Anyone Vegetarian or Vegan Here? - Page 2

gt0163c · 06-20-2008, 04:46 AM

I sometimes call myself an "almost functional vegetarian". I really don't eat a lot of meat, although I don't go out of the way to avoid it/substitute other things for meat.
Most of it comes from not having a lot of time to prepare meals in the evenings, so I make a lot of casseroles all at once, divide them into single or 3-4 portion sizes and freeze. I've found that dishes that are more stew like than traditional casserole like come out the best, so that's a lot of what I eat. My favorite is what I call "pot of food". It's black beans, brown rice, whatever vegetables I have on hand (or have found cheap and frozen) and maybe some chicken browned and tossed in the pot. Everything gets boiled until it's tender enough to eat. Depending on the vegetables, it's usually very tasty. Before I heat up a serving, I flavor it with whatever sounds good that evening (sometimes just a bit of seasoning salt, sometimes hot sauce, garlic powder, sometimes I add more water and it becomes more soup like, sometimes I add pasta sauce and it becomes more like a tomato based stew).

But, when I go out (about 2-3 times a month) I almost always get a dish with meat, often beef (I always enjoy a good burger from Chili's). And I drink at least 3 cups of milk a day and regularly enjoy cheese and eggs so definitely no vegan tendencies for me.

Mary Webber · 06-20-2008, 04:04 PM

I made the switch a number of years ago, like you for a variety of reasons. I found the biggest challenge was to NOT eat too much cheese for protein. I haven't been able to do much with tofu, and seldom use ersatz-meat products, except veggie burgers, but have found the complimentary proteins (beans/rice/etc.) are the cheapest and tastiest way to go... that and tons of fruit and veggies from our gardens. Considering what grains cost, and then the cost of put-through protein sources such as beef eating those costly grains, well maybe the current rise in food prices will nudge a few more people in the vegetarian direction!

wildgift · 06-22-2008, 02:49 AM

I think this 95% vegetarian thing is a real trend. I'm mostly vegetarian, not vegan, but occasionally eat meat.

If the economy keeps going the way it is, we'll all be doing it. It's not a bad thing, though -- most people around the world do not eat as much meat as we do.

jkuo13 · 06-23-2008, 09:02 AM

I've been vegetarian for nearly 12 years now, largely for health and ethical reasons. If it weren't for yogurt and the occasional cheese indulgence, I'd be vegan. Living primarily off of Asian foods makes it pretty easy for me to live as a vegetarian. Most of the dishes I grew up with are either outright vegetarian or very easily adapted to being vegetarian.

I find that eating well as a vegetarian isn't necessarily that much cheaper than eating properly as a meat eater. Meat is supposed to be a small portion of the average diet, so it shouldn't be incurring a huge cost in the food budget. When you factor in the time costs to being vegetarian (extra prep work for a lot of vegetarian dishes and the extra footwork needed to find veggie friendly options when eating out), the monetary savings isn't extraordinary.

Dani · 06-23-2008, 07:56 PM

I'm a vegetarian and use allrecipes.com (they have a vegetarian section), peta.org, and vegcooking.com. PETA has lots of links and articles about vegan chefs, as well. I try to eat vegan as much as possible, as eggs gross me out and cheese is incredibly unhealthy. I also just use regular recipes and substitute using fake meat products, such as the Morningstar brands. Lots of packaged foods have recipes on their containers that I try out. If you want to get started cheaply, maybe you could check out some vegetarian books from your library to get started with some recipes.

dapooh1 · 06-27-2008, 07:18 PM

I've been mostly ovo-lacto vegetarian (except for occasional fish) since I went off to college. I keep trying to convince my parents of the health benefits of eating one or two meals a week without meat, but whenever I cook a meatless meal for them with multiple sources of protein, they still insist on cooking a piece of meat to go with it. I use Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone as a frequent reference book.

06-20-2008, 04:04 PM	#12
Mary Webber Family Thrift Counselor Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Maine Posts: 145 Reputation: (27)	Watch that cheese! I made the switch a number of years ago, like you for a variety of reasons. I found the biggest challenge was to NOT eat too much cheese for protein. I haven't been able to do much with tofu, and seldom use ersatz-meat products, except veggie burgers, but have found the complimentary proteins (beans/rice/etc.) are the cheapest and tastiest way to go... that and tons of fruit and veggies from our gardens. Considering what grains cost, and then the cost of put-through protein sources such as beef eating those costly grains, well maybe the current rise in food prices will nudge a few more people in the vegetarian direction! __________________ Family Thrift Counselor - Get practical advice on how to save money and eat better.

06-23-2008, 09:02 AM	#14
jkuo13 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 135 Reputation: (35)	I've been vegetarian for nearly 12 years now, largely for health and ethical reasons. If it weren't for yogurt and the occasional cheese indulgence, I'd be vegan. Living primarily off of Asian foods makes it pretty easy for me to live as a vegetarian. Most of the dishes I grew up with are either outright vegetarian or very easily adapted to being vegetarian. I find that eating well as a vegetarian isn't necessarily that much cheaper than eating properly as a meat eater. Meat is supposed to be a small portion of the average diet, so it shouldn't be incurring a huge cost in the food budget. When you factor in the time costs to being vegetarian (extra prep work for a lot of vegetarian dishes and the extra footwork needed to find veggie friendly options when eating out), the monetary savings isn't extraordinary. __________________ JohnnyKuo.net \|\| Zenfulness

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06-20-2008, 04:46 AM	#11
gt0163c Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 250 Reputation: (33)	I sometimes call myself an "almost functional vegetarian". I really don't eat a lot of meat, although I don't go out of the way to avoid it/substitute other things for meat. Most of it comes from not having a lot of time to prepare meals in the evenings, so I make a lot of casseroles all at once, divide them into single or 3-4 portion sizes and freeze. I've found that dishes that are more stew like than traditional casserole like come out the best, so that's a lot of what I eat. My favorite is what I call "pot of food". It's black beans, brown rice, whatever vegetables I have on hand (or have found cheap and frozen) and maybe some chicken browned and tossed in the pot. Everything gets boiled until it's tender enough to eat. Depending on the vegetables, it's usually very tasty. Before I heat up a serving, I flavor it with whatever sounds good that evening (sometimes just a bit of seasoning salt, sometimes hot sauce, garlic powder, sometimes I add more water and it becomes more soup like, sometimes I add pasta sauce and it becomes more like a tomato based stew). But, when I go out (about 2-3 times a month) I almost always get a dish with meat, often beef (I always enjoy a good burger from Chili's). And I drink at least 3 cups of milk a day and regularly enjoy cheese and eggs so definitely no vegan tendencies for me.

06-22-2008, 02:49 AM	#13
wildgift Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 39 Reputation: (10)	I think this 95% vegetarian thing is a real trend. I'm mostly vegetarian, not vegan, but occasionally eat meat. If the economy keeps going the way it is, we'll all be doing it. It's not a bad thing, though -- most people around the world do not eat as much meat as we do.

06-23-2008, 07:56 PM	#15
Dani Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 38 Reputation: (10)	I'm a vegetarian and use allrecipes.com (they have a vegetarian section), peta.org, and vegcooking.com. PETA has lots of links and articles about vegan chefs, as well. I try to eat vegan as much as possible, as eggs gross me out and cheese is incredibly unhealthy. I also just use regular recipes and substitute using fake meat products, such as the Morningstar brands. Lots of packaged foods have recipes on their containers that I try out. If you want to get started cheaply, maybe you could check out some vegetarian books from your library to get started with some recipes.

06-27-2008, 07:18 PM	#16
dapooh1 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 42 Reputation: (12)	I've been mostly ovo-lacto vegetarian (except for occasional fish) since I went off to college. I keep trying to convince my parents of the health benefits of eating one or two meals a week without meat, but whenever I cook a meatless meal for them with multiple sources of protein, they still insist on cooking a piece of meat to go with it. I use Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone as a frequent reference book.