Cut your grocery bill, not nutrition

By Wendell Fowler

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Are you having a cow over the price of meats? Out of financial necessity, perhaps the time has arrived to consider an inexpensive vegetarian diet for your loving family circle — at least once a week. In fact, the majority of the world’s people eat a mostly vegetarian diet made up of inexpensive commodities such as beans, rice, vegetables and corn.

Hooray! Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular and is constantly mounting. One in four teenagers is a vegetarian, and it’s freaking out their carnivorous parents. I have been a vegetarian for about 22 years, and I have no idea how people can afford to buy meat, as opposed to vegetables, nuts, fruit and grain. Plus I spend precious little money at the doctor. The average family of four annually spends around $5,000 on beef, chicken, pork, fish and duck for the dinner table.

The average price per pound of beef, in October 2007, was $4.15 per pound.

The average price per pound for pork was $2.93.

Three servings of fruits and vegetables a day cost $0.84.

If you want reduce your grocery bill — and who doesn’t? — stop buying pre-packaged convenient foods then cut back on meat consumption — a definite money saver in harsh times. Make it at home.

When one considers the prediction that future wars will be fought over water rights, using 1,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat sounds excessive when one digests the fact that it takes just 12 gallons of water to produce one pound of plant protein. Having fresh, healthy home-cooked meals is easier than you think. Twenty vegetarians can live off the land required by one meat eater.

Most of the staples of a vegetarian diet are not expensive. Yes, processed soy burgers and such are costly and should be used sparingly. They are still “processed/devitalized” and are no longer in their natural, God-given design. Vegetarianism must be practiced correctly, especially when the parents are life-long carnivores. One must carefully monitor the intake of B-complex vitamins and eat a wide variety of plant foods: beans, nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens and cabbage, tofu, orange-fleshed fruits, lots of fresh (not canned) vegetables and whole grains.

Famous vegetarians include Abe Lincoln, Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, Adolph Hitler, Avril Lavigne, Charles Darwin, Epicuruous and Socrates (Greek Philosophers), H.G. Wells, Sandra Oh and Richard Gere. The list goes on and on.

Here’s an economical yet satisfying side dish for your next meal. Cruciferous cabbage and onion help prevent cancer. Flax seed is loaded with fiber and omega-3 essential fatty acids and offers heart disease protection, and low-calorie potatoes have colon-cleansing fiber in their skin as well as vitamin B-6 and C and copper. Potatoes, without the butter and sour cream, have a protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers. French fries with sugary ketchup do not count; sorry. Of course, you knew that.

Bubble and Squeak

(Cabbage and Potatoes)
4 cups chopped cabbage
8 baby red potatoes with skin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbs. ground flax seed
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbs. olive oil for frying

Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Boil baby red or Yukon potatoes till fork tender. If they are full-size potatoes, cut them up for quicker cooking time. It takes less energy.
Mash them, but not all the way. Chunks are good.

Mix the cabbage, onions, flax and seasonings into the lightly smashed potatoes; mix well.

Over medium high heat, put oil in a sauté pan. When it gets warm add tablespoons of the mixture to the pan and shape them into pancake size patties. Flatten it with your spatula.

When the pancake is gently golden brown on one side flip it over and continue till nice and brown. If you need to turn down the fire, that’s cool. Slower is better.

Serving suggestions:

Top with plain organic yogurt instead of gravy or sour cream.

Top with chopped green onions.

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