Make me an affordable vegetarian grocery list

[kannondicarpo]

Every once in awhile I like to eat vegetarian but I have been putting it off because I am afraid to mess up my milk supply if I do not do it right and eat enough.

So please mamas, make me a 2 week list. We are going shopping tomorrow morning.

ETA: I shop at Walmart, if that makes a difference.

[kannondicarpo]

Noone wants to help me?:(

[clarinetb]

I'm not a huge help :(
I'm vegetarian, but depends on what you like a lot.
Definitely make a chilli :) - two cans of red kidney beans, can of crushed tomatoes, green/red pepper, onion, chilli pepper. It goes a long way!
Stir fry - get some tofu instead of chicken/beef. Tofu is really rather inexpensive, especially compared to meat!
Can you get textured soy products? You can make a sheppard's pie with Yves veggie ground round. Barely notice it isn't meat if you have anyone who really likes meat :D

If you want a base for vegetarian recipies, grab a bag of dried chickpeas, lentils, even beans if you want. They are really cheap this way. When you need them, soak them and then boil them before cooking with them. You can even boil up a lot and then freeze them if you have freezer space. Brown/green lentils are quite different than red lentils. Red lentils cook much faster and go really soft/creamy in recipes. allrecipes.com have lots of recipes for lentils that are neat :)

What kind of food do you like?

[kannondicarpo]

Thanks mama.

I am Italian so naturally I love pasta and anything with garlic and parsley.:giggle:

I'm really not too picky. Right now I eat mostly ground turkey and chicken breasts as my meat with salad, potatoe/rice, and veggies.

I am not a huge fan of soup unless it is creamy.

Thanks for anymore advice/tips.

[clarinetb]

OOh, my favourite pasta dish is a 'mushroom stroganoff'.
You cook up the pasta as usual, long pasta is good.
In a fry pan start with butter, garlic, mushrooms (1 to 1 1/2 pounds they suggest). You cook till the mushrooms go soft and the juices start to come out.
In a pot mix a little butter and flour and brown it. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock and whisk. Add 1 or 2 tbsps of tomato paste. Take off the heat and add 1/2 to 1 cup of sour cream.
Mix the sauce with the mushrooms, then stir in the pasta.

Super tasty!!!

[5ferret2]

Get some wheat gluten flour and make a huge batch of setian!! If you don't know how to make this yummy stuff PM me, we have a GREAT recipe:goodvibes: We are vegan, sometimes it's tough to shop but so much fun and we eat super healthy now that we cut the cheese:lostit:

[kannondicarpo]

Thanks mamas for the tips.

Anyone else?

[veganmamma]

Nutritional yeast is a huge part of our diet, high in B12 and makes yummy cheesy sauces and gravy.

Brown Rice and veggies to stir fry and tamari. Seasme oil brings good fat and flavor to dishes. Ginger and basil too.

Soy milk can be made from powder if you don't buy it prepared. I buy large size prepared soy milks and rice milks for cereals and baking. Freeze banannas to put through a sturdy juicer to make bananna ice cream. Yummy and cheap.

Veggie Burgers can be made from scratch and are way cheaper. There are veggie patties, bean burgers etc. I tend to buy mine prepared. My Mom found some at Costco that were vegan california Burgers and 16 per box. I did make split Pea burgers recently with rice and potatoes all seasoned and blended and made into patties and baked.

I buy big bunches of spinach and use it on sandwiches, in stir frys and salads. fresh broccoli can bulk up pasta dishes. Some homemade tomato marinara over pasta with tofu cubes and broccoli on the side is amazing.

Cheap corn tortillias are found at grocery stores with a large Mexican population. Make bean tacos with brown rice and avacado salsa and fresh veggies.

Make homemade hummus and tabbouhleh. I have the cookbook Vegan Deli and it has great receipes for these things. Tahini and lemon juice, garlic and chic peas, salt make up the hummus. Pita bread is pretty cheap and cut into triangles with hummus, carrots and cucumbers, spinach and onions make a great mediterian taco...

I'll try to think of more ideas. Lisa

[kannondicarpo]

Nutritional yeast is a huge part of our diet, high in B12 and makes yummy cheesy sauces and gravy.

Brown Rice and veggies to stir fry and tamari. Seasme oil brings good fat and flavor to dishes. Ginger and basil too.

Soy milk can be made from powder if you don't buy it prepared. I buy large size prepared soy milks and rice milks for cereals and baking. Freeze banannas to put through a sturdy juicer to make bananna ice cream. Yummy and cheap.

Veggie Burgers can be made from scratch and are way cheaper. There are veggie patties, bean burgers etc. I tend to buy mine prepared. My Mom found some at Costco that were vegan california Burgers and 16 per box. I did make split Pea burgers recently with rice and potatoes all seasoned and blended and made into patties and baked.

I buy big bunches of spinach and use it on sandwiches, in stir frys and salads. fresh broccoli can bulk up pasta dishes. Some homemade tomato marinara over pasta with tofu cubes and broccoli on the side is amazing.

Cheap corn tortillias are found at grocery stores with a large Mexican population. Make bean tacos with brown rice and avacado salsa and fresh veggies.

Make homemade hummus and tabbouhleh. I have the cookbook Vegan Deli and it has great receipes for these things. Tahini and lemon juice, garlic and chic peas, salt make up the hummus. Pita bread is pretty cheap and cut into triangles with hummus, carrots and cucumbers, spinach and onions make a great mediterian taco...

I'll try to think of more ideas. Lisa


Oooh, thank you. We did not make it to the store this morning so we will be going tomorrow. (Ugh I hate shopping on the weekends but...)

I will definately be picking some things up from these lists.

[Monzie]

Another inexpensive dish that's a staple in my veggie house...frittata!

In a medium non-stick saute pan, I cook thinly sliced potatoes and onions in a bit of butter and olive oil. (Toss the potatoes in first because they take longer to cook.) Once they're lightly browned, I turn off the heat and pour in 5 or 6 beaten eggs that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and a touch of garlic. Sprinkle with a little grated cheese (I like provolone mixed with a bit of parmesan) and pop under the broiler for a few minutes until puffy and cooked through. Slide it out of the pan, cut into wedges, and serve with bread and a salad. Yum! Feel free to add other veggies with the potatoes and onions. Bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus....they're all tasty additions.

This is one of those meals that I make when we're too tired to cook and there isn't anything "good" in the fridge. We always have potatoes, eggs, and cheese in the house. And I can make them into a wholesome meal in less time than it takes to order a pizza.

[gardengirl]

A dish from the Vegan Planet that we love here is the gold and black bean salad.

3 cups cooked or two 15 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
2 cups of fresh or frozen corn
1 small yellow pepper seeded and chopped
2 shallots ( we just use yellow onion to taste)
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro

The recipe tells to to mix the beans, peppers and corn together then the other ingredient, then combine. I usually just throw it all in and mix. You can vary the pepper/ leave it out and use carrots or peas, whatever you like.

We eat it plain, on salads, in taco shells, it usually gone in two days and it was just the two of us the last time I made it.

If you have time, check out vegweb.com, I always get great ideas from there.

[Rosie-Lily-Violet]

I wouldn't worry too much about the quality of your milk supply based on your diet! Even mamas who are nursing in 3rd world countries and have substandard nutrition produce good breast milk! It's just that you don't want your nutrition to be substandard!
Check out John Robbins Diet for a Small World. There are lots of delicious vegan recipes and he has a whole section on what to stock in your pantry and where to find it. It's great. :thumbsup:

[bassbonelady]

Okay, hree's one:

Go to savingdinner.com, and click around on the site till at the bottom of the page (you have to scroll down), sample menus come up. There are two available at any one time- regular and southern hemisphere.

Recipes, and shopping lists, w/ serving suggestions, will come up for 6 meals.

[Robin]

I'm vegetarian, and I've birthed two big, healthy babies and ebf them with absolutely no problems. And, I tend to be healthier than the rest of my family (I'm the only vegetarian.) We have a very cheap grocery budget, so I really don't eat all those prepared meat substitues. I eat similar things to non-vegetarians, just without the meat. Here's this past week's dinners: pizza, tacos (mine made with black beans), beans & rice, shepherd's pie (made with lentils), french toast, pasta with cheese. Hope that gives you some ideas.

[kannondicarpo]

Thanks mamas. I think I am going to have lots of good things to eat.

Thank you so much for the info on BF'ing. I should have thought about the 3rd world mamas BF'ing. I lived in Cambodia for 7 weeks and ALL of those mamas BF and many of them live on rice alone.

[veggie-mama]

I think the others came up with great tips! I see we have the same books (vegan planet, vegan deli etc. :) )

I just wanted to add that for good nutrition, I would advise to try out new whole grains, they are not necessarily expensive and will help make up for protein and mineral needs (and all the B vitamins that make us feel good!)

maybe try to use brown rice for chilies and such, quinoa is a super nutritious grain if you can get some (it makes great tabouleh for example)

and it's a good thing to try and put TVP when you are eating something with out a protein source like a marinara pasta sauce...

lentils are definitely worth it, they don't take as long to cook as oth legumes and contain lots of essential amino acids.you just shove them in a pot with the leftover veggies from that week, onions, spices and veg. broth, then in a blender and you have a terrific meal served with a good loaf of bread

These are all cheap ways of eating way better than most meat eaters :)

[Guardandolaluna]

I'm vegetarian, and I've birthed two big, healthy babies and ebf them with absolutely no problems. And, I tend to be healthier than the rest of my family (I'm the only vegetarian.) We have a very cheap grocery budget, so I really don't eat all those prepared meat substitues. I eat similar things to non-vegetarians, just without the meat. Here's this past week's dinners: pizza, tacos (mine made with black beans), beans & rice, shepherd's pie (made with lentils), french toast, pasta with cheese. Hope that gives you some ideas.


do you have a recipe for that? :)

[veggiemomma]

Superwalmart has good deals on the mock meats (like fake bacon, lunchmeat, ect. Also alot of these are not in the "healthy section" but with the frozen breakfast food.
In my home we like lots of rice and beans- both filling, both cheap.
My son loves tofu dogs and veggie burgers.

[funkymama]

For a shepherd's pie ... use mashed potatoes for topping. for the filling, you can use a mix of veggies & white beans in a sauce - use crm of mushroom soup or a roux-based sauce. To make a pot pie, make a pie shell or buy store bought if you want convenience.

For a sauce, make a roux - melt 2TB butter or oil in a sauce pan, add 2TB flour and let brown. Then add 1-2 cups of veggie stock & let thicken. If you want a cheesy sauce, add 1-2 cups cheese.

Oh, if you make a cheese sauce, you can also use that for a mac-n-cheese. I like to add tomatoes, beans, corn & chili powder for a chili mac-n-cheese.

You can also grill portobello mushrooms or eggplant "steaks" for burgers. Mushrooms are great for that "meatiness."

ETA: Check www.vegetariantimes.com for a variety of recipes. Or, check your library for the magazine, too. They just had an issue with a bunch of recipes for homemade veggie burgers that hold up on the grill. Also, check your library for veg cookbooks. One of my favorites is Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.

[veganmamma]

How is it going Mama? Have you tried any new things out yet? Are you going veg? Can we help in any other way?

[Robin]

Shepherd's Pie from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook by Cathe Olson (great book, btw - designed for pregnant and nursing moms)
(I edited some for quicker typing)
Filling:
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 C chopped kale, broccolli, or cabbage
1/2 C water
1 C peas
1C corn
1T soy sauce
Crust:
4 med potatoes, peeled cubed
1/3-1/2 C milk
1 T miso
2T minced frech parsley
Heat 1T olive oil. Saute onion 5 min. Add garlic, carrots, and kale. Add water. Cover, cook 10 min. Stir in rest of filling ingred. cook another 5 min. Our into 2 qt. casserole dish.
Crust: Boil potatoes until tender (~15 min). Drain. Add miso. Mash potatoes and add milk a little at a time until smooth. Add parsely. Smooth over filling. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered 20-30 min at 400 until hot and edges slightly golden.
Our family liked it, but thought it could use a little more spice - it was kind of bland.

[kannondicarpo]

How is it going Mama? Have you tried any new things out yet? Are you going veg? Can we help in any other way?

I have been so busy. I think I am going to go get my notebook and write a bunch of this info down now while I have a chance. Thanks for the follow-up. Once I sift through all of this I will be back with anymore questions.

NAK