Some people [religious zealots] have been coming to my house to teach about the advantages being strictly a veggie. Among the perks is being healthier than all the other meat-gorging people out there. I'm thinking of trying a veggie diet for a month or two but I've heard that veggies these days cost more than they did?
I think that a vegetarian diet might be cheaper than a regular one because fish and meat are way more expensive than vegetables. I wouldn't advise it though because I believe in a balanced diet more than a vegetarian one, we need fish and meat in my opinion.
The post before me is absolutely correct. Every year I go a few months without eating meat and every year, regardless of fluctuating prices, these months cost me much less. I can only imagine if I went vegan. The things that DID end up costing me were animal byproducts. Dairy products can be astronomical sometimes. Especially depending on where you live.
I am Hindu, so there are many times throughout the year when I cannot eat meat. A usual grocery bill for one meal for 2 people when we are not consuming meat is only about $5. Our grocery bill usually with meat is about $8 a meal for 2 people. I would say that there is a significant amount of savings for vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians. I once tried to be a pescatarian, which is seafood only, and that was extremely expensive. I really enjoyed it but it was too costly for me to continue.
I would say quite the opposite. I find that when I am more financially stretched I tend to consume less meat overall. Potatoes and bread are two of the cheapest foods you can buy at a £/calorie level. Meat can be very expensive, even fish is not cheap. If I don't consume meat I can live off £3 per day, although sometimes I add 150g of ground beef for an extra £1.
I used to think that vegetarian/vegan diets were more expensive but it only seems that way in restaurants. If you know how to shop for veggies and fruit, then you will discover that it can be a little more cheaper. I personally shop at Farmer's Market and they ALWAYS have the best and cheapest prices on veggies and fruit. Also buying in bulk is more cheaper. But you have to consistently eat the veggies and fruit so they do not spoil.
I lived in Vancouver for about a year and will never complain about dairy prices in the States again. Cheese and milk are just ridiculously priced there!! And in general, I feel like meat does end up costing more than veggies. Sure, veggies are still going to be more expensive than super cheap, simple starches, etc, but it's cheaper than meat overall. And with farmers' markets coming into season soon, it'll be even cheaper!
I'm not a vegan myself but I know one thing about vegetables is that their prices depends on the weather. Their prices fluctuate greatly depending on the season they are in. A few months prior, it was raining cats and dogs for months and the prices of veggies soared to 50 percent more because of insufficient supplies. Now that it's the dry season, the prices returned to the normal threshold.
Isn't everything ridiculously priced there? lol. From my searches, it's one of the worst places to live if you want to save your dough It was in our top 3 of places to move here in Canada, but not anymore (other reasons are involved of course). As for the OP, I barely eat meat. I just don't gravitate towards it. Whatever you can get from meat and dairy, you can get from other foods. Calcium for example.. cows get it from what they eat, so you'd be getting more from greens anyway. Not to mention, the type of calcium most people get from their dairy actually leaches the calcium from their teeth and bones, not the opposite. Just because you have good teeth, doesn't mean dairy is the reason.. and if you have bad teeth, this may be something to consider. There are also tons of things you can eat for protein. The only thing I would suggest is supplementing b12 (the only thing off the top of my head anyway).. otherwise, I find I spend much less on food than when I ate a lot of meat and dairy. And even less now that I only buy my food from local farmers etc.. grocery stores are candy stores anyway. Not many nutrients coming from their foods at all.. you'd have to supplement all your needs in my opinion.
Veggies are definitely expensive, but not more expensive than meat. My thing would be looking at portion size and figuring out how to get all your necessary vitamins and minerals. I mean, if you are going to do veggies only, where are you going to get protein? Beans are definitely cheaper than meat, consistently. But then you have to think that a pound of beef is going to go a lot farther than say a pound of green beans. One person could eat a pound of green beans, but a pound of ground beef can easily feed a family of 4 or 5. I'd be interested to hear an update on how it went for you.
Yes, it's overall expensive, but the dairy products are even more so. It seemed like they were exponentially more expensive than other types of foods, products, etc. I never understood it either, because most of the stuff was sourced locally, so it's not like there were high import taxes being tacked onto them.
Convenience vegetarian foods are definitely more expensive than some non-veggie convenience foods, but if you do more cooking on your own, it can end up less expensive. Try making rice and beans or lentils from scratch. Hearty bean and veggie soups. Vegetarian chili. Pasta and veggie salads (throw in some chick peas too!).
What some of you are forgetting is that most vegetarians use some sort of replacement products (soy protein for example) to substitute the meat in their diet. This is what makes it expensive... especially since you don't always want to be eating the same soy protein thing either. While meat is expensive, trying to replace it with something else can be even more expensive. Your body is meant to eat meat, so if it's not getting any then you better find some kind of a replacement if you plan on being a full time vegetarian.
I think that the key to an inexpensive diet is planning more than with or without meat. If you want to try a vegetarian diet for a month or two - do it at a time of the year when produce is plentiful and ideally local - even better grow some of your own. Vegan protein powder is very expensive. Dried beans and Brown rice are complementary proteins and will do the same job at a much lower cost. I have been experimenting with Quinoa lately - it is a complete protein and it looks expensive in the store, but it goes a long way. Oh and Jessi - I am living in Vancouver - please send cheese
