Vegetarian diet shouldn’t be expensive if you do it the right way, nutritionist shares tips

In short: animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.

We will not go deeper into the debate about whether it is okay to eat animals or not, everyone has their own thoughts and views. And we all have the right to that.

The topic we are going to write about is a little different. What is it like to eat this way and how much does it all cost? To begin with, our interlocutor Maria says that eating healthy is a bit more expensive, regardless of whether it involves eating meat or not. If you want to have quality and healthy foods on your plate, you have to spend a little more money than you have to spend on less healthy foods like white bread, white pasta, colored juices, etc.

The fact is that in our country the awareness of the importance of a healthy diet is still low and rather undeveloped, but it is easily changed, so people have increasingly started to see the importance of a healthy diet and organic foods. Accordingly, the supply on the market, that is, in the stores, is getting richer, so the prices are getting lower. It is a very simple law of the market that we all know well, whether we have studied economics or not.

So eating healthy is more expensive because you will have to spend more money on certain foods. However, eating vegetarian doesn’t have to be any more expensive than a diet that includes meat, although the interviewee tells us that it’s even cheaper.

If you are smart and resourceful enough, you can eat healthy for a relatively affordable budget.

If you are a vegetarian, you know that the proteins found in meat must be found in some substitute foods. Fortunately, meat is not the only valuable source of protein. There are many other foods (and they are not more expensive than meat) that you can include in your menu and thus meet your daily need for protein. Cereals, vegetables, nuts and legumes are just some of those foods (of plant origin) that contain more than enough protein. There are also foods of animal origin (but not meat) such as dairy products, which, in addition to protein, also contain calcium.

The advice given to us by the vegetarian Maria is that if you want to eat healthy and relatively cheap, it is better to have your own garden or to buy at the market from local producers who you are sure offer proven products and fresh seasonal foods. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes are not such expensive foods and we eat almost all of them. They can be prepared in a variety of ways that do not involve meat. And you won’t be hungry if you eat only herbs for breakfast. You’re just likely to eat more often, but smaller, more frequent meals are actually healthier.

Some foods such as whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice, etc. are more expensive, especially if it is organically grown. The fact that eco-growing and other production methods require more effort and investment, so the costs are higher in the final price of the finished product. The issue is not that those foods are more expensive, but that our incomes are too small and insufficient to lead a quality lifestyle.

The answer to the question is that a vegetarian diet doesn’t have to be expensive, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be. It all depends on what you buy and how and where you eat.

Vegetarian diet is not even complicated, although vegetables are much easier, simpler and faster to prepare than meat. At first, it may be more difficult to plan your meals until you get used to it, but later it will become commonplace to speak of a cat’s cough.

However, the most important thing is to learn to listen to the signals your body sends you and adjust your diet to your lifestyle.

If your body demands meat, eat meat, if you feel that your body does not accept it or if you do not feel well after eating meat, eliminate it from your diet. Very simple, isn’t it? And of course, the key thing in all of this is moderation, which is necessary to achieve a healthy life balance.