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I completely understand where you are coming from.... I have been out of work for a couple of years now and finally got a job but I am only working 3 times a week... Money is very tight... I m trying to start out being a vegetarian but finding it very difficult because of money.... I also would like any advice and suggestions... They would be much appreciated.

Hi

Would it be an option for you to offer to meal plan (including meat) for your family for a week and get the normal grocery money from them to go shopping yourself? That way your family know what they are going to have each day, you might be able to encourage them to try different things (not TV dinners) and you can introduce new foods to the house. Is there one parent (or older sibling?) that you could get on board to help sway the rest of the family?

Fruit/vege and grains are way cheaper than TV dinners and meat, so do you think that maybe showing your family the cost savings would help? If money is tight, they might agree to try it (even a couple of nights a week?).

Dried beans, couscous, rice, quinoa are all reasonably priced. As above some of the winter vege's added to grains or beans is a cost effective meal, that would feed more than just you. Plus they make filling snacks when you add fruit or vege's.

Just some ideas. Look forward to seeing your journey progress.

What if you suggested that one or two days a week you all go meatless. And then make something easy & inexpensive like chili or soup or bean enchiladas or stir fry. Buy packaged or bulk beans & cook them on the wknds, freeze what you won't be using during the wk, you will save a lot of money. Avoid the processed meat substitutes as they can get expensive....try making some seitan & using that instead (it's incredibly cheaper than buying prepared seitan.) I recently learned that frozen vegetables are just as nutritous as fresh & sometimes even better because they're frozen so soon after picking, so consider frozen when fresh isn't available.

I can't think of anything cheaper than rice & beans, there are many cultures that have survived on this for centuries. For you it would just be a matter of finding those rice & bean dishes that everyone would enjoy. Explore some of the vegetarian or vegan blogs for recipes.

As for your snacking, here are some suggestions: peanutbutter on bread, or celery or apples or crackers. I make my own pickled carrots & that satisfies my need for something crunchy. Applesauce w/walnuts & a bit of nondairy yogurt swirled in. Nuts of any kind w/some raisins. Make some hummus to snack on during the week.(to keep the cost down cook your own garbanzo beans) I love taking a sheet of nori & wrapping some hummus w/a pickled carrot in the middle. If you have an asian store nearby the nori should be cheaper there. Check out their veggie prices, too, Check out any Mexican grocery as their prices are much better on produce & rice & beans, too.

Hope all this helps on your way to making the healthy choices you want. I believe any little change is better than nothing.

Meats take up a huge part of a budget. Buying processed food seems as if you are paying less, but in the long run, you'd be able to buy weeks worth of rice, beens, fruit and vegetables. If your family is hurting and you guys are really hungry there usually are food banks banks all over. I don't know where you live, but you may want to contact a church in your area and they probably will be able to get you information for a food bank or lead you in the right direction. There are food banks that are completely free and then others that you lower their costs considerably for different foods. Breaks my heart you are going hungry! Hope this information helps your family.

In the colder months I make a big pot of vegan minestrone soup for my lunch for work and it lasts the whole week. I buy the orzo pasta when it's on sale for 50 cents a box and stock up- same idea with the veggie stock and beans. For the vegetables, I stick to whats cheap and looks good, usually carrots and celery. I'm able to stuff my face with a hearty 2 cups of soup at work for the week with some bread or whatever. I clip coupons too. There are coupons for healthy stuff now like almond milk and tofu. If you shop this way, you can eat affordable healthy food and if you can't afford the Sunday paper, ask friends/family to pass on their coupons after their done with them. It just takes planning and learning the sales cycles at your local grocery stores but you CAN eat well and not spend a fortune. I typically pick two fruits or so that are on sale and in season for my weekly fruit (example: grapes were on sale last week for 99 cents a pound, bananas were 49 cents a pound, you get the idea). Lunch meat and frozen dinners are VERY expensive when you break it down. It's cheaper to cook yourself. (of course not fancy meals with ingredients no one has ever heard of). Makes a big pot of rice and beans and you'll be eating it for days....and it's filling!