Comments on: Meat Prices Going Up? Tips for Switching to a Vegetable-Based Diet

By: Hannah @Cooking Manager

Hannah @Cooking Manager — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:36:09 +0000

Lou, thanks for your comment. Any kind of change in diet and cooking style takes getting used to.
-Hannah

By: Lou

Lou — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:10:02 +0000

Thanks for the useful tips. I stopped eating meat about six months ago and will admit that it was dreary at first. But after the first few weeks, the non-meat diet started feeling “normal” and I started enjoying being imaginative with ingredients and cooking methods. I suggest to carnivore friends that if they can’t quit, they can always cut down and that’s the first step.

By: Hannah @Cooking Manager

Hannah @Cooking Manager — Mon, 10 May 2010 07:10:59 +0000

Thank you, Ilana.
Leah, I agree, eating less meat at each meal makes a difference.
Risa, I think that legumes and whole grains are the way to go to save money and eat well. Vegans don’t eat any animal products.

By: Risa

Risa — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:13:15 +0000

I’m just wondering, here in Israel, what other ingredients can you use as creative substitutes? Mushrooms aren’t that cheap, certainly not in the quantities you need for main dishes. Also, please excuse my ignorance but what is the difference between vegan and vegetarian?

By: LeahGG

LeahGG — Sun, 09 May 2010 16:03:55 +0000

I also go the other way – I’ll make a meat dish that has tons of other ingredients in it, so that 1/2 kilo of meat makes a large pot of stew, chulent, meat loaf, meat sauce, chili (with beans), while 1/2 kilo of meat is barely enough for 2 steaks.

It means that we can indulge in a meal that feels like a lot of meat without actually using a lot of meat.

Other than chicken, we almost never eat “straight meat.” Roast, steaks, hamburgers, or corned beef are special occasion foods – probably we eat all of those together about 6-7 times a year.

By: Ilana-Davita

Ilana-Davita — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:52:06 +0000

This is an excellent piece Hannah. Although I have not gone completely vegetarian, I use less and less meat. It helps that I enjoy dairy meals.