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Eliminating meat, eggs, cheese, and dairy often done for various reasons, also eliminates what are often expensive elements in the diet. Rice, beans, vegetable

Eliminating meat, eggs, cheese, and dairy often done for various reasons, also eliminates what are often expensive elements in the diet. Rice, beans, vegetables, fruit and nuts in moderation, produces a relatively inexpensive diet.

NewJazz 2y ago
Some egg substitutes for anyone considering: For baking, chia or flax "eggs" are easy. For omelettes, chickpea flower can be a good base. Easy to find recipes online. For scrambles, tofu is a good option.
zdragnar 2y ago
Rice and beans are cheap enough. Around here, fresh fruit and veg tend to be pretty expensive though. It's not hard to find pork shoulder or turkey that's cheaper than many varieties of apples, or roughly on par with bell peppers and tomatoes, as an example. Beef and chicken always tend to be more expensive, of course, but you'll be pretty sad if you like food and stick to only things that are "cheaper than meat".
- ghxst 2y ago
  Frozen fruits like berries are typically really budget friendly, as long as they get frozen shortly after harvesting they contain the same amount of anti-oxidants and taste fine in my experience, although might require a bit more planning.
  - zdragnar 2y ago
    There's cheap frozen veg too. The problem is largely variety and texture. It isn't that good reasonably priced vegetarian and vegan lifestyles aren't possible. The problem it's when you set "cheaper than animal products" as the bar to get under, it becomes very boring very quickly. I do limit the amount of animal products I consume myself, and unless everything is in season somewhere somewhat local, I don't find myself saving a ton of money.
    - buildsjets 2y ago
      For some veg frozen can be better than fresh anyway. My family much prefers frozen green beans to fresh. Fresh spinach is full of sand and cooks down so much you have to buy a ton, and after steaming I can’t tell the difference from the frozen block o’ spinach. But avoid frozen carrots, yuck.
ryao 2y ago
Eggs are usually inexpensive for what you get, even if the prices are high right now.

NewJazz 2y ago

Some egg substitutes for anyone considering: For baking, chia or flax "eggs" are easy. For omelettes, chickpea flower can be a good base. Easy to find recipes online. For scrambles, tofu is a good option.

zdragnar 2y ago

Rice and beans are cheap enough. Around here, fresh fruit and veg tend to be pretty expensive though. It's not hard to find pork shoulder or turkey that's cheaper than many varieties of apples, or roughly on par with bell peppers and tomatoes, as an example. Beef and chicken always tend to be more expensive, of course, but you'll be pretty sad if you like food and stick to only things that are "cheaper than meat".

ghxst 2y ago
Frozen fruits like berries are typically really budget friendly, as long as they get frozen shortly after harvesting they contain the same amount of anti-oxidants and taste fine in my experience, although might require a bit more planning.
- zdragnar 2y ago
  There's cheap frozen veg too. The problem is largely variety and texture. It isn't that good reasonably priced vegetarian and vegan lifestyles aren't possible. The problem it's when you set "cheaper than animal products" as the bar to get under, it becomes very boring very quickly. I do limit the amount of animal products I consume myself, and unless everything is in season somewhere somewhat local, I don't find myself saving a ton of money.
  - buildsjets 2y ago
    For some veg frozen can be better than fresh anyway. My family much prefers frozen green beans to fresh. Fresh spinach is full of sand and cooks down so much you have to buy a ton, and after steaming I can’t tell the difference from the frozen block o’ spinach. But avoid frozen carrots, yuck.

ryao 2y ago

Eggs are usually inexpensive for what you get, even if the prices are high right now.