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vegan proteins on a budget

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EmilyRanae22
EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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Hello Everyone

I'm trying to get back on the vegan train and also revamping my food budget. Since hubs and I are really cutting costs for food I'm wondering if any of you have good sources for cheap forms of protein. I know beans and brown rice and quinoa are all great, but what about Tofu and Tempeh? I feel like they NEVER go on sale, and while $3 a pound isn't terrible for tofu, it's also not great...and 6+ a pound for tempeh...forget about it!

Any of you know any good tricks to get these things for cheap? Also, any cheap recipes you may have would be great! :)

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  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    $3 tofu? The kind I get is $2. Honestly I really stick with beans and quinoa since they are cheap and versatile. I only use tofu maybe once a week in a stirfry or something like that. You can get vegan meat subs but those cost a bit more, still less than actual meat though. You can make your own tempeh but I'm not sure if it's cheaper, I've never had it.
  • EmilyRanae22
    EmilyRanae22 Posts: 506 Member
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    I think I live in a meat heavy area so they charge more for veg stuff b/c it doesn't get bough often. Homade tempeh...that could be interesting. I just remembered Colleen Patrick-Geurdreau's tempeh bacon and want it....NOW
  • Bunnybeesweet
    Bunnybeesweet Posts: 165 Member
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    I haven't tried yet, but there are tons of recipes online for making your own seitan/fake meats. I'm pretty sure using homemade stock from veggies trimmings and vital wheat gluten flour are so much cheaper than the store-bought wheat-meats. plus, you can control the amount of fat and sodium.

    this is the recipe i keep meaning to try....
    http://www.theppk.com/2009/11/homemade-seitan/

    also, vitacost.com is a great website for buying protein powders online...i love vega brand, and they also carry Source brand pea protein, which i looove to use in soups, hummus, veggie burgers, etc for extra protein. best prices I've seen, lots of sales and free shipping if you order enough. if you pm me your email and I "refer a friend", we'll both get a discount on your first and my next order!
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    Second for seitan - I buy vital wheat gluten flour on Amazon and make my own seitan at home. It's higher in protein than most other vegan options anyway.
  • Softrbreeze
    Softrbreeze Posts: 156 Member
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    Pea protein powder has a lot of protein. It would work great in smoothies! Not sure where to find it though- my local supermarkets don't stock. Vegan meats are more expensive for me too unless I travel 2+ hrs to Atlanta to the Whole Foods (which I try to do every couple of months).
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
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    Seitan/vital wheat gluten is insanely cheap, you just have to make it yourself. If you cannot find shelf stable things cheap in your area, I suggest checking Amazon. I buy my TVP and protein powders on there since it is so cheap. But, VWG is something you can find even in mainstream markets, so it should be very reasonably priced.
  • SleepySin
    SleepySin Posts: 168 Member
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    Vitacost is the way to go for well-priced protein powders. They have soy, rice, pea, hemp, pre-formulated mixes, etc. They also carry TVP.

    As for solid food: Boca/Gardein vegan burgers are available at some wholesale clubs ($10 for 16 patties I believe; in the frozen section; Boca has the highest protein content), edamame (Asian grocers usually sell them for $1-2/lb bags in the frozen section), tofu (again, go to Asian grocers because they don't tend to jack up the prices the way domestic health food stores do - rings in around $1.50-2/lb), canned/dried beans

    Homemade: Everyone's suggestions about making your own seitan is awesome. Haven't gotten around to making my own yet but definitely will one of these days!

    Favorite Protein Snacks: Clif Builder Bar's (20g protein each; alot cheaper if you buy off Amazon in boxes than individually at stores), Primal Strips vegan jerky (10g protein each strip; also bought off of Amazon by the box)
  • naffito
    naffito Posts: 29 Member
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    pea protein is vile, i tried it once and vomited lol, definately one to add aLOT of fruit to!
    i like dried soya chunks, so versatile
  • SleepySin
    SleepySin Posts: 168 Member
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    pea protein is vile, i tried it once and vomited lol, definately one to add aLOT of fruit to!
    i like dried soya chunks, so versatile

    I personally am not fond of pea protein either. It gets mushy like a thick applesauce so I don't like the texture of it. I prefer soy or brown rice protein.

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