Vegetarian cooking lends itself especially to a joint purpose of trimming back on calories and cost:; supplying a natural abundance of low-fat, nutrient-rich ingredients that don't cost a fortune.
Besides making at least one dinner per week vegetarian (if you don't already!) there are plenty of ways to up the nutritional ante without breaking the bank.
Money-Saving Vegetarian Ideas
1. Cook in bulk. And freeze small portions for a single meal's worth of food.
Dishes that lend themselves especially well to this idea are lentil or minestrone soup, hearty vegetarian chili, or other dishes that won't be too soggy when they thaw. Instead of going for take-away, simply defrost a healthy meal right from your freezer!
Cooking dried beans from scratch and freezing them is an easy way to save money and cut down on the salt found in canned beans. Investing in a vacuum-sealer can make this process easier and more compact.
2. Choose seasonal (and local) produce.
Seasonal (and local, if possible) produce is usually less expensive and also has to travel less to reach your home. Does that really matter? It does! The longer a fruit or vegetable is stored, the more likely it is to lose valuable vitamins, such as vitamin C. Produce less travelled equals more bang for your buck!
3. Shop often.
For the same reason as buying local produce, shopping often keeps your food fresh and appealing. Not only do older veggies lose some of their nutritional value, but who wants to put limp scraggly broccoli in their salad? Throwing food out is a waste of money, period.
4. Make a list.
Take some time out of your hectic schedule to plan the next week's meals - try Sunday afternoons or another time you're relaxed and not thinking about other things. Make a shopping list and when you get to the store, stick to it!
5. Make cooking fun.
While this may not intuitively say “healthy” or “money-saver”, taking time to enjoy the process of preparing a hearty, healthy meal for yourself or your family can makes strides towards those goals. For example, being patient and regarding meal preparation as an adventure might encourage you to use fewer prepared or frozen, pre-packaged meals that are generally expensive and high in fat. Be creative in the kitchen and work together.
To start, take a peek at Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes.
You might also try:
- baking your own bread
- making fancy coffee beverages at home instead of paying $5.00 for a soy latte
- using texturized vegetable protein to stretch or substitute for ground meat
- going vegan, at least for a week. Have you seen the prices of dairy lately?
With a few careful adjustments, savings add up quickly. Try it for one month!
You may end up with more family time together, healthier meals, and a higher level of organization - meaning a lower level of stress. Think of it as TLC for your budget, and yourself.
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