How can I be a vegetarian on a low income budget?

I'm currently unemployed. living at home with the parents.and i want to become a vegetarian. but tofu and other vegetarian products in my area are expensive.
so are there ways to be a vegetarian without eating tofu.
and what could i eat for protein instead of tofu?

Vegetarianism is one of the cheapest ways to eat, unless you fall for the belief that you can't be a vegetarian unless you're eating (and buying, at great expense), pre-packaged "vegetarian" products that so often mimic MEAT! Old-time vegetarians eat a lot of legumes, beans, lentils, barley, grains, fruit and--hey!--vegetables! All of this stuff is available on the shelves of supermarkets among all the usual products, because meat-eaters have been eating them all along.

You may need some good cook books to help you get a grasp on eating vegetarian. A lot of Indian food is vegetarian, as is a lot of Asian food. Look into recipes there. It's a lot more exciting than just steamed broccoli. There are also many "conventional" recipes for salads, casseroles and vegetable combinations that use no meat and are very tasty. They may not advertise themselves as vegetarian because even meat-eaters enjoy vegetables.

You can still eat eggs or cheese which are inexpensive. You could also try growing your own veggies. Or visit the market for veg as this is cheaper than the shops

Protein shakes if you don't like beans (or want your hubby to actually sleep with you at night!). Lots of vegetables, dark green leafy ones. Watch the dairy though. Most adults are lactose intolerant and have been so since age 12, no matter how small the symptoms. Supplements are the best way to go. Be careful, I started trying to be a Veg. when I was a teen and didn't know much and ended up with some hair loss and general weakness. I've learned much since, and as stated earlier, the protein shakes can replace protein lost from the meat and Dark green leafy Veggies are GREAT for iron. Very important for women.

Two words for you:

Beans
Whole-wheat Tortillas

Oh, make that three, add -

Salsa

And if you want to splurge you can get lettuce, tomatoes and soy cheese (around 3 bucks)!

soybeans have protein. this could turn into a business for you. keep doing the research for cheaper ways to eat vegetarian and get something started!!

For one buy canned beans (protein), costs about 59 cents per can. And you can get rice or pasta, buy tomato sauce on sale. And always get fruits and veggies fresh off a farmers market or local asian market.

There are very good vegetarian cookbooks out there get one and go at it.

peanuts, beans, lentils and things. Get yourself a lot of rice, its cheap. Then make some sauces up with tomatoes, cheeses whatever. Its so easy and tasty, you'll love it.

There are lots of advice and ideas on how to be vegetarian on a low budget. Try to take a look at them and hopefully they will help you.

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showt...
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj97jul/977fr...
http://frugalveggiemama.blogspot.com/200...

beans & rice is not only cheap, but an excelent source of vegetarian protein, and so is peanut butter on whole wheat. Eating vegetarian is actually cheaper than eating meat. You don't need tofu at all, or any expensive foods.

Vegetarian food that you make is much cheaper than non-veggie food. Just get away from the pre-processed stuff. There are lots of free recipes available online. Beans and rice are very cheap. Also, try going to your local farmer's market or flea market for fresh in-season vegetables. They are usually really cheap in the summer months.

Beans are an excellent source of protein. Grow your own vegetables!

The best thing for your budget is to not eat meat. Meat is expensive. Keep your diet focused on grains and vegetables and fruits. Vegetables should make up the bulk of what you eat. Lots of vegetables have a good amount of protein. Find good recipes on the internet that use ingredients that are easily available to you. Since you have no money, but you do have time, explore new cuisines, find ingredients in local shops, like small ethnic groceries and such. you'll be amazed at what's available and that it's inexpensive to try. Ask someone in the store what it's used for if you don't know. They'll be happy to help you. Try unfamiliar fruits and vegetables (know the name at least so you can look up recipes). This is much less daunting than meat eaters eating unfamiliar meat! Take this opportunity to broaden your horizons and gain cooking skills that will serve you for the rest of your life. I'm vegan and have been for over 20 years. I love tofu, but I don't eat it every day. Right now I'm on a special medical diet and I can't eat tofu at all. it's not the end of the world for me and not being able to afford tofu is not the end of the world for you.

Whole wheat pasta and bread, beans, peas are pretty cheap sources but most everything has protein in it....even veggies.

I dont use the fake meats-I see no point. You can easily use inexpensive beans and lentils as meat replacements that have plenty of protein. My 12 year old is vegetarian, and she loves tacos filled with beans rice and cheese, homemade taco sauce, and shredded lettuce-really cheap and super tasty-same for burritos and wraps. Cous cous is super cheap, and really easy to make-its usually in the rice aisle, and comes in many flavors, including curry, brocolli, etc.
Just make sure you eat plenty of whole grains, like rice, quinoa, millet, etc. Meat is expensive, and since you are giving that up, that money can go towards good fresh veggies and fruits. Good luck!

The only thing I can think of as far as veggies go is to grow a garden if you have the ability to...aslo beans, canned veggies, and eggs are cheap and good foods to eat...

nuts offer lots of protein and healthy fat

Beans are good protein. The cheapest meal on earth is beans and rice. Check out Quinoa, it is a grain that is high in protein.

Go to your local farmer's market, this is where you can get better prices on vegetables compared to the super market chains.

Try growing some vegetables, it's time to start planting the seeds. Try a few plants to start with.

1. Buy a bag of rice.
2. Buy a bag of beans - any beans, including lentils
3. Buy plenty of fruit juice with Vitamin C
4. Buy some fresh vegetables and fruits if you can afford to.
5. Whatever dried herbs and spices you like.

Forget all those fake meats etc. Just buy and cook real food! You know food... I'd make a list for you, but it would be endless. Just go to the library and get some recipes. Go for traditional ethnic vegetarian foods as they have usually been tried tested and true for a good 1000 years. From Iran, India, China, Japan, Korea, Russia, ... they all have their 100% vegetarian foods, and all of these foods were eaten by the poor or peasants. The poor ate the best food, although they might not have thought so. They were the workers, tough, strong, but always dreaming of the king and queen eating their steak and cake.

I've been vegetarian for over 2 years and the only time I eat tofu is when I go to the Chinese restaurant (and thats rare). Eat beans and nuts. Both are cheap.

You can eat pretty cheaply with soy products (protein). No more expensive than other fast foods. You can also make nice cheese melts if your not going vegan. You will need iron so spinach is good for this.

Morning star and Boca products those are inexpensive and are fake meat and most contain 40% less fat then real meat.

A$H!

Yard clippings and wood bark.