Vegetarian on a budget?!
Vegetarian on a budget?
What are some good, cheap and easy vegetarian recipes?
Answers:
1 can Fava beans
1 can tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
Middle eastern spices (Tumeric, fennel, cumin)
Olive oil
Pita bread
Salt to taste
Chop the tomatoes. Sautee garlic in olive oil till it is golden. Add the tomatoes and cook down for about 15 mins. Rinse the beans and add them. Add the spices and heat till the beans are warm. Salt to taste. Serve with pita bread.
If you want to make it nicer sprinkle with some parsley but it isn't needed.
Being a former chef and part-time vegetarian, I am also a diabetic, my preference is to vegetable I like, and there are few I don't like.
You can cook most veg in the same manner as non veg dishes, stews, lasagna, veg chili. I do limit my raw content to only one meal a day, salads with a multitude of veg, low fat dressing are the best for lunch, breakfast I choose whole grain cereal with soya mlik, I am lactose intolerant.
Plan your meals as you would as if your a non veggie, so your not overstock with things and they go bad. Look at whole wheat pastas, all the various tofu and soya products, all the fresh fruit and veg you can afford. I vary my dish to various ethnic choices, curries, stir frys, even grilling tofu like shish kabobs, braised veg like mock cabbage rolls (I use TVP as the protein).
Then on the weekend sit down and plan you weekly menu, so you can prepare a few things so when you get home it is a shorter time to get things ready for dinner.
Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.
Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.
A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.
Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.
Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.
Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.
Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.
Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.
Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases
fruit and veg are cheap and good for you