posted by ScrimpAndSave

I usually make a dish of roasted veggies and then mix in a 1/2 cup of a grain and 1/2 cup of beans. It keeps me full and I am sure to get a variety of different things. I also usually use a little light feta.

It sounds yummy, easy healthy and frugal. I particularly like feta!! I really should try cooking this way for DH & I. I don't think I could convert the kids at this point. They have their preferrences.

[Radiance]

Yeah, My baby is about textures, he will eat lentils, but only if I cook them with eggplant or pumpkin.

It takes some trial and error too, at least for me. Gos knows I have eaten some weird combinations he didn't like. He is 16mo.

Kids are really curious about food, if you keep on offering new things they get hooked.

My baby also has a nack for steeling MY food. So after a lot of refusals of peanut butter sandwich, I thought it was safe to eat one next to him. I went hungry that night. He took it away from me and ate the whole thing!

Dear Greenback, I have tried everything from soil and containers, and read books, and even have others show me how to care for them. As soon as I become the caretaker, they die! As with meal planning, I am growing plants-challenged.

[GREENBACK]

Originally Posted by Radiance

Dear Greenback, I have tried everything from soil and containers, and read books, and even have others show me how to care for them. As soon as I become the caretaker, they die! As with meal planning, I am growing plants-challenged.

Are you possibly over caring? Plants really don't need the extra coddling they get from a lot of people. Watering too much can be especially harmful. I have trouble believing you can't make anything grow.

[ScrimpAndSave]

Well, here is what I do. I chop up all of my favorite veggies (mainly squash, peppers, onions, mushrooms, eggplant)...and I fill up a 9 x 13 baking dish. I heat them up at 350 for an hour and I turn once when they are a half hour in. This mixture lasts me three days for lunches and dinners. I also fix some bulgur (which I believe is a type of cracked wheat - SO YUMMY) and some brown rice. I soak my beans overnight (cheaper to buy them dried than canned) and I choose two varieties and I boil them so they are ready in the fridge. I would say I use two parts veggies, one part grain and one part beans. I get a good variety of everything. Sometimes I use extra firm tofu instead of beans. I really try to stay away from animal products for ethical reasons...but I do have one egg every morning for breakfast.

Other things that I buy are eggs (for breakfast), whole wheat light bread, sometimes cottage cheese...and I love to try exotic fruits and veggies. I also make a good deal of salads with lettuce - but I like my veggies more when they are roasted with garlic and other seasonings.

[ScrimpAndSave]

I forgot to mention - I haven't frozen anything lately. I find that when you are not cooking with meat, things last a bit longer...(maybe a day or two). I cook enough for about 3 days and eat everything without freezing it. I cook for myself only and no kiddies.

[Radiance]

Thank you so much! This is great information! If I shred the veggies fine enough and I leave the mixture moist, I am sure my little guy will eat it too!

If I can bug you some more.
What do you do for lunch vs. dinner?

I do either egg or oatmeal for breakfast, whole grain pancakes on Sundays. I do skip a couple days a week

Morning snack is typically fruit, afternoon snack is mainly my son; peanut butter sandwich or sweet potatoes, or cottage cheese or another fruit. I am skipping this one most days.

Dinners are a challenge for me and many days I kill hunger repeating what I did for lunch, which it is not appetizing at all for me.

I never skip my son's meals but I skip some of mines more than I dare to admit...room for improvement. Now that I stop eating out, this translate into a sandwich or a sneaker bar or nothing.

[sandrark]

Originally Posted by Radiance

Morning snack is typically fruit, afternoon snack is mainly my son;

Yummy!

LOL, I couldn't resist.

Sandi

[ScrimpAndSave]

My lunches and dinners typically looks the same...I know...I am so boring but I love to switch up the veggies/grains/beans and it keeps me full. I also use couscous in place of rice or bulgur. Sometimes I choose one vegetable, steam it and then pan fry some tilapia or some other type of fish. Whatever it is, it is easy for me to throw together.

I do snack on yogurts sometimes - but I find that the less animal products that I eat, the better I feel. Raw almonds are great too. They seem a little more expensive, but if you weigh them out and eat normal portion sizes...then it seems to last a lot longer.

[wincrasher]

I read an article yesterday about a guy who just finished the Ultraman Triathelon in Hawaii as a vegan competitor. He's also listed as one of the 25 fittest people on earth.

Doesn't say what he eats but he did this at 42. Went from 30 pounds overweight, sedentary lifestyle to triathelete in like 18 months.

How would you get enough protein on a vegan diet to do this??

[ScrimpAndSave]

They say that we don't need as much protein as the gov't says. I have always gone by the rule of trying to get in half the amount of my weight. Legumes and nuts/seeds give me TONs of protien. Way more than I need.

[Radiance]

Devil's advocate, if humans shouldn't eat meat, why do we have canine teeth?

[PetMom]

ScrimpandSave thank you for sharing the way you do your shopping and preparation. Separately cooked then kind of mix it together for a few meals. This would be good for nonveg/veg mixed families. Add meat for the meat eater's portion.

I did not know going to a farmer's market could be that cheap and give such healthy eating results.

Greenback: Are you growing the fruits/veggies from seed? We bought starter plants this year from an organic garden center - $60.00. The heat did not do well for our tomatoes - but we did get some. If you do grow from seed do you ever do the seed saving from the plants - as this would be literally dirt cheap. This might be possible only from nongenetically altered seeds though.

A hot topic starter? We have teeth that actually was good for scavenging/gaterhing of all things. Our incisors are not that strong to rip into things, we are not that fast of runners to chase down game, we don't have claws either for that matter.

I think aiming for a plant based diet (even for meat eaters) is healthiest option. A vegetarian who eats a lot of cheese and processed white flour is not eating a healthy diet.

I do not like for my husband to eat any factory farm raised pork, beef and the organics in this area tend to be very expensive. I won't even feed my pets that sort of thing - just read they allow steroids in meat production, not to forget also the pesticides, antibiotics, other drugs, etc...
This concentrates more in fat. Buying organic might be worth it to avoid this.

The less you can eat of this and offset it with whole grains and fruit/vegetables the better.

Have been reading bad things about soy lately.

But no one writes anything bad about beans - so I think this might be a fantastic option that ScrimpandSave does.

There are also some of vegan athlete websites now. The guy referred to might have one as more and more vegans are doing marathons, etc.

[Radiance]

Good stuff.
I love veggies so it is not an issue.
I just have to educate myself better so I disolve my fears:
- Having enough iron without meat?
- Having enough protein without meat? I will have to look into those vegan athlete websites you mention.
I also notice that when I don't have meats I get a little of soft stools after the second day... ..hmm, maybe it is my body detoxing now that I think about it.

sigh, for now I am working to get on a meal plan, any! and then I can fine tune from there.

Vegetarian or meat eater , raw or cooked... so many options.

In any case ScrimpAndSave, I want to try your recipe recommendation this weekend. Cool!

[whitestripe]

Originally Posted by Radiance

Good stuff.
I love veggies so it is not an issue.
I just have to educate myself better so I disolve my fears:
- Having enough iron without meat?
- Having enough protein without meat? I will have to look into those vegan athlete websites you mention.
I also notice that when I don't have meats I get a little of soft stools after the second day... ..hmm, maybe it is my body detoxing now that I think about it.

sigh, for now I am working to get on a meal plan, any! and then I can fine tune from there.

Vegetarian or meat eater , raw or cooked... so many options.

In any case ScrimpAndSave, I want to try your recipe recommendation this weekend. Cool!

i dont undestand why people have 'fears' over not having enough protein/iron etc if they become vegetarian. isn't there already enough proof in all the other healthy vegetarians out there?
also for your last comment on your body 'detoxing' have you looked at your fibre intake and water intake???

[PetMom]

There are non meat sources of iron: leafy greens, molasses and beans.

Beans also contain protein. Some theories now don't force people into the food combinging for achieving a complete protein. Beans are now making it to the top of some supefood lists. Plus, they are so cheap.

Vegans were always warned to watch for B12 defiencies, but surprisingly little is written about watching out about zinc.

You need a good source for zinc.

Also: the healthy tip about eating fish (which some vegetarians do) - some of it contains mercury.

Some nutritionists are recommending you limit portions per week because of this.

Happily salmon was priced out of my budget a long time ago.

[cptacek]

Originally Posted by PetMom

But no one writes anything bad about beans - so I think this might be a fantastic option that ScrimpandSave does.

Just to pick a nit...
Red Kidney Bean Poisoning - Food Reference

ScrimpandSave, how do fix your eggplant so it is not bitter?

[whitestripe]

cptacek: if you soak eggplant in salty water for a while before you cook it, it does the trick/