Can you really eat vegan on $4 a day?
Q: C'mon, how do you really eat vegan on $4 a Day?
A: To save money, you do need to know how to prepare and cook some foods like beans, grains and greens. But even if you eat beans out of a can for convenience, canned beans cost only about twice as much as beans cooked from scratch. So they are still very cheap compared to meat. You do not need to have Oprah’s live-in chef. The foods in my book are the cheapest foods on the planet. I have great tips about how to prepare and cook them easily and quickly. The reviews of my book say you don’t need fancy equipment for food preparation. A simple knife and an optional cheap blender will work. If you’re not into preparing or cooking food, easy, inexpensive salads can be made for very low costs. I have an entire chapter on salads and another one on salad dressings. I believe it is important to find a dressing people really love so that they’ll eat more salads. Much money can be saved by making your own dressing. And the taste is usually so much better. I also can save you money by teaching you how to make some delicious desserts at home instead of paying 5-10 times as much if you eat the same dessert at a restaurant. Chocolate mousse and smoothies are my favorite restaurant replacement recipes.
Comments
On January 23, 2012 Cheryl Will said...
I have been a Vegan for 3 yrs. now & I'm so happy with my choice. I am going to purchase your book because I am on a very low budget & need to cut back even more. I still want to eat healthy so I'm hoping your book can help me. I had to get help from the community recently so make ends meet & have food, very humbling! I am looking forward to receiving your book. CherylOn January 25, 2012 Ellen said...
Thanks for your comments, Cheryl and your interest in my book! Welcome aboard the vegan express. I hope you'll continue to be happy with your choice. But if you have any questions, please feel free to ask here or on my Facebook pages. It's a great community with so many excellent resources...way more than what I had when I started trying to do this in 1983. Some readers have said they've made back the money they spent on the book within the first few weeks of owning it. Many of money-saving tips came from my 18 years as a TV investigative and consumer reporter. It was my job to report on the Consumer Price Index. I had a good feel for what things cost and just got so tired of all those stories on the news saying you can't eat well on a budget, or even food stamps. Studies show that our national health was better during the Great Depression when President Roosevelt asked the country to grow "Victory Gardens." Good luck and let us know if we can help!On January 30, 2012 Ali said...
Hi Ellen! Could you please give me some advice for Hypothyrodism and Adrenal Fatigue? I'm on Armour Thyroid for the Hypo and really struggling with fatigue. Thank you, AliOn January 30, 2012 Jessica said...
Hi, I am in the process of converting to veganism, but my difficulty is that my family is also gluten free. Is your cookbook friendly to gluten intolerant/celiacs? Thanks so much!On January 31, 2012 Ellen said...
Ali...I am not a registered dietician, nutritionist or doctor of course. Where I live in Florida, you can't even call yourself a dietician or nutritionist unless you have a license saying you are. Since I was a cooking instructor for The Cancer Project, I researched this carefully. This means that you can't give a specific nutrition menu plan or deal with specific conditions like yours. I know that a plant-based diet does seemingly miraculous things. But you probably need to check in with someone who routinely deals with those conditions which can be caused by many things. Good luck! Jessica...Eat Vegan does not mention gluten free or have recipes that are indicated as such. I have a chapter on soups, a chapter on salads and another on just dressings. Because the recipes are so cheap, they are made from almost all natural ingredients. There are a few recipes that call for pasta, but you can easily adapt to your fav gluten free varieties. Flour tortillas can be substituted with other varieties or omitted. I would guess that 90% of the recipes, maybe more are GF. Thanks of your interest!On February 01, 2012 Antoinette said...
Hi! We have been vegetarian with dairy in our diet for 20 years. We are leaning more towards veganism, and will soon have our own small plot of land. Do your recipes use ingredients I am going to have readily available to me up here in Ontario in winter? I am very interested in the meal plan aspect of your book. I have books galore, however, I get so overwhelmed with the planning of meals and the cost of fresh supplies in winter.On February 01, 2012 Ellen said...
Antoinette...congrats on being veg for such a long time! I just recently heard from someone who grows many of her own veggies and she said she eats on $1 a day! I've had my own gardens too, and you really can save money that way. Also, you can volunteer at a CSA and get free food doing that sometimes. Go to www.localharvest.org to find one near you. I'm told they are in Canada too, if this website doesn't have one close by. As for the meal plan in my book, it is a 7 day plan which I developed just to show that it is possible to use the recipes in my book for under $4 a day, and on one day, it's even below $3 a day. I use the daily food group recommendations suggested by PCRM. I suggest using frozen foods if you don't have access to fresh, or don't think you can use it all before it spoils. Many reviews of the book have said you don't need anything exotic either in foods or equipment. You can get everything you need at the grocery store or big box store like Walmart or Costco. Because the food is cheap, by definition it is close to nature, nothing complicated. Even if you don't stick to the plan, or the recipe prices (I've put a price on each one rounded to the nearest $.25) don't match yours exactly, these are the cheapest vegan recipes on the planet.On February 27, 2012 Sarah said...
Has anyone found the vegan diet hard to digest? Any suggestions for easing the transition? Are dietary enzymes the answer? If so, what kind of enzymes are most important to take and what kind of strength is needed to see a benefit?On February 27, 2012 Ellen Jones said...
If you are not at all used to a high-fiber diet, your body may need some time to adjust. The typical standard American diet has between 15-20 grams of fiber daily if you're lucky. Eating a balanced plant-based diet can come in between 40-60 grams of fiber. The trick is to start slowly, with smaller beans like lentils, and then build up to the larger beans as you body adjusts. If beans are the main concern, you can also use a seaweed available at most health food stores called Kombu. It helps some with digestion. You can also try cooking the beans longer. Beano can be bought over the counter if nothing else works. A paypaya or an enzyme can be helpful with digestion also. Hope that helps.On March 01, 2012 Sue said...
I'm concerned with Amino Acids. I understand Amino Acids are in meat...how do we get enough Amino Acids in a vegan lifestyle?On March 02, 2012 Brook said...
Hey Sarah, I have a silly-sounding suggestion for better digestion. I noticed that I have less gas when I chew my food really thoroughly. My boyfriend, in contrast, seems to swallow his food whole like a snake, and has frequent foul-smelling gas. We eat the same things most days and the difference is remarkable. Also, taking a probiotic can be helpful if you are having bowel issues. Happy digesting!On April 02, 2012 Ellen said...
Apologies for not answering the last two questions in a timely fashion. An intense book tour travel schedule has kept me from keeping up with the Joneses. Wait...I AM the Joneses.On April 02, 2012 Ellen said...
Urgh...I hate spell check when it gets a mind of its own. Software doesn't allow me to correct, once posted. I'm a stickler for stuff I write. Sorry...