One of the ways I try to save money is to replace meat with vegetables in meals. Thus, just making a vegetarian version of a meal my family enjoys. For example, lasagne, chilli, curries and various pasta dishes. Vegetables are often much cheaper than meat or fish. Do other people do this as a money saving strategy? If so, what are your favourite meat and fish free recipes to make?
Fish is meat I do replace meat with veggies, but for ethical and health reasons, not to save money. It IS a big money saver though and everyone would be smart to do it for many reasons. So basically, every meal I make is meatless; it would be a long list. If you can think of it, you can make it meatless. There are a zillion recipes everywhere for it.. my faves being Pinterest and Allrecipes.
As a vegetarian people think it is cheaper and it can be, but is still if not more nutritious. Things like TVP (textured vegetable protein) have less fat and as much protein as meat and most people can't tell the difference with sauces and seasoning added. I do think it can save money, but is also good for your health as well. You don't need fish or meat, but even if you have several meat free days a week, it can save money and maybe meat free snacks too.
I've been a vegetarian for nearly 25 years now, and I can tell you that it's not necessarily cheaper to eat meat-free. It all depends on what you like. You can easily spend a small fortune on organic vegetables and grains like quinoa and amaranth. Not to mention all the delicacies, such as special fermented foods, sweets, etc. I think that there probably isn't much of a difference in costs between a simple, balanced vegetarian diet and a diet that includes meat.
I'll generally replace meat in a dish with chopped onions, mushrooms and peppers. They bulk it out and add great flavour and texture. I seem to be omitting meat much nore these days but don't really miss it.
I think these days I eat more meatless dishes than ever before. I like TVP, but I can’t eat too much of it as I have a soy sensitivity. So usually beans or lentils are my meat substitutes, usually eaten with things like broccoli, spinach, and carrots. Mushrooms can have a nice meaty texture too; I don’t eat them very often, but I enjoy them when I have the chance to eat them.
It can be cheaper than eating meat, but not always - it really depends on the types of veggies you are buying and how much of them you are using in place of meat. For example, if I were to go out and buy all the fresh veggies and other ingredients to make a pasta primavera, my total spent could be well over what I would have paid for the ingredients in a simple meat based dish. By the time I buy fresh carrots, red bell peppers, snap peas, mushrooms, fresh herbs, cream, parmesan cheese, etc... you can see how this would all add up, vs just cooking some Italian sausage in some crushed tomatoes over pasta. Plus some vegetables, such as leafy greens, cost a lot per pound and aren't really as filling. A head of Escarole for example may look big, and cost me about $4, but when I get it home and cook it, it reduces down to more or less one serving. Likewise, large portabella mushroom caps run around $4-$5 a pack for two of them at our grocery stores, when I could buy a pack of ground beef for that price and make several burgers from it as opposed to just two mushroom burgers.
Some nutritionist says it's a myth but there are people in the world who eat only beans and rice and they are very healthy. Eat some fruits afterwards and your body will get all the essential nutrients it needs. I suppose if one replaces meat with beans, they could save a substantial amount of money each year.
I have heard this. I have heard that vegetarians have an easier time with getting saving money than anyone else. I think I could never give up meat totally. I think it might be healthier for us in some cases, like heart disease and such to give up meat.
Mushrooms are a great replacement for meat, the mushrooms have protein and you can not tell that you are not eatting meat. I have a meatless meal at least twice a week to save money andto reduce the amount of fat in my diet.
