Recipe: Chocolate Soy Milk Pudding

Chocolate pudding – 2 servings

1 cup soy milk*           .04

50 grams sugar            .05

1 oz cocoa                    .28

1 ½ Tb. Cornstarch      .05

            Total                .42 for 2 servings = .21/serving

Since writing out the details of making a cornstarch pudding is more than I'd like to take on, I would refer you to either a recent edition of Joy of Cooking, from which I adapted this recipe, or any good recipe for making a cornstarch pudding. There are details to making cornstarch pudding to get it right. It's not difficult, you just need to know what to do. 

This is really very good.

 

*Cost of home made soy milk. Recipe is linked to.  

Each serving contains:

Calories: 120

Fat:            4 grams

Carbohydrates: 20 grams

Protein:      8 grams

Recipe for Frugal Vegan Chili

Chili

1 cup (160 g) dry pinto beans     .18

6 oz. onion                                  .38

1 oz. canola oil                           .04

1 12 oz. can tomatoes                  .89

1 green bell pepper                     .50

1 tsp. chili powder 2g                 .04

1 tsp. oregano                             .02

1 tsp. cumin                                .02

            Total                    $2.07 for  8 1 cup  servings = $.26/serving

 Soak pinto beans in water overnight.  

Drain water from beans, put into a slow cooker, cover with water, a cook until soft. Please note: beans are done when they can be easily smashed between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. I either put up the beans to soak when I leave for work and then cook in a slow cooker overnight when I come home, or soak at night and slow cook during the day while I'm at work. Or you can simmer on the stove for several hours while you are home. Whatever gets the job done. 

Chop onion and bell pepper. Heat oil (you can use whatever oil you like) in a large pot, saute onion and pepper until they just begin to turn soft. Drain most of the liquid from the beans but set aside. Add the beans, tomatoes, and spices to the onions. Simmer for about an hour. If you need more liquid, use the liquid from the beans. Salt to taste. Serve with corn tortillas on the side.

Chili keeps well in the refrigerator and is even better reheated the next day. Freezes well.

Optional:
Add a bay leaf to beans or the chili

Add some fresh garlic to chili

Add about 1/2 cup dry red wine 

Each one cup serving contains:

Calories: 133

Fat:   4 grams

Carbohydrates: 21 grams

Fiber:  6 grams

Protein: 5 grams

Some More Cost-Effective Choices

The original article that sparked my interest in the $3/day experiment generated some criticism both on the author's blog site and in the vegan FB group where I first encountered the article. I agreed that I thought that some days there did not appear to be adequate calories and many days seemed to lack adequate protein. I also thought that there were some lower cost alternatives that would have produced more nutrition for each dollar spent.

I want to emphasize that this is not a personal criticism of the author, who I commend for even engaging in this experiment and the putting it out there for everyone to see. The purpose of this is to demonstrate that one can get adequate nutrition on a vegan diet that is very frugal. When one is limited to such a frugal budget, it's important to maximize the nutrition one gets for each dollar spent. In the interest of helping vegans or anyone living a frugal life to achieve a balanced and nutritious diet, I would offer these alternatives.


The original article's food items:

2 cans of black beans (estimated $1.75/can)  Alternative: Black beans can be bought for about $.75/can at Aldi’s, Ruler, and Family Dollar. Dried beans can be bought for $1.15/lb. at Aldi’s and will yield the equivalent of about 4 cans, are easy to cook, can be cooked in batches large enough for several meals and frozen or kept in the refrigerator for several days.

1 can re-fried beans ($1.48/can) Alternative: These can be bought for much less than $1 at Aldi, Ruler, and Family Dollar. see above note on dried black beans.

Tomatoes (A bunch of 4 is $4.00, so one is $1.00)  Alternative (maybe): This depends on the size of the tomato, but local tomatoes [were in season at the time] are available at the mainstream grocery for $.69/lb. Out of season, I would not buy them.

Head of lettuce (From farmer’s market for $0.75)
Package of pasta (3 packages for $3.00)
Package of vegan waffles ($3.00 for package of 8)  Alternative: Prepared food is expensive. One can make a batch of waffles for a lot less, freeze them, and reheat in the toaster. Or come up with a breakfast that will provide more nutrition for less. [Note: I looked up Van's Gluten Free Waffles and one waffle, which is what the author had for breakfast, is only 100 calories, not really enough calories. A serving is 2 waffles.]

Tortilla chips ($2.00/bag)  Alternative: Tortillas can be had for a fraction of this. More food for your dollar.

Onions ($2.00/bag)
Potatoes ($2.00/ bag–$0.20 for one 8 oz potato)
Frozen spinach ($1.00/bag)
Brown rice, precooked ($0.16 for 1/2 cup)  Alternative: Cooking up a pot of rice will cost half this amount. It can be frozen in single serving portions and reheated or keep for several days in the refrigerator. While one can use a normal cooking pot, a rice cooker makes the job even easier and they are common in Goodwill and other thrift shops for about $5.

Bread, whole grain ($1.79/loaf or 12 slices)
Banana ($0.20 per banana at the farmer’s market)
Zucchini ($1.00 for 1)
Cucumber ($1.00 for 1)
Celery (1 stalk about $0.50) Note: I apologize to Jessie for initially misinterpreting this (I assume) as a single stalk of celery rather than the whole bunch, which is labeled as a “stalk” on the package. If she did actually pay $.50 for a single stalk of celery – an entire bunch can be bought for $.69 at Aldi’s.

Red bell pepper ($1.00) Alternative: I do not buy red bell peppers at $1/each, which is expensive, even when I am not restricted to $3/day. They are available for less at the farmer’s market, Aldi, Ruler, and Jay’s. If not, I do without.

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: An Experiment in Frugal Living

In August, 2015, I spent a week eating a vegan diet on no more than $3 per day. It was an experiment in response to an article on the subject. I wanted to see if I could come up with a tasty diet that covered my nutritional needs. I came in below $21 for the week and there are things I could have made that I didn't.

As of now, I have not posted my recipes but when I do that, I'll include them here.

These are the links to each day's posts in chronological order.

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: An Introduction
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 1
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 2
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 3
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 4, Part 1
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 4, Part 2
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 5
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 6
Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 7
Summary of Costs and Nutritional Analysis, Part 1
Summary of Costs and Nutritional Analysis, Part 2
Some More Cost-Effective Choices

Some recipes:
How to Make Really Tasty Soy Milk
Frugal Vegan Chili 
Chocolate Soy Milk Pudding

Here is a summary of my diet for the week.

Day 1: Breakfast: Home made soy milk, bran flakes, banana, cup of tea:  $.30
           Lunch: Black beans and rice, kale, sliced tomato, tea:    $. 90
           Dinner: Chili, corn tortillas, broccoli, peach:                  $1.21
    Snacks: PB&celery, chili, tortillas, carrots:                               .54

                                                                           Total Day 1:      2.95

Day 2:  Breakfast (same as Day 1):   $.30
     Lunch: Black beans & rice, kale:  $.55
     Dinner: Chili, corn tortillas, peach: $.99
       Snacks: PB & celery, soy milk & bran flakes, carrots: $.65
                                       Total:    $1.89

Day 3:  Breakfast:  the usual:           $.30
     Lunch: Dal & rice, kale, tea:        $.58
    Dinner: Black beans & rice, tomato & tung-ho (a leafy green) salad:  $.99
    Snacks: Soy milk, kiwi, smashed potatoes, PB & celery, brown rice:  $.76
                                       Total: $2.63

Day 4:  Breakfast:     the usual:      $.30
        Lunch: Black beans & rice, kale, peach, tea:  $1.01
       Dinner: Chili, garlic pasta, tomato:     $.65
     Snacks:  PB&celery, chocolate pudding, smashed potatoes, carrots, cantalope: $.87
                                      Total: $2.76

Day 5: Breakfast:     the usual:  $.30 
     Lunch:  Chili, tortillas, kale, cantalope, tea:  $.47
      Dinner:  Bread, garlic spread, black beans:  $.43
      Snacks: Chocolate pudding, tofu, PB, peach: $1.04
                                Total:  $2.24

Day 6:  Breakfast:  soy  milk, bran flakes, kiwi, tea: $.39
    Lunch:  dal & rice, kale, tea:  $.58
    Dinner: Tofu, WW bread, tomato: $.53
  Snacks: PB&celery, cantalope, carrots, brown rice: $.58
                 (two small muffins, free at an event)
                                Total:  $2.08

Day 7: Breakfast:  bran flakes, soy milk, cantalope, tea:  $.30
     Lunch:  Dal & rice, broccoli, tea:  $.68
     Dinner: Cabbage & onions, chili, kale, black beans: $1.05
    Snacks:  Carrots, pb& celery, chocolate pudding, soy milk, tortillas: $.71
                     (two small cookies at a dance - free)
                                Total: $2.74


Total for the week: $18.30


                              

How to Make Really Tasty Soy Milk

I started doing it because I was, as an experiment, eating vegan on $3/day for a week and I could make a quart of soy milk for a fraction of the price of store bought. I’ve continued making soy milk just because I like to do it and I like my own. A quart of soy milk can be bought for $1.69 at Whole Foods or $2.69 at my local grocery. (This is one occasion when Whole Foods is cheaper than elsewhere, probably because they buy in greater volume.) A half gallon (which is too much for me) can be bought for $2.69 to $3.20. Made at home, it costs about $.30 using cheap soy beans or about $.80 using expensive ones. I realize that I am not saving huge amounts of money and I’m making about $1/hour for my labor but for some unexplainable reason I enjoy doing it. 

I’ve tried different recipes and have settled on one that I think is tasty. At its most basic, all you need is water and soybeans. However, that can be a little bland and slightly beany tasting. This is okay if you are using it for baking but there are things you can do to improve the flavor if you are going to drink it or use it on cereal. One is the choice of soybeans. I bought cheap, conventional soybeans at the international grocery at $.69/lb. for a 5 lb. bag. One pound of beans will make approximately 3 quarts of soy milk, so you can make soy milk for about $.23/quart. It will be bland and slightly beany tasting but it’s decent enough, especially for cooking but also okay for putting on cereal where the cereal will obscure the taste. One way to improve the flavor is to use Laura soybeans. They are a particular variety of soybeans that have an exceptionally mild flavor and are great for soy milk. They also cost about three times as much. After shipping, I paid $2.13/lb. but I decided, since it seemed I was going to continue doing this and beans will keep, to try them and see if they were worth it. I’m impressed with the mildness of the flavor. It will increase the cost of a quart of soymilk to about $.71, excluding other optional ingredients. Whether it’s worth it or not is a personal decision. 

There are other things one can do to improve the flavor. The addition of oats mellows the flavor and thickens it just slightly, giving it a nice texture. A little salt, sugar, and vanilla also improves the flavor. Recently I tasted some store bought soy milk for the first time in a few months and compared it to my own. Store bought “plain” soy milk tasted about twice as sweet as mine. 

I also add malt extract powder (not malted milk powder or malt syrup), available at places that sell supplies for making home made beer. I have once or twice added about two chopped dates to a recipe when I was grinding the soaked soybeans. That’s good, too, though it darkens the color. I have not continued adding dates. 

Regarding the oats: ideally, the rolled oats should be soaked overnight at the same time as the beans in a separate bowl or cup and then added to the blender when grinding the beans, but I often forget to soak them. In that case I put some rolled oats into a dry blender, grind them until they are like flour, and add two tablespoons to the blender with the soybeans and water. 

Making soy milk leaves you with a quantity of pulp, called okara. You can use this to make granola (my preferred use), add it to beanburgers, incorporate it into baked goods. It is high in fiber and protein. Okara is an added bonus that will compensate for some of the cost of the soy milk.

Making soymilk involves the following steps: soaking the beans, grinding the beans with water, cooking the soy milk (either before or after straining), and straining the soy milk. If the pulp is cooked with the milk, then it is already partially cooked. There are a number of ways one can go about the process besides the one I’ve settled on. This recipe makes a pretty rich milk. Some recipes call for a little more water in proportion to the soybeans.

You’ll need the following equipment: two good sized pots (or a large pot and a good sized container for containing the milk); a blender (heavy duty ones are great but not necessary); a strainer and/or colander; a few layers of cheesecloth, a square of muslin, or some sort of cloth for straining; a wooden spoon.

Soy Milk Recipe (makes about 1 quart)

Soak 6-8 hours or overnight: 1 cup soybeans (or up to three days in the refrigerator; if you do this, change the water each day)

In a separate cup or bowl, soak overnight: 1-2 Tablespoons rolled oats (or alternatively add 1-2 Tablespoons of dry rolled oats blended to a flour to the beans later when you grind them)

Drain water from soybeans.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. 

Put soaked, drained soybeans and the soaked oats (or oat flour) into a blender (if this is too much for the blender, do half the beans at a time) with 2 cups of the boiled water and blend until the beans are well ground. 

Place a fine sieve over a large pot and pour the soybean/water slurry into the sieve. Push the liquid out by pressing into it with the back of a wooden spoon. When a good portion of the liquid is pushed out, return the bean pulp to the blender and blend again with 2 more cups of the boiled water. Pour the bean/water slurry into the pot. Pour the last 2 cups of water into the blender and whizz for a few seconds to clean out the blender and then pour the water into the pot. 

Bring the soy milk to a simmer over a medium flame. Note: once it begins to simmer, it will want to rise up and boil over so watch it carefully! Using a large pot that is bigger than you think you need will help. Stir the soy milk frequently with the wooden spoon to keep the bottom from scorching. Once the milk begins to simmer, reduce the heat and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes. 

Place a clean pot into the sink. Place the sieve or a colander over it. Line it with a few layers of cheesecloth or similar. Pour the soymilk into the cloth-lined collander and let it drain. Pick up the corners of the cloth, gather them together, and squeeze the liquid out of the pulp. (You either need to wear rubber gloves if it’s still hot or else wait til it cools.) When the liquid has been squeezed out of the pulp, set the cloth and the pulp aside. (Note: if you have a potato ricer, it’s especially good for squeezing the liquid out of the pulp.)

You can use the soy milk as is or add the following and whisk it to blend:

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 Tablespoon sugar 

1 Tablespoon malt extract (optional)

Taste and adjust as desired. Pour into a quart jar and refrigerate. Soy milk will keep for about a week. You can use it as a substitute for regular milk in baking, pour over cereal, make shakes or smoothies, or drink as is. 

From start to finish usually takes me about an hour.

The leftover okara (pulp) can be used to make granola, incorporated into baked goods or bean burgers, or used to make gnocchi. It can be frozen for later use if you don’t want to use it right away.

I have not tried this recipe for Okara Gnocchi but it looks good. [Note: I did try it on 1/11/16 and I like it. I'd also try incorporating okara into potato gnocchi.]

There are many recipes for okara granola but this is one that I like. I often add 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring and 1/2 tsp. vanilla

I've incorporated okara into beanburgers, too. 

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Summary of Costs & Nutritional Analysis, Part 2

The costs of ingredients used (I'll put up individual recipes and their breakdown in another note):



Item                                        Price per unit                Where

Bananas                                  .39/lb                            Aldi, Ruler (Ruler has individual)
Black beans, dry                   1.15/2#                            Aldi
Bran flakes                              9.8¢/oz                         Ruler
Broccoli (frozen)                    6.8¢/oz                           Ruler
Brown rice                               .89/#                             Ruler

Canola oil                               3.9¢/oz                          Ruler
Cantalope                               .99/ea                            Aldi, (Schnucks?)
Carrots                                   .99/2#                            Aldi
Celery                                     .69/bunch                      Aldi
Cilantro                                   .89/bunch                     Jay's, Schnucks 

Cocoa powder                        27.4/oz.                         Aldi, Ruler   
Corn tortillas                          49/doz. (9 oz.)               Jay's International     
Garlic, peeled                        1.69/lb.                           Jay's
Green peppers (large)              .50/each                       Schnucks
Chili peppers, canned            14.x¢/oz.                       Jay's, Ruler

Kale, fresh                              .99/lb.                           Ruler
Kiwi                                        6/$1.00                        Aldi                   
Olive oil                                18.8¢/oz.                       Ruler
Onions                                    .50/lb.                          Aldi
Peaches, fresh                         .69/#                            Ruler

Peanut butter, natural creamy 1.39/15 oz.                  Ruler
Pinto beans, dry                       .50/lb.                         Ruler
Potatoes, red                   can't remember, don't have receipt
Red Lentils                           3.29/2#                          Jay's
Salt                                        1.5¢/oz.                         Aldi, Ruler
Soybeans                                .69/#                             Jay's

Soy Sauce                               .14/oz                            Ruler
Spices (cumin, chili, thyme)   @ 2.59/7 oz. average    Jay's
Sugar                                   1.69/4 lbs.                        Aldi
Tea bags                              1.29/100                           Schnucks
Tomatoes, fresh                     .69/lb. (local)                 Schnucks

Tomatoes, canned                 .89                               Ruler
White Flour                           .30/#                           Aldi
Whole Wheat Flour                .56/#                           Aldi





(Just for comparison, though I didn't use any of these)


Black beans, canned           3.9¢/oz (.62/can)         Aldi, Ruler
Refried beans, canned        .75/16 oz.                     Ruler
Soy milk, half gallon          3.6¢/oz.                       Aldi
Soy milk, quart                  5.2¢/oz                         Whole Foods
Tofu, firm                          6.7¢/oz                          Jay's


Note: home made soy milk: @ .04/8 oz. cup

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: A Summary of Costs & Nutritional Analysis, Part 1

Here is a summary of the cost of the food I ate this week, my shopping list, and the nutritional analysis. I have made this as complete and accurate as I have been able. Any errors are honest mistakes. I did notice, today, that I left out the olive oil ($.20) in the Cuban Black Bean recipe. I am not going back and changing the daily numbers - it would be insignificant anyway - but I'll add it into the total for the week. Also added in at the end is the cost of the cilantro I used, which was about 2/3 of a bunch. I chopped it up and put it into the freezer part way through the week since it does start to go bad. One thing is that I did not have any spoilage or waste this week and one does have to allow for that to happen.

In calculating costs, I rounded up on fractions of a cent unless it was .002 or less. (I.e. if the cost of bran flakes was 9.4 cents per serving, I rounded it up to 10 cents; if it was 9.2 cents or 9.1 cents, I rounded down. That didn't happen often.

There were some items I already had in my pantry so I calculated their cost based on the price I would pay were I buying it today at the store indicated. The stores were all within a 3 mile radius of home (really more like 2 miles), within walking or biking distance. During the week before I started the experiment, I went to the stores (and also Whole Foods to check on just a few items) to compare prices in preparation for the experiment. In real life, I do make mental notes (and sometimes written notes) of who has what at what price and, rather than run all over making special trips to get an item at a cheaper price, which would not be very frugal, I stop in the grocery store on my way to or from work.

The main components of my diet were beans and dal for protein, rice, corn tortillas, and potatoes for starch and complementary protein, kale for a pretty cheap and very nutritious green vegetable, bananas, and bran flakes. I also had home made soy milk every day, which was a very good source of protein, and supplemented other vegetables and fruit as I found good deals on them. Daily snacks consisted of carrots and peanut butter and celery, the last of which was primarily a vehicle for eating peanut butter. I made a large pot of vegan chili, Cuban black beans, and enough long grain brown rice to last several days early in the week and a second batch of brown rice later in the week. By making larger batches, and freezing single serving portions, I was able to do most of my cooking in one afternoon and merely heat up meals on the following days. I made two batches of soy milk, enough to have with cereal every day, make chocolate pudding, and drink the occasional glass straight. In the future, I may experiment with freezing it so I would not have to make it so often. Of course, I would need to make sure I have space in the freezer, too.

I did not use any fancy equipment with the exception of a high-powered blender recently purchased at a thrift shop. (I love it.) I do own a conventional blender, also purchased at a thrift shop many years ago, and it would have served just as well. I also used a potato ricer to squeeze the soy pulp when making soy milk (I discovered on the second batch that it is excellent for that) but a piece of cheese cloth (which I used for a final strain anyway) is sufficient. Other utensils were a strainer, frying pan, good sized cooking pot, a slow cooker (also purchased at a thrift shop and very valuable for cooking beans) . . . nothing out of the ordinary.

Most of the food I ate is common and generally available. Dal may not be but there are many different kinds of beans easily available and lots of different ways of making them. Tortillas may not be easily available everywhere but they are common enough. Not everyone is going to want to take the time to make soy milk but I am not presenting this as *the* way to have a frugal vegan diet, just presenting it as *one* way. I have been buying soy milk and, after seeing how easy it is to make, I shall probably be making it a lot more often after this experiment.

If one wants to live frugally, one must learn to make things from scratch. Convenience costs. A pound of dried beans generally will cost the same as a can of beans but will yield about six or eight times more finished beans. If one soaks them overnight and then cooks them in a slow cooker (I put them in the pot in the morning and they are done when I come home) they are very easy to make, do not require much active time, and can then be used in a variety of soups, for refried beans, hummus, burgers, all sorts of good, filling, high protein meals. Combined with grains (rice, tortillas, bread) their protein content is boosted.

With some creativity, one can have a varied diet that is interesting, tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive. This experiment has inspired me to continue creating inexpensive vegan meals.

Nutritionally, I apparently got adequate calories. I did not go hungry and neither gained nor lost weight. I made sure I got a minimum of 50 grams of protein each day. In spite of the high carb content, I felt fine. The high fiber offset a lot of the carbs and slows down their absorption, thus blunting their effect on blood sugar. Calcium was only about half the recommended daily allowance; I should probably supplement. Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, were all significantly above the RDA. Iron usually averaged around 178% RDA but spiked to 279 one day, driving the average for the week up to 192% RDA.

All in all, I feel satisfied that, outside of the calcium, this was a pretty decent diet. For the record, I am female, 5'5", weigh 130#, and am moderately active. I practice massage, which is not strenuous but keeps me on my feet and moving. I did a high intensity 20 minute weight session one day, attended one 60 minute vigorous dance class, and engaged in dance practice or social dancing on three other evenings.


Total cost of food for the week (the daily totals, plus $.60 for a partial bunch of cilantro, plus $.20 for some oil I left out of one calculation, plus salt, which I did not add in every day because it was too insignificant to count): $18.30.

Nutritional content (average per day):
Calories:    1611/day  
Protein:      62 g/day
Fat:           50.4 g/day
Carbs:      274 g/day
Fiber:          53 g/day
Net carbs:  221 g/day (total carbs less fiber)
Calcium:    51.4% RDA
Vitamin A:  663% RDA
Iron:          192% RDA

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 7 (Last Day)

Last day of the experiment. I am so looking forward to not measuring, writing down, and calculating the cost of every single thing I eat! That has gotten much more tedious than eating chili, black beans, and dal every day.

Made some sauteed cabbage and onions for dinner tonight. I also made home made tofu Thursday night (something I do not necessarily advocate unless you love doing that sort of thing - more about that in another note) and so I cooked up a batch of scrambled tofu, enough for 3 meals. Ate the second half of the small loaf of bread I made Friday night. I'm thinking I should make a small pizza out of the other half of that dough. I also made chocolate pudding again. It turned out really well the first time. This time, something went horribly wrong and it got very lumpy. I think I must have mismeasured something. I ate it anyway.

Went to a dance and one of the dancers brought some small cookies that she made. I ate one early in the evening and then had a second shortly before I left. They were wonderful and not a significant factor in meeting my nutritional needs for the day.

Came in at a total of $2.74 for the day and a total of less than $18 for the week. Not bad. I'm a little light on the calories but I wasn't hungry. I'll add up the cost for the  whole week plus put up my shopping list in another note. I'll also put up my recipes for anyone who might be interested in some recipes for simple, frugal, vegan meals.


Saturday, Day #7

Breakfast:
Bran flakes               .10
½ cup soy milk         .02
Catalope 1/6            . 17
Tea                            .01
            Total             .30

Lunch:
Dal & rice                .42
Broccoli 100 g.        .25
Tea                           .01
            Total            .68

Dinner:
Cabbage & Onions    .54
Blk Beans ½              .16
Chili ¾                      .20
Kale                          .15
        Total                1.05                                   .          

Snacks:
Carrots                        .15
PB & Celery               .19
Chocolate pudding     .21
Tortillas (2)                .14
Soy milk ½ cup          .02
               Total            .71

I had 2 small cookies at a dance

Saturday Day 7:
Breakfast    .30
Lunch         .68
Dinner      1.05
Snacks        .71
    Total     2.74



Nutritional content:
Calories:  1561
Protein:    67 g.
Fat:          55 g.
Carbs:    276 g.
Calcium:   51% RDA

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 6

So, Friday (day #6) I was faced with a decision: I went to Consuming Kinetics Dance Company's opening of their new studio that night and, as I expected, there was food available. Earlier in the week I'd been in a situation where snacks were offered and I passed. I did not want to rely on food from others during the experiment. However, this night, I really wanted to be able to have just a little, not to feed myself but for fun. It was a party, after all. When I arrived, there were sandwiches and fruit trays and I don't remember what else and there were some beautiful little cupcakes made by one of the members of CKDC. I looked at them and thought, I cannot pass them up. I had dinner before I left for the event so that I wasn't arriving hungry. I discussed my experiment with two folks I met at the opening and asked for their opinion on whether they thought I'd be out of integrity for having a cupcake. We discussed it over and, since I wasn't relying on it for my nutrition that day, they agreed that it did not violate the intention or the spirit of my experiment. The cupcakes were small and so I chose one of the three different kinds available and savored it. It was beautiful and delicious and I complimented the chef on her good work. Under more normal circumstances, I would have consumed other refreshments, too, but I decided against it. It was a pleasant evening and shortly before it was over, they were urging people to eat up what was left so they would not have to deal with it. I had another muffin, a different flavor, and savored it, too. Together, they did not amount to a lot. I figured that even when one is poor, one is sometimes offered food from a friend or at a party. It happens.

I ate pretty light on Friday. I got very engrossed in a project and just didn't want to stop to eat. I wasn't hungry, either.

I ran out of bananas and really missed them at breakfast. They are cheap and filling! But I'd gotten a great deal on kiwis at Aldi's - 6 for $1 - so I had that instead. Thursday night I had made tofu (more about that in another note, I don't necessarily advocate that) and so Friday I made scrambled tofu for dinner. It was delicious and enough for 3 meals. Also ate the second half of the bread with the garlic spread.

I am enjoying my experiment, keep thinking of things I could make, like a little pizza with the other half of the bread dough. The thing I'm most tired of at this point is writing down, measuring, and calculating the cost of every single thing I eat. I will be glad to stop doing that!

Total for the day: $2.08  Calories: 1584 (A little light, but I wasn't hungry.)


Friday, Day #6:

Breakfast
½ c Soy milk:      .02
Bran flakes:         .10
Kiwi:                   .17
Tea:                     .10
            Total        .39

Lunch
Dal & rice              .42
Kale                       .15
Tea                         .01
            Total          .58

Dinner
Scrambled Tofu    .26
WW Bread           .04
Tomato 150          .23
            Total        .53


Snacks:
PB & celery               .19
Carrots                       .15
Cantalope                   .17
½ cup brown rice       .07
            Total              .58

2 small muffins – free at an opening

Total Friday Day #6:

Breakfast           .39
Lunch                .58
Dinner               .53
Snacks               .58
      Total          2.08


Nutritional content
Calories:   1584
Protein:      63 g.
Fat:            45 g.
Carbs:      309 g.  

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 5

Thursday, Day #5, was a little weird. I did the thing I've been afraid of doing: I forgot to take my food to work. Fortunately, it was only snacks, but it still created a dilemma. I ate breakfast at home, left home to do an outcall, then didn't have to go to my office until late afternoon so I went home for lunch. I wouldn't finish work until about 9 p.m. but I planned on taking celery & carrots for snacks (I have peanut butter in the fridge at work) and would eat dinner at home. Well, I forgot the carrots and celery. I have other things to eat at work but they wouldn't fit into my $3/day budget, or would strain it, so I had a choice: eat plain peanut butter, go hungry, eat some of my other snacks and blow my budget, or eat other snacks and lie about it. I decided to have 3 Tablespoons of peanut butter, instead of the usual two, and have a cup of tea. I thought that would hold me over but shortly before my last appointment, I began to feel just a tad shaky. I thought it would be stupid to make myself sick when I didn't need to. I've got a bowl of hard candy in the office for clients (and, in particular, for those rare occasions - which do happen - when a diabetic client has an insulin reaction during a session and needs sugar) so I had one hard candy. It did the trick and I was fine until I got home.

I'd made a small batch of bread dough (half white, half whole wheat, using the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day method) during my lunch break and it was risen by the time I got home. I popped that into the oven, roasted some garlic in the microwave and blended it with a little olive oil and salt in the blender to make a garlic spread for the bread. Had a nice dinner of black bean soup and bread and ate the other portion of soy milk chocolate pudding I'd made the night before. I put it into the freezer and it was like a fudgecicle. It was really good, but I think I like the pudding the best.

I'd decided I wanted to make tofu again (something I don't necessarily advise, I'll write about that another time) but the best coagulent to use, nigari (the minerals left in sea water after the salt is taken out) is not available locally as far as I know, so I had to order some. You don't need a lot but the shipping costs as much as the nigari itself so that the cost of the coagulent is almost as much as the cost of the soybeans. Still, I had to do it and it arrived. I'd already had beans soaking in the refrigerator so after dinner I made tofu with nigari for the first time in probably 25 years. It was beautiful and, as my custom has been in the past, once it was done, I sliced off a piece and had it with a  little soy sauce. Love it.

I came up a little light on the calories but I was not hungry. As before, I'm coming up short on calcium but not as bad as some days. I'm actually feeling inspired by this whole challenge. I'm starting to think of other things I can make that would be cheap, tasty, and nutritious.

Total for the day: $2.24



Thursday, Day #5

Breakfast:
The usual (soy milk, bran flakes, & a banana)
                                     .30

Lunch:
1 cup chili                    .26
2 tortillas                     .14
Kale                             .15
Cantalope                    .17
Tea                              .01
                                   .47
Dinner:
Bread                                 .04
Garlic spread                     .07
Black beans (no rice)        .32
            Total                      .43


Snacks:
Chocolate pudding      .21
2 oz. tofu                     .10
1 tsp. soy sauce           .02
3 Tbsp PB                   .25
Peach                          .46
                                  1.04

Thursday:
Breakfast:                 .30
Lunch:                      .47
Dinner:                     .43
Snacks:                  1.04
            Total          2.24


Calories:   1479
Protein:     60 g.
Fat:           51 g.
Carbs:       225 g.
Calcium:    53% RDA

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 4 (part 2)

I'm actually enjoying this. Before I did it, I got a little intimidated by it. I was afraid it would be hard. The first day it really took a lot of planning and juggling to come up with something that filled my caloric needs, was reasonably balanced, and stayed within my budget. However, it's getting easier by the day and each day I think of something new that I could make that would fit well within my budget, satisfy my nutritional needs, and be tasty and fun to eat.

I'm reminded a lot of The Farm folks who were missionaries for a vegan diet and living simply. They insisted it could be fun, tasty, satisfying, and graceful. I agree. This challenge has put me back in touch with that.

Peter, I want to thank you for putting up that article. It's had quite an impact on me in a very positive way. Who would have guessed that your posting that article would shift my life a bit? Not me. Although I'm looking forward to Sunday when I can cut loose, (hint: chocolate!) I think the effect of this will continue. Thank you.

Here's Day #4's menu. I've already got ideas for some other good, cheap, vegan dishes to add to my diet. Thanks for being a catalyst for getting my creative juices flowing again. 


************
I'm getting better at this.

On one hand, I get these (so far manageable) cravings for chocolate, ice cream . . . mostly desserts. I see things that definitely don't fit into the $3/day budget and I want to eat them and have to say no. It's not bad, it's just there. Today, I felt like I just could not have another day of black beans and chili. So, I thought, I need something a little different.

The desire for something different that would fit into my budget got my creative juices flowing. I decided to make some garlic pasta to go with the chili tonight. And then I got what I thought was a brilliant idea to satisfy my craving for chocolate and for dessert: chocolate pudding! When I got home from work I looked up a recipe for cornstarch pudding in Joy of Cooking and modified it for my purposes. It was delicious! Meanwhile, I still had some smashed potatoes in the refrigerator and they were really good, too.

I also broke into the cantalope and ate another peach. They were both very tasty.

I came in at $2.76 today. I'm a little light on the calories but I don't feel hungry. If I wake up hungry during the night, I can always grab a tortilla. Still coming up short on the calcium. If I keep eating like this, I may be well advised to take a supplement.

Today's menu:

Wednesday, Day #4

Breakfast:
The usual bran flakes, soy milk, and banana:  $.30

Lunch:

Black beans &rice:     $.39
Tea                              .01
Peach                           .46
Kale                             .15
            Total              1.01


Dinner:

Chili 1/2 c                      .13
Pasta, 1.5 oz.                  .10
Garlic oil ½ oz.                .07
Tomato 8 oz.                   .35
            Total                   .65


Snacks:

PB & Celery                     .19
Cantalope                       .17
Carrots 4 oz.                   .15
Chocolate pudding          .21
Smashed potatoes           .15
               Total                .87

Total:                      

Breakfast                       .30                      
Lunch                           1.01
Dinner                           .65          
Snacks                           .70
            Total                2.76


Nutritional content:

Calories:   1394
Protein:       56 g.
Fat:              43 g.
Carbs:        223 g.
Calcium:      37% RDA

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 4 (part 1)

FB post:

I've been craving dessert. And chocolate. And I've resisted.

Tonight, driving home, I got the idea to make chocolate pudding.

It needs to cool down but licking out the pot has got me pretty excited. It's pretty darned good. In fact, it's good enough that I think I could serve it, not tell anyone it's vegan, and they probably wouldn't know it.

We'll see how it is later tonight after it has cooled. I made two servings, I'll put one in the freezer and try it as a frozen dessert.

Cost for two servings:
1/4 cup (50 g) sugar: $.05
1/4 cup (28 g) cocoa: $.28
1 cup home made soy milk: $.04
1 1/2 Tbsp. corn starch: not sure, will have to check

So, it will cost $.37 + the cost of some corn starch for 2 servings. Maybe around $.20/serving.

Preparation time: @ 20 minutes (mostly waiting for the milk to heat up, stirring pretty constantly).

Per serving:

Calories: 120
Fat: 4 g
Total carbs: 20 g
Protein: 8 g

I think this will totally fit into my $3/day budget.

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 3

Day #3. I'm getting better at this. Came in at $2.63 today & got in 7 servings of fruits & vegetables (well, if you count a few sticks of celery as a serving) - not counting potatoes as a vegetable. Cut back on the beans today and had dal for lunch and extra soy milk today. Much easier on the digestive tract.

Although it's hard sometimes to resist stuff that won't fit into the budget, I'm actually enjoying this. I'm eating very healthy & very consciously. 

The hard part: voluntarily saying "no" to stuff that definitely is not going to fit into the budget. However, Aldi's had kiwis at $.99 for 6 in a package. Hot dog! I also bought a cantalope for $.99. I can get at least six servings out of that. In other news, I boiled some red potatoes tonight and of 14 oz., only 10 oz. was usable because of bad spots. Still, they were cheap and really good with a little olive oil drizzled on them. I cut back on the beans today and had dal for lunch. It was a little easier on my digestive tract. This evening I realized I was coming in way under budget so I had salad - 8 oz. of tomato + tung-ho, a green leafy vegetable I get at Jay's International. At $1.69/lb. it's not as cheap as the kale, which was marked down, but still a good deal.

When I go into groceries now it's weird. It feels like an alien place. Everything suddenly looks very expensive, even the good deals. I am always looking for inexpensive dark green vegetables. I am managing to include fresh fruits and vegetables but when it gets tight, they are the first to go.

If it looks like I snack a lot, it's because I actually had more like four small meals and two snacks so one of the meals just got put into the snacks category. As it turns out, I really like the soy milk and drank a glass straight. I've never been a milk drinker of any kind except when I lived with dairy animals (a cow and later goats) because it was so good.

I'm getting better at this. Today's meals added up to $2.63. Here's the menu and the nutritional analysis. You'll notice I'm still coming up short on calcium. This is not unusual when I am not eating dairy products.

Tuesday Day #3

Breakfast
Same as yesterday: $.30
(Bran flakes, soy milk, banana, tea)

Lunch
Dal & rice             .42
Kale 70 g.            .15
Tea                      .01
           Total        .58


Dinner
Black beans &rice:    $.39
Tomato 8 oz.             .35
Tung-ho                    .18
Olive oil 1 ½ tsp         .05
Cider vinegar 2tsp     .02
            Total             .99    
                 

Snacks
3/4 cup soy milk           .03
Kiwi                               .17
Smashed potatoes         .15
PB & Celery                    .19
Carrots 4 oz.                 .15
½ cup brown rice           .07
            Total                 .76 


Total for the day:  $2.63


Calories:  1719
Protein:       69 g.
Total fat:     55 g.
Carbs:       306 g.
Calcium:     44% RDA

Eating Vegan on $3/Day: Day 2

I met my caloric goal today and came in under budget. I did it by sacrificing the tomato and broccoli for peanut butter and an extra serving of soy milk and bran flakes. I kept the peach; it felt like a real treat. My digestive system is protesting the sudden onslaught of so many beans so I thought the bran flakes and soy milk might be a little easier on it. I got adequate protein, fat, and carbs. Came up short on calcium again. Not sure what a "serving" of a fruit or vegetable is.

I was really tempted several times today to consume things that were off budget. I've managed to resist so far.

I went investigating different sources for the nutritional content of home made soy milk. Since the bean to water ratio will vary, it's impossible to find a reliable number. I use about 100 grams of dry soybeans for a quart of soy milk. It seems like pretty rich milk to my taste.

Here's today's menu, cost, & nutritional content:

Day #2: Monday, Aug. 10


Breakfast

Bran flakes:       .10
Soy milk:           .04
Tea:                   .01
Banana:            .15
  Total:           $.30


Lunch

Black beans & rice:    .39
Kale 70 g                   .15
Tea                             .01
    Total:                   $.55

Dinner

Chili 1 c                       .26
4 corn tortillas             .27
Peach                          .46
      Total                   $ .99

Snacks

PB & Celery                  .19
Carrots 4 oz.                  .15
Bran flakes                    .10
½ cup soy milk              .02
PB&celery                     .19
            Total                   .65

Monday total:

Breakfast:             .30
Lunch:                  .55
Dinner                  .99
Snacks:                .65
Total                   2.49


Nutritional content:

Calories: 1739
Protein:    67 g.
Carbs:     264 g.
Total fat:  57 g.
Calcium:  53% RDA

Eating Vegan on $3/day: Day 1

Posted on Facebook, August 10, 2015
Modified for this blog.

Peter K. put up an article about eating vegan on $21/week. When I read what the author ate, it seemed to lack protein and adequate calories and I thought it was possible to come up with something more balanced within the parameters she was working with. I may live to eat my words. I spent a few days visiting grocery stores, comparing prices, and planning out a menu. This may be a lot harder than I thought!

In my own defense: the author in the article described what she ate but didn't give details about how much, so we don't have information on total calories, how much protein she got, etc. I am using My Fitness Pal to evaluate my menu. I'm shooting for @ 1700 calories per day and a minimum of 50 g. of protein.

I made a batch of soy milk and a batch of chili from $.50/lb pinto beans I got form Ruler. (Thanks, Peter, for recommending them!) I think I'm going to be eating a lot of pinto beans this week! I carefully reviewed my shopping list (I went to Aldi's, Ruler, Schnucks, and even checked a few items at Whole Foods) to see where I can get the most bang for my buck. I'm basing my diet on beans, brown rice, tortillas, and kale (marked down to $.99/lb. at Ruler).

This is the article that started this project:

https://www.veganmainstream.com/2010/09/02/eating-vegan-on-21-00-a-week-the-food-stamp-budget/

I started on Sunday, August 9. Here's how it went:

Day #1:

Okay, this has taken an insane amount of planning & calculating. If you guys could see me with the calculator, the grocery receipts, my list of food prices (to calculate the cost of ingredients I already have based on if I were buying them today), and the way I'm writing everything down, juggling it all to try to make it work . . . well, you would think I'm off the deep end. And perhaps I am. What is obvious: fruits and vegetables are costly, even when they are cheap. I can have one cup of chili and four corn tortillas for $.53 and get 356 calories and 9 grams of protein, or 1 cup black bean soup and 1/2 cup of brown rice for $.39 and get 293 calories and 10 grams of protein. Or I can have a peach, that I found really cheap at $.69/lb., for $.46 and get 74 calories and mostly sugars.  [Note: prices were valid in August, 2015, in the city of St. Louis.]

Today's menu:

Breakfast:
3/4 cup bran flakes: $.10
1 c. homemade soy milk .04
1 banana: .15
Tea: .01
Total: $.30

Lunch:
Black beans & rice $.39
Kale .15
Sliced tomato 8 oz. .35
Tea .01
Total: $.90

Dinner:
Chili 1 c. $.26
4 corn tortillas .27
1 c. broccoli .22
1 peach (190g) .46
Total: $1.21

Snacks:
2 Tb. peanut butter w/
2 sticks celery           $.19
Carrots, 4 oz                .15
1/2 serving black beans & rice . 13
1 tortilla                      .07
Total:          $.54

Total for the day: $2.95 (barely made it!)

Nutritional content:
Calories: 1605
Protein: 59 g
Fat: 43 g
Carbs: [Alice note: this got overlooked, sorry, I'm not going back and recalculating]
Calcium: 49% RDA

For food items where you have to discard some of it (like the outer peel of the onion) I calculated the cost based on the gross weight before peeling but calculated the nutritional content on the usable part.. Estimated cost of spices is included in the recipe. Left out so far: cost of salt (I'll add it at the end of the week since it's too low to count) and cilantro, a bunch of which will last for a number of recipes (I'll add it at the end of the week). Clearly, though, I barely made it today. More beans, less fruit.

There were several times today I *really* wanted to have something that clearly would not fit into this. I managed to resist.

The author of the original article did not have a car and was restricted to stores within walking and bicycling distance. Although I checked the price of a few select items at Whole Foods (in some rare instances, they are actually the least expensive) I am restricting my shopping to groceries within walking or biking distance, though I am not walking or biking myself. One could potentially lower the cost on some non-perishable items by buying in bulk i.e. beans or rice in 25# sacks. (I have done this in the past.)



We've survived Day #1. Let's see how it goes on day #2.