Is it expensive to be a vegetarian?

Question

I mean, how do you get your protein? Stuff like tofu? I would like to become a vegetarian, and I don't eat that much meat anyway...but, I just don't know how. I want to be healthy...

Any tips?

Answer 1

Usually cheaper due to the cost of meat. There are many meat substitues plus you don't need and much protien as you think.

Here are tips:

1. Take your time - my journey from meat eater took about a year.
2. Start out using some basic substitutes for the meat you are used to in foods where you won't even notice - ground meat replacements are available in the frozen food sections.
3. Leave meat off things that don't need it - pizza, salad, spag, etc.
4. Get some good cookbooks when you are ready to branch into more interesting foods - Moosewood books and New Farm Vegetarian are two of my favorites.
5. If you are worried about what to eat check out the book "Diet for a New America" it will cover many of the health questions.

A good start is to pick one or two nights a week as "veggie" night. Then work your way from there stopping wherever you feel most comfortable which might be 2 nights a week or 7 nights a week up to you.

Answer 2

It's really not that expensive. Tofu is super cheap, like $1 a pound. The only things that get expensive are fresh produce (but not so much if you buy things when they're in season, or grow your own if you can), and if you choose to buy things like Boca burgers and other meat subsitutes. But no, it's really not any more expensive, and if you don't eat a lot of meat anyway it should be an easy transition for you. I used to be like that, I would only eat meat at restaurants and stuff, my boyfriend is a vegetarian so I never cooked meat at home, and then one day I decided to just not eat meat anymore and it's be great.

Answer 3

It's not expensive, unless you load up on pre-made stuff. Like frozen meals and fake meats - these can get pricey.

Vegetables, legumes, fruit, etc are *inexpensive*, especially if you use a local market and buy mostly what's in season.

Protein comes from nearly everything you consume. Protein is not typically a major concern for vegetarians who eat well.

I just bought a block of Tofu for $1.29. I know that most non-vegetarians think "tofu" when they think "vegetarian", but it doesn't have to be a staple and certainly isn't the only staple in a vegetarian diet. Be sure that you do your homework and don't pigeonhole yourself because of myths. Here are some sites where you can order veg starter kits:

http://www.goveg.com
http://www.pcrm.org

Also, check out http://www.vegetariantimes.com to see the thousands of recipes that don't use animal flesh in them.

Good luck in your decision. : )


And just to be clear, Mischeavious miss is incorrect that "regular vegetarians" eat seafood. Vegetarians eat no dead animals - whether from the sea, the sky, or the land.

Answer 4

well fresh fruit & veggies ar eexpensive. But you buy whats in season, or on sale. That will keep your prices down. But think, meat is expensive too. Fattier, unhealthy foods are cheaper. It is all up to you. What are your reasons for becoming a vegetarian? Are they strong enough to stick to it, also what type of vegetarian will you be. Protein comes in many sources, so no need to worry you wont get enough protien. As with anyhting eat a variety of foods, that will give you a well balanced diet.

Answer 5

It can be expensive, depending on the food you choose. If you depend on things like veggie burgers and pre-packaged vegetarian foods, it will cost more than a meat-eaters diet. There just aren't enough people buying those products for them to be as cheap as meat (which sucks, cause they certainly cost less to make).

You can save money by making large batches of food, like soup or stew or chili, and freezing it in meal size quantities. I usually have a stock of at least 3 different kinds of frozen dinners, and it cuts down on the amount of quickie expensive meals we buy.

Answer 6

Congratulations and good choice! You can get protein from PB, nuts, edimomi, granola bars, soymilk, etc... I am naming things I eat since I don't eat gelatin either. I try to get atleast 30 grams of protein a day. For meat replacements, there is cheese (but don't eat a lot!), and there is brown rice with veggies, soymilk smoothies with fruit, PB and banana sandwiches, etc. Go to www.goveg.com for more info! Good luck! P.S. Good snacks are bowls of fruit or veggies, nuts, and granola bars. I always carry a granola bar with me. Also, it might be hard the first month or 2 for you, but it'll all work out! :-D

www.goveg.com

Answer 7

Not really, just if you eat a lot of fake meat stuff. Protein you can get from like nuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, yeah. But you can just buy milk and eggs as usual if you're not going completely vegan.

Answer 8

I am as close to vegetaraian as one can get. I do not eat any meat products but I do drink milk. Everything in my house is Organic, its healthier for you and they don't poison animals. Its extremely expensive and I got so ill when I started to do it 1 year ago. I think some Organic foods are gross but not many. I get extra Protein from Soy. I love Soy chocolate milk! YUM!!!!

Answer 9

It is no more expensive than eating meat. In some ways it is cheaper. Meat per lb is more expensive than most fruits and vegetables. If you stay away from prepackaged foods you will find that your budget is about the same.

As for protein, the average person only needs about 50 grams of protein per day. Protein is in everything, just look at the side of boxes. In todays world it is very hard to be protein deficient if you are eating a wide variety.

High protein foods include:
soy milk, tofu, nuts(Almonds, Cashews, Filberts, Hemp Seeds, Peanuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts (black)), seeds, legumes(Garbanzo beans, Kidney beans, Lentils, Lima beans, Navy beans, Soybeans, Split peas), grains(Barley, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Oatmeal, Rye, Wheat germ, Wheat, hard red, Wild rice), vegetables(Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini), fruits(Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry)

Trust me protein deficiencies are rare in the U.S and are mostly found in third world countries that suffer from famine.

Answer 10

I eat a lot of soybean products and they have a lot of protein just as much as meat I cant tell the difference between meat and soy ''meat'' it tastes really good. I drink silk soymilk and it tastes in my opinon better than nasty old milk anyway hope I helped! Check out www.PETA.com for great links for recipes