Having cravings
Since a year ago I have been having problems with staying on a vegetarian diet (which was making progress to vegan!). My main obstacles are:
-VERY small town...hunting is a local sport (we get deer hunting day off from school!!) and at least 75-85% are omnivores
-Small budget, the economy sucks! and while i myself would be fine, i date/live with an omnivore that cannot give up meat....
-We both attend college and i have a weekend job which takes up alot of my time...so planning meals doesnt always work..plus we both are spontaneous eaters that like it quick and easy
-!!!Biggest Issue:!!!!!---some of our friends know i prefer vegetarian and can afford/make do with that. but many of our friends are on tight budgets as well and eat meat alot....so like tonight they made burgers and brats. chips and potato salad were the only side dishes. i have been on and off so i decided to eat some....:( and in this case i couldnt make a dish before because i was told we were going over right after i got off work SURPRISE! lol
just wondered if anyone had any different suggestions or ideas that can help me stay on my vegetarian!
thanks
Hey, I'm also a student so I get your budget issues. Bulk cooking is absolutely your friend and I like to have a load of soups and so on for quick defrosting. Anything like vegetarian bolognese, stews and curries freeze pretty well. Buy big bags of pasta, rice, dried beans and pulses and things like tinned tomatoes. I have been known to add a handful of chickpeas to a tin of tomatoes, serve it over pasta and call it dinner (but I'm really lazy). Mexican is one of my staples for quick and easy eating: beans, rice, some spices and tortillas, and it only takes about twenty minutes. Beans on toast even less. I like to keep bags of dried fruit around for desserts and snacks because I'm terrible at eating yoghurt within three days, for some reason.
With regards to the friends, I don't really get how a tight budget would prevent them boiling some pasta and putting a basic cheese or tomato sauce over it. Perhaps make it generally known that you stick to a vegetarian diet and politely check with friends before you arrive that there'll be a decent meal for you. You don't have to be rude about it but do be firm. If you let it go once, I get the feeling people won't consider it important enough to deal with again.
maybe its rude, but when i would go to a friends house and they didnt make me something vegan, i would ask if i could make something vegan for everyone to share. i would just throw together some pasta and whatever else they had, even if it was just olive oil, pepper and garlic. haha. atleast it was something!!
also, my staple meal in college was 1 box of pasta + 1 bag of frozen veggies + 1 can of beans + whatever spices i was in the mood for. cook it up on the stove. super easy, cheap, and filling. i also ALWAYS had several cans of soup on hand. especially in the pennsylvanian winters. i devoured those. after coming home from a day of classes in the dead of winter you just want to sit under a blanket with a pot of soup. yup.
sandwiches are super quick/easy/cheap, you should check out the chickpea salad recipes on this site. i love that stuff! i eat it right from the bowl but you could definitely eat it 'chikin salad sandwich' style to make it more filling. fantastic foods mixes arent terribly expensive and you get multiple meals out of each box. i love the chili, taco filling, falafel, sloppy joes.. they're very meaty and im sure your bf would like them, my ex omni bf used to. alot of them you just add water or cans of beans or tomato sauce and within about 10 minutes it's ready to eat. like catski said - pasta is crazy cheap, i can even find whole wheat pasta for a buck a box and opening a jar of sauce is about the easiest thing you can do. you can find cheeseless tomato sauces at any grocery store. you can also steam or saute a mixture of veggies you like and toss that with some pasta or (instant) brown rice with soy sauce and rice vinegar.
definitely check out the 'quick & easy' category under the 'recipes by category' page. theres a whole category for sandwiches too.
and catskis right - if you give in to your friends and eat meat they wont take you serious and in the future they will just figure you'll cave and eat whatevers around.
Please dont take this a being rude, but how is meat cheaper than rice and peas, rice and lentils?
Its takes 15 minutes to cook. I cook enough for at least four meals. Add the canned goya (or other) coconut milk! Its divine.
If you want sides; raw red cabbage and carrots grated, a pinch of sugar, salt and vinegar. Let it sit up over night.
If you are one the run, avocado sandwiches are easy for me, as is pb&j.
One of my favs is fresh bread, olive oil (I have been buying the raw type recently : )), tomato and salt. Tappas!
I think you need to impress your friends with cooking skills and introduce them to alternatives. ;)b
When I was a broke college student I was vegan by default because I couldn't afford meat or dairy (or fruit or vegetables). Beans and grains are 1) cheap and 2) freeze well. Make a big vat of each and freeze them in individual portions. As for going to a friend's house, even at last minute, swing by your place and pick something up to bring for yourself. Have some veggie burgers in the freezer for such an event. Like you say, it's a very small town. The detour shouldn't take that long.
hi GU
I find it so odd when people talk about having tight budgets and eating meat - it's so freaking expensive!!! but anyway...I too am a student on a tight budget, and I work as well as take courses, AND volunteer, so my schedule is pretty tight these days. I find it really helps if you have some quick & easy stuff around (on days when I'm running out the door for the bus, I just make a PBJ or something) but also, when I know I have a day with some free time, I try to cook batches of food so I'll have lunch/dinner already made for the next few days. If I make pasta, stir fry, chili, curry, etc. I'll make tons of it so there's lots left over and I just have to reheat it the next time I want something.
I also agree with Kannas - impress your friends! If you have time and notice before a get together, make something delicious that other people can try. Or host a vegan potluck at your house! I've found this to be a really good way to introduce people to veg food. I usually give people the link to vegweb in case they need ideas, & some people will team up to make something (ie. someone unfamiliar wtih cooking veg will team up with someone veg to make something). It's fun and you get to try so many things, I've had people bring containers with them too to take home leftovers.
Anyway...good luck! In a small town it can be hard, but it sounds like you have access to most vegan food - you just need the time to make some! :)
Comparison shop (make a list, visit some stores and compare the prices) to find out where the cheapest canned/frozen veg are...depending if you have a large freezer or not. Cans or jars can be stashed under the bed if necessary...ask me how I know this. A can or frozen bag of mixed veg, a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce/juice, some herbs and spices, and you have great cheap soup! I buy taco seasoning packets when they're cheap or you can throw together your own blend to have on hand. Open a can or jar of pre-cooked garbanzos, season and heat, saute a little onion, add some rice or tortillas, and you're there!
With minimal organisational skills and a little thinking, it's easy. You may have to carry a list with you for the first few weeks, but there you go.