Cheap vegetarian meals for families, students, singles and older people

Whether you're a student, single person, pensioner or are cooking for the family, there are a number of items which you need to have in your pantry in order to create some mouth watering vegetarian dishes.

If you're truly serious about making cheap vegetarian meals which taste delicious, you will initially need to invest in some herbs, spices and a few other essentials for the store cupboard. None of these items are expensive and they do last for quite a long time. Once you have made the initial purchase, you'll find that you only need to buy a few cheap, fresh ingredients each week in order to produce some amazing vegetarian meals.

Herbs and Spices.

As far as I'm concerned, the following are essential items for the store cupboard:

Mixed herbs, marjoram, thyme, paprika, chilli powder, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, rock or sea salt, bay leaves, curry paste, powdered vegetable stock and tahini paste. Going forward, you can add more to your pantry.

To begin with, however, mixed herbs, paprika, chili powder, curry paste and vegetable stock will help you to create some tasty vegetarian dishes.

Of course, you can't really beat fresh herbs, but if you're buying them as you need them they can work out to be quite expensive. Have you considered growing your own? They're fairly easy to grow and the seeds are pretty inexpensive. It's also great to have a fresh supply on tap.

Visitors from the United Kingdom can find the same or similar products from Amazon.co.uk.

Beans, legumes, rice, grains and seeds are absolute must haves in the vegetarian kitchen. 

Most vegetarians are aware that once they cease to eat meat, they need to think about alternative ways of obtaining protein. Beans and legumes are a great source of protein, in addition to dietary fibre, iron and calcium. When combined with buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, barley and other whole grains, beans and legumes can provide the complete range of amino acids needed for optimal health. They are also very cheap!

Wherever possible, avoid using canned beans. They are more expensive and also contain more sodium and less nutrients. Opt for dried beans, they are very cheap and far more nutritious. Once cooked they can be frozen and used at a later date. If you do use canned beans, at least rinse them before using, this will help to reduce the amount of sodium that you eventually consume.

Nuts and seeds are also a great source of protein, although nuts have become increasingly expensive in recent years. Seeds, on the other hand, such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds are relatively inexpensive, contain a range of other nutrients, and are not only ideal for inclusion in many recipes, but when roasted or fried with a little garlic, mixed herbs and black pepper, make tasty nutritious snacks, too. 

Filling, nutritious and very, very tasty. If you prefer your risottos to have a bit of a kick, add a couple of shots of Tobasco, cayenne pepper or fresh chili. Proceed with caution, however, because the inclusion of spice could add up to a whopping five cents to the cost your meal!

Breakdown of cost. 

                            Uk.          USA.

Greenbeans:      30 pence   48 cents

Barley:                7 pence     11 cents

Onion:                7 pence     11 cents

Misc:                  10 pence    16 cents

Total:             £0 .59 pence  $0 .86 cents

Other costs, such as marg/oil, thyme, stock, parlsey are so small that I've added them together.

My aim in providing the following recipes is to demonstrate that you can make healthy, tasty vegetarian meals for less than two dollars per person,one dollar in some cases. Clearly, I'm from the UK, and as such have based my calculations on current cost of groceries in England. It is worth noting, however, that at the time of writing, the cost of fruit, vegetables and other groceries has risen quite dramatically over recent months due to the amount of rainfall we have experienced. Nevertheless, you may find that you can obtain groceries far cheaper in your own locality, cutting the cost even further.

In each recipe, I have provided quantities per person. So, if you're a student, single person or pensioner living alone, you'll find that the quantities I have given will provide a very generous serving. Similarly, if you're feeding a family, just multiply the quantities for each additional diner.