vegan

Meatless Monday – sounds like a good idea to me!

08. August 2012 · 9 comments · Categories: Groceries, Meals · Tags: no meat, save on groceries, vegan, vegetarian

There was an article recently on Slate about the USDA proposing a meatless Monday. Apparently, it didn’t go over to well with at least a few Republicans. And they took to Twitter to let everyone know about. From the article:

Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, for one, had this to say: “I will eat more meat on Monday to compensate for stupid USDA recommendation [about] a meatless Monday,” Likewise, Sen. John Thune, offered his take: “Who at USDA thought ‘Meatless Mondays’ was [a] good idea? Anti-[agriculture] agenda at USDA is irresponsible, even for a day.”

The basic idea behind meatless Monday is to encourage vegetarian consumption one day a week in corporate and school cafeterias, with the notion that doing so doing so will have both environmental and health benefits.

If Senator Grassley wants to eat more meat, more power to him. I’m sure he gets paid well enough to afford it with ease, and isn’t too worried about his health (not that all meat is bad – but somehow I picture this guy reaching for something that’ll clog his arteries). As for Senator Thune – I’d hardly say a meatless Monday is anti-agriculture. Last I checked, agriculture also involved those strange things like fruits and vegetables.

I don’t think it’s fair to expect cafeterias to start stocking tofu, and expecting everyone to like it. But there are plenty of yummy, basic, vegetarian options that most people will eat, such as:

Chili
Grilled cheese
Spaghetti
Soup
Burritos or tacos with beans and rice

What can cutting meat out of your meals for a week do for you?

Save you money! Meat isn’t cheap. It’s a heck of lot cheaper to buy a can of beans (or buy raw ones if you’re really ambitious), then it is to buy ground beef, chicken etc.
Improve your health. If you’re particularly inclined towards fatty or salty stuff (say, pepperoni or bacon), then it’ll do you good to cut down on them. Note – I have a bacon and cheese tomato sandwich once a week. It’s awesome. I’ll freely admit that. But I try to stick to leaner meats the rest of the time.
Expand your horizons. You can start with stuff you’re comfortable with (say, grilled cheese), but maybe slowly expand out, and try a few dishes you haven’t tried before. Plenty of cultures eat little to no meat, and seem to survive somehow.

What’s your take on meatless Monday?

Lunch for the whole week for less than 8 bucks

02. May 2012 · 8 comments · Categories: Food · Tags: brown bagging it, cheap lunch, vegan, vegetarian

For three months, Mr. Canuck Buck and I were on a dairy and gluten free diet. There were various reasons for it, and while it was hard to stick to, I will admit I did lose some weight, and it definitely cut down on the amount of junk I ate.

When you can’t eat dairy or gluten, it definitely narrows down your lunch choices. One lunch I ate then (and will be eating this week, even though the diet is done!), was a fairly simple one. It’s suitable for pretty much any diet, and quite easy and cheap to make.

One box of PC Organic Quinoa. 1.99. I could probably buy it cheaper in bulk, but this comes with instructions, and I always seem to make it correctly. It makes enough quinoa for the whole week, with some extra left over. Provides carbs and protein.
1 container of white bean and roasted garlic dip. 3.49. Add some nice flavour when mixed in with the qunioa, as well as some more protein and carbs. Dip is enough to last more than a week as well.
1 avocado. 1.79. I love avocados – they’re like crack to me. Chock full of healthy fat, and just taste awesome.

So, there you have it. I just cooked up the quinoa tonight, and each evening, just take a few minutes to mix the whole thing together. It’s very filling, and keeps me from reaching for bread (which I love, but always makes me want to eat more!) or from hitting the food court.

What’s your favourite cheap and healthy make at home lunch?