Health is a top priority for my family and I, especially diet. Over the years, we have adopted a vegetarian-based diet. We do eat poultry once a week, as well as fish and eggs but we don’t eat red meat or dairy products. Since introducing a diet which is mainly plant-based, we enjoy an active life and have noticed many health benefits including increased energy and significant improvements for our skin.
Is a vegetarian diet affordable?
When the topic of diet comes up with friends and family, people often assume that eating healthy is more expensive, especially when implementing a vegetarian or vegan diet. Contrary to popular belief, a vegetarian diet is cost-effective and affordable. While some organic produce and meat substitutes appear expensive at first glance, the cost of such foods is offset by the absent cost of meat products. On average, the cost of 1 cup of red kidney beans is 60% less than the cost of a 3oz skinless chicken breast! Many other superfoods such as oatmeal, quinoa and barley are nutritional gold but relatively inexpensive.
The protein debate
Then there is the age-old misconception that a vegetarian diet does not provide enough protein. In reality, a well-balanced vegetarian diet can satisfy your nutritional needs while offering a variety of tasty meal options. Red kidney beans, oatmeal and leafy greens are but a few examples of the staples of a vegetarian diet that are, in fact, rich in protein. For example, half a cup of green lentils contains 15g of protein, ¼ cup of quinoa contains 6g of protein, and 100g of pumpkin seeds has 26g of protein, which is more than in a 100g serving of boneless-skinless chicken breast!
Other critics have argued that a vegetarian or vegan diet can deprive you of a healthy helping of essential amino acids. Animal foods have ‘complete proteins’, which contain all of the essential amino acids, whereas most plant foods are ‘incomplete proteins’, which are low in one or more essential amino acids. At its worst, amino acid deficiency can be very serious, resulting in problems such as a weak immune system or infertility. However, experts point out that you can get all of your essential amino acids by varying the plant foods in your diet. For example lentils are low in methionine and tryptophan, whereas grains tend to be low in lysine. Getting a mix of the two can balance out the so-called ‘limiting amino acids’ in either one.
The secondary costs of eating meat
Have you ever considered the secondary costs of eating meat? First there is the cost of storage, such as a fridge or freezer and then there is the cost of the electricity required to maintain that cold storage. Plus, with meat you end up paying for the weight of fat and bones, all of which you cannot eat and therefore waste. Then thawing, prepping and marinating meat is time and energy consuming. And when all the cooking is done, you still have to take the time to spray down your work space and counter tops. I can think of a hundred different things I would rather be doing!
Buying organic
The organic versus non-organic debate has been raging for years now. While the environmental benefits of organic farming methods over non-organic are widely accepted, the research on the health benefits of organic produce seem to arrive at a different conclusion on a near weekly basis. Some argue that non-organic foods, riddled with pesticides, present serious health risks. Others argue that organic products, which are more easily contaminated by bacteria or mould toxins, are potentially equally bad for your health. Whatever your opinion, organic farming is more labour intensive, which can often mean that buying organic can be more costly than buying non-organic.
If, like me, you sit in the pro-organic camp but you can’t afford to buy all of your food organic, splurge on organic meats and dairy, as the non-organic varieties tend to have higher concentrations of pesticides. As for produce, some vegetables and fruits, such as avocados and bananas, are peeled before eating whilst vegetables such as asparagus don’t absorb pesticides easily, so the potential health risks of the non-organic varieties aren’t as high. On the other hand, apples, celery, strawberries, and lettuce absorb pesticides more readily, so it might be worth shelling out for the organic options.
Small changes can make a big difference
Even small changes can make a big difference to your health and your budget. If you are not prepared to become a vegetarian overnight, consider incorporating plant-based meals two or three times per week. Limit your intake of red meat and focus on poultry and fish.
Are you a vegan or a vegetarian? Do you find yourself spending more or less on food?
Disclaimer: It’s always a good idea to consult a health professional before beginning a new diet.
{Photo: Ed Yourdon}
I think it *can* be cheaper to be vegetarian/vegan, but that depends on if you eat “whole” foods & not processed crappy “vegetarian” food. I’m a carnivore, (was veggie for years, doesn’t work for me) and buy 100% organic fruits & veggies, free range/free run meats & eggs, no dairy. The only processed foods I eat are olive oil & rice pasta. So my food costs are fairly low for the quality f food I eat compared to someone who eats a lot f processed foods. Also, if you eat dairy, milk & cheese, etc… it’ll add up. Especially if you go organic, it can run as much as free range meats. All depends on your overall diet & food standards.
~Carla~
http://www.halfdozendaily.blog.com
I was with you until the ‘secondary costs of eating meat’. Cleaning up after making a meal with meat is no more strenuous than when you have to clean up after cutting up veggies or prepping hummus. Then I already have a freezer so there’s no ‘extra’ cost because it’s already keeping my ice cream cold. And when I buy meat, my grocer cuts out the bones and much of the fat so I don’t have to worry about paying for extra bones and fat. At least for chicken breast. But great post nonetheless. I do eat meat but prefer chicken and turkey. I’m not much of a red meat eater and I try to get free range or organic meat to support sustainable farming practices.
My boyfriend is a vegetarian, and since I’m always cooking for two, that means I end up eating a mostly-veggie diet by default. I’d say the costs are about the same — chicken is pretty cheap, but so are beans and veggies if you buy them fresh (it gets expensive only when you buy canned or processed, in my experience).
The big “expense” on our kitchen hasn’t been a result of meat vs. veggie, but rather a result of “convenience” vs. “do-it-yourself.” If we are busy and we have to buy frozen food or canned food, the prices escalate. If we can buy fresh food, our grocery bill drops but the time we spend in the kitchen increases. That’s the big price-decider, in my experience.
I’ve fairly recently returned to vegetarianism after a break, although I am at the moment still eating fish and seafood (it’s easier to say vegetarian than pescatarian as so few people know what that is!). While I was still eating meat I mostly only ate it as a ‘treat ‘ on meals out or when eating at friend’s houses, as I found it much cheaper to cook with vegetables, lentils, beans, etc at home than to buying free-range meat. If you’re happy to buy the cheapest ‘value’ or ‘basics’ ranges of meat, I’m sure the diets cost about the same, but if you feel grim about intensive factory farming then I’m guessing going veggie is the cheaper option. It does come down to common sense a bit though – if you just replace the meat in your diet with lots of eggs and an abundance of nice cheeses, you’re probably not going to save any money – or be any healthier!
As an aside – vegans can have a problem with B12 deficiency as it’s only found in animal protein (including dairy and eggs, so not so much a problem for vegetarians that eat these). You can buy B12 as a supplement cheaply though.
Thanks for all of your comments.
Carla, I entirely agree that diet and standards affect the cost of food. In my experience, vegetarians tend to be more health-conscious, but that is not always true. Many meat-eaters are extremely healthy and only buy and eat quality foods. You’re absolutely right in stating that processed foods are the major culprit!
As for the “secondary costs” I mentioned in the post, I was referring to the cost of a chest freezer rather than the one attached to your refrigerator. I should have specified. After getting rid of our chest freezer, our hydro costs decreased significantly, not to mention the waste of food that accumulated in said freezer. We were trapped in a cycle of buying food because it was on sale but not getting to it before it was freezer-burnt.
We cannot ignore the cost of conveniences such as disinfectant wipes that many use to clean their counters after preparing meat for a meal. And whether you realize it or not, you are paying for the butcher’s service when he cleans your cuts of meat.
Paula’s comment about convenience vs do-it-yourself really hit home. There is a cost to convenience so if you have the time to prepare food from scratch, not only are you more aware of what you are ingesting, you are also saving a bundle!
Hey Siobhan- the original sentence read ‘as for produce, some vegetables and fruits, such as avocados and bananas are peeled before eating or otherwise don’t absorb pesticides as easily’ i.e. bananas are peeled, asparagus don’t naturally absorb lots of pesticides.
I agree- it’s probably a bit ambiguous (and I for one do not peel asparagus!) so it’s been changed in the text.Thanks for the update.
Half a pound of tofu costs about a dollar and will make four servings – I don’t think you can get too much cheaper than that! I think eating veg*n is WAY cheaper and better for the environment.
Hi all.
As an only-very-occasional meat-eater with a vegetarian spouse, I was interested to read this article. It’s just a shame that it isn’t very good.
On “is a vegetarian diet affordable” we are provided with insight that ‘the cost of 1 cup of red kidney beans is 60% less than the cost of a 3oz skinless chicken breast’. This would be relevant if kidney beans and chicken breast were comparable in taste or culinary use. They aren’t. It’s like saying that salad leaves are lower in fat than mackerel. Or that cornflakes are weight-for-weight lower in cost than cheese. Meaningless.
More generally, I don’t think that affordability is a relevant concern in the meat versus vegetarian debate. Some vegetarian food is cheaper (such as fresh fruit and veg). Other vegetarian foods are horrendously expensive (such as, say, Quorn).
The section on “The Protein Debate” is trying to push water uphill and deny the plain fact that meat is clearly the easiest, most readily available source of protein. I like lentils and they are a great alternative source of protein (for meat eaters as well as veggies). However, it is propoganda to suggest that cmeat isn’t the best source of protein that you can find.
The section on “The secondary costs of eating meat” was frankly bizarre. Why is there a secondary cost to storing a burger in my fridge but not a secondary cost to storing a Quorn curry in my freezer?
And then, there is the surreal comment that “with meat you end up paying for the weight of fat and bones”. Even leaving aside the fact that it is the writers choice not to make good use of fat and bones, this is a bit like complaining about the cost of unused broccoli stems, onion skin and the stalks on vine tomatoes. Or unused leek stalks, potato plant leaves, or the stem of a brussel sprout plan. Or unused banana skins, or apple pith, or cabbage leaves, or the seeds of a bell pepper, etc.
I’ve read the section of the article on “Organic Produce” several times and remain unsure what it’s meant to convey, other than the vague platitude that organic produce sounds lovely. Not really sure how it relates to the article’s agrument around vegetarianism, or whether it is even intended to do so.
A meat-based diary can be healthy and affordable. Equally, so can a largely (or wholly) vegetarian diet.
If you have a philosophical or moral preference for vegetarianism, then that’s a valid point of view, which I have respect for. However if this is your view, then you should just state it and stand up for it. Don’t dress it up in pseudo-arguments about personal finance and personal health.