Eating Herbivore on a Budget

A big perceived barrier to eating herbivore is the cost. I have friends who say - oh, it's too expensive.  When you factor in the spoilage factor it can get really expensive. After all, if I make a box of Mac-N-Cheese for a $1, I will eat it all - because it never goes bad with all the chemicals in it, lol. I may not eat a complete bunch of kale before it goes limp.

I am currently on a budget which is new to me. My employment situation for the year has changed and I have to count my pennies. I'm currently visiting my brother and his family for a couple of weeks in a non-herbivore but herbivore-friendly household. I have prepared a few things for them and they have pulled out some of their meatless recipes. It's all good. But I went to the grocery today with $20. How much could I buy and what can I do with it?  I did not plan this out with any great sophistication or forethought. But I thought I would share what you CAN do with an herbivore grocery run and limited funds.

Here is what I bought:
canned organic black beans (store label) - 1
canned organic chick peas (store label) - 1
canned organic fire-roasted tomatos (Muir Glenn) - 1
canned organic chili bean mix (Westbrae Natural) - 1
bananas - 4
fresh ear corn - 1
large white mushrooms - 5
fresh spinach bunch - 1
fresh kale bunch - 1
fresh cilantro bunch - 1
extra firm tofu pack - 1
organic baby carrots pack - 1

I spent $19.77 and donated .23 cents to Breast Cancer charity (the store was doing a promo).

I'll combine these foods with stuff already on-hand - quinoa, whole wheat burrito wrappers, tomatoes, onions, asparagus, salad greens, condiments, almond milk, fruit juice, and frozen fruit.

I made Chick Pea Tacos for lunch from the Happy Herbivore web site. I love them. I could not convince my brother that chick pea is an adequate substitute for ground beef. He passed. More for me.
I loaded my burrito wrapper (as a soft taco shell) with chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, and topped with fresh spinach leaves (instead of the low nutrient iceberg lettuce).  Delicious.

I'll make chili with the beans and canned tomatos. Quinoa will go with mushrooms and black beans and kale.  Kale can be eaten raw on a sandwich or salad, cooked liked spinach, or in the oven as kale chips.

Corn will go with tofu, mushrooms, and spinach in a breakfast scramble. I'll throw in any leftover beans too :)  Carrots are for munching. Bananas are for smoothies or snacks.

Part of what you have to do as an herbivore is get creative and use good recipes (Happyherbivore.com).  You can eat well, be full, and enjoy your meals - even on a budget.

Happy eating!

I am Herbivore

I am Herbivore.  I am joining the Lindsay Nixon movement of inclusive plant eaters and not restrictive vegans!  I am so tired of having to defend myself - to vegans who are nit-pickers and to non-vegans who see me as the food police.  Over at the Happy Herbivore there is a plant-based kinship being created that fits with exactly why I have adopted the plant-based diet, a great group of people who celebrate what we are doing, and fantastic recipes - as I have noted in my previous post here :)

Here is the HH blog post on vegan to Herbivore.

And I just got the Happy Herbivore cookbook on Kindle! Yeah! and remember- you can get the free software for kindle to read any kindle book on your pc, mac, or smartphone.  No excuses not to be trying these delicious recipes!!

Happy Eating Herbivore :)