Meat alternatives

pitfall21

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Hi there,
Total Vegan Noob here. Just watched another vegan/vegetarian movie (Eating Animals) and I'm just fed up with Big Business/humans treating animals, farmers, and our world like ****. I feel like the best way I can help is to change what food items I buy. However, when I look for meat alternatives, everything is so expensive. Surely there are plant burgers and chicken strips, etc that don't cost more than the meat they are replacing? Do most vegans just make their own stuff and use the premade vegan meat items as treats? My goal is to replace real meat items for my family with plant meat items, but with no added costs to our food bill.

Thanks!
 
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Do most vegans just make their own stuff and use the premade vegan meat items as treats?

Not sure about "most vegans". but I think a lot of vegans make their own stuff.

I do buy some of that premade vegan stuff every week. But I'm not a very good cook and sort of lazy. but still, i don't eat it every day. And I think each year I buy less of it. Not because I don't like it - but because i have found I like some of the alternatives better.

Maybe one thing that holds us back is our traditional concept of a meal. Like a dinner has a starch at 10. vegetabe at 2. and a meat at 6. And the meat is like 40% of the plate. the other two get 30%. I think a vegan needs to change the way they think about a meal. a lot of my meals are more layered. Like the starch (rice) on the bottom and everything else on top.

The same thing goes at lunch. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and sandwiches all have the meat in the middle. You can make a pretty good sandwich without meat or processed meat subs. I sometimes make a hero sandwich which is all just veggies. Grilled veggies is a great treat, too. Take a look at Pinterest's vegan veggie wraps. I love these guys.

As a vegan noob, you might want to join the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. It's free. Its online. I'll put the link at the bottom.
It's like an online class. But easier. I think the lessons are in the 5 to 15-minute range. Mostly videos. but some are articles and some are just audio. I didn't take this one. I took the 30-day Vegan Challenge which now costs money. but this one is still free (and nine days shorter). Plus if you join on the first day of the month they have a special chat room/forum for all your classmates.

the other thing I recommend for you is to go to the library and check out a bunch of vegan cookbooks. Browse them all and make up a rule. Like one new recipe a week. there are also a bunch of ebooks on line you can download - for free of to borrow.

Extra credit. Subscribe to a podcast. You can listen to podcasts in the car, on the bike, and while doing chores. My favorite is the Food For Thought podcast. it's best to start at the beginning.

Double extra credit. Subscribe to a vegan podcaster. I like the ones that are like cooking channels. Right now my favorite is Sarahs Vegan Kitchen.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAbKLYEuTR1riockIgAWBiw

I also like the Cheap Lazy Vegan.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjkioV3LO_OIUaSWRxFZ3A

You might find one that is more family meal oriented. Perhaps one of the other peeps on this forum have a good suggestion there.

Oh, by the way, Welcome. you will probably find vegan cooking to be even cheaper than regular meals.


https://kickstart.pcrm.org/en
 
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hi Pitfall and welcome to a new awareness and, hopefully, lifestyle

Lou has given you some great ideas and here are a few more:

Dr McDougall's website has a ton of free information and recipes and Program (click here).

Other YouTuber's to watch Maddie Lymburner, High Carb Hannah, Jane Esselstyn, Well Your World.

We use the vegan alternatives only rarely, once a week at the most. You can make amazing burgers and meatloaf from black beans. As Lou says it is often just adjusting the thought the a "meat" replacement has to be part of every meal.

All the best going forward!

Emma JC
 
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Thanks for the quick replies. I have a book from Dr Macdougle. And I have watched many of the Hanna videos and the potato strong videos . I originally watched the banana girl and her crazy boyfriend. But they were a little too far out for me. I also tried being a fruitarian. But that was super hard. Anyway I appreciate the help. I will check into your ideas. I am not super kitchen friendly so easier is better for sure. Anyway looks like I found the right forum. :)
 
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I think a mix of approaches can work

--try the vegan burgers from the supermarket but more occassional for cost. or why not replace the meat with a smaller vegan burger and increase the size of the portions of other things on the plate. this may also be healthier.

--make your own (figure out how to make lentil burgers: they are great)

--don't just think you have to replace the meat on a plate, just come up with some other ways of thinking about it: pasta with several different types of veg+ pepper is a good meal I think.
 
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