Best dried beans, lentils & peas according to redditors
We found 155 Reddit comments discussing the best dried beans, lentils & peas. We ranked the 80 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 155 Reddit comments discussing the best dried beans, lentils & peas. We ranked the 80 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Make your own! It's super healthy and cheap, much cheaper than buying it premade. I'm actually making some right now!
Ingredients:
Edit: and water so your blender doesn't overheat!
Eat with veges or as a meal topping
Here's a couple facts you may be able to aggregate into your response
> The U.S government spends $38 billion each year to subsidize the meat and dairy industries, but
only 0.04 percent of that (i.e., $17 million) each year to subsidize fruits and vegetables. A $5 Big
Mac would cost $13 if the retail price included hidden expenses that meat producers offload onto
society. A pound of hamburger will cost $30 without any government subsidies.
Source: http://scet.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/CopyofFINALSavingThePlanetSustainableMeatAlternatives.pdf
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And even though something like McDonalds is super cheaper, many raw plant-derived foods are still cheaper per calories (per quantity nutrients it's just a show-show, McDonalds is not even in the same league. Caloricly speaking, the "race" is a bit closer)
So, a Big Mac, just the Big Mac alone, cost $4 now, in this one Big Mac, you're getting 563 calories. So per dollar, you're getting 141 calories, more or less.
Here, we have a 50 pound bag of pinto beans for $60. 50 pounds is 22,680 grams. Per serving, on the back of the bag, you get 150 calories per 44 grams (in their dry form, so if you boiled them, they would be less caloricly dense, but that is irrelevant because in their boiled form, the bag has a lot more than 50 pounds of beans). That is 515 servings. That is 77,320 calories per bag. That is 1290 calories per dollar.
In terms of nutritional density, I would still have to do lots of calculations, and I will one day... but now right now... but the number will be a lot more absurd then "10 times more calories per dollar"... it will be, I predict, something like 50 to 100 times more nutrients per dollar with beans than a Big Mac...
Anyway, my point is, your friend is as naive as a fallen leaf when it comes to veganism. Dude probably thinks vegans only eat $14 juice and over-priced goji berries.
https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Bean-Southwestern-7-25-Ounce/dp/B000FI701Y
Dude, these things are amazing. Don't carry canned beans...
Small quantities are cheaper from Amazon. Large quantities are cheaper directly from Butler Foods.
Butler Foods, Soy Curls, 8 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0048OBT04/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wCaHDbEX8668P
Southern soy curls recipe (I don't have an airfryer, so I just cook them in the oven at 400 until crispy):
https://healthyslowcooking.com/vegan-air-fryer-southern-fried-chicken-soy-curls/?epik=dj0yJnU9SjdoeVlyeWZtZ0ZlTDRFbi1oby03cG9Ha3NKRzhQUlcmbj1EejU5aVlXR1prSWkwX0FDQlFsbTRBJm09MyZ0PUFBQUFBRjJFRERZ
Cheeze sauce recipe:
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/amazing-vegan-cheese-sauce?epik=dj0yJnU9LWdLdWFuZUJ0ZFdFT0d4ekoza1ZBYVlpMHJUWm55RjAmbj1rbmoza2JxZ05MOHNGbVJ1ME1TYWNnJm09MyZ0PUFBQUFBRjFaeFhR
They're Butler foods soy curls I get mine on Amazon.
Butler Soy Curls, 8 oz. Bags (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HAS1SVU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TiM.zb5PQ43RX
One bag usually lasts my husband and I two meals. I use them in soup, I make them into fajitas... I love them! The texture is spot on.
>classic hummus
I've been making my own Hummus for about a year and a half now, and I've been pretty pleased with it, it has far less oil too. I buy the ingredients online, I could get canned chickpeas locally, but couldn't get Tahini. Canned chickpeas are about 99c a can in most grocery stores if you go that route.
5lb of Organic Chickpeas $14.95 - - a whole hell of a lot of chickpeas. It lasts me ~2 months making a batch a week.
2 16 OZ jars of Tahini $10.49 which is enough for 5-6 batches of Hummus.
I cook 2 cups dry chickpeas, which will fill up a 5 cup food storage container no problem, which is a LOT of hummus.
Chickpeas are beans, so they need to soak. Soak them in water overnight, then drain, put in a pot of fresh water, add a tsp of baking soda and simmer for ~2 hours. You want to cook them until the skins are dissolved and they're really soft, which is the key to smooth hummus. Once they're done, drain them.
Mix about 1/2 cup Tahini with 1/2 cup lemon juice (2 lemons give or take if you use fresh) and 2 cloves garlic (or about a tablespooon of chopped garlic) and put in a blender or food processor and blend for a bit. Add salt and pepper, and optionally you can add parsley and cumin and/or greek seasoning. Add the cooked and drained chickpeas and blend until smooth. Add a bit more lemon juice or water if it's too thick for you.
More Tahini will give the hummus a deeper and richer flavor, but nutritionally Tahini is a bit like peanut butter, so the more Tahini the more calories/fat it's going to have. It's still reasonably healthy, just higher in calorie.
Tastier than store bought Hummus and generally healthier because most store bought hummus uses some form of vegetable oil and sesame flavoring rather than actual tahini, so it has more fat in it.
Google led me to this Canadian online store: http://www.bridensolutions.ca/instant-refried-pinto-beans-nutristore-10-can
That's about twice as expensive as I pay on Amazon in the US: https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Bean-Southwestern-7-25-Ounce/dp/B000FI701Y
But 2x as expensive might be acceptable if you really really want beans.
You might also experiment with looking for instant bean soup, instant hummus, and instant falafel.
Couscous is a pretty solid base for cold-soaked meals as well, but it might not pack as much nutritional value as the beans, depending on how important that is to you.
Check your local health food store as well. You might get lucky in the bulk bins.
OMG, I get to introduce you to an amazing vegan pantry must-have! Soy Curls are like Gardein Chick'n Strips and TVP had a baby. They're awesome to cook with because they come dried like TVP and you soak them in broth which you can season however you like. You'd then fry them in a pan or bake them. They're cheaper than Gardein Chick'n Strips and are shelf stable.
Do you cook at home? It’s a lot easier when you’re not relying on restaurants to offer vegan options. I get a lot of my non-perishable things (rice, dried beans, pasta, oil, vinegar, seasoning, nutritional yeast) online, even some things from Amazon (soy curls are delicious and have lots of protein!)
I do buy fresh and frozen produce, tofu and soy milk from my local grocery store, though. Hopefully, you have access to some fresh stuff nearby, though tofu and soy milk are definitely not essentials.
Not gonna lie, this was lazy AF and thrown together, but lemme try to put it together in my best recollection:
• 1 box trader joe's asian noodles w/ peanut sauce (very helpful thing to keep in your pantry)
• Maybe about 1/2 - 2/3 cups of dry Butler's Soy Curls (amazon.com/Butler-Soy-Curls-Bags-Pack/dp/B00HAS1SVU/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1483927018&sr=8-3&keywords=soy+curls) (the best)
• 2 carrots and a handful of frozen peas
• Cheap peanut butter
• Clove of garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, onion powder, hot chili oil, lemon, spinach, ginger paste
Soak the soy curls in warm water for 10 minutes to constitute them. While this is happening, chop up the carrots, then throw in the microwave box with the frozen peas and noodles and sauce and microwave for two minutes (as I said, lazy AF)
Fry the constituted soy curls up in a pan with minced garlic in a combination of 1 TB sesame oil, 1 Tsp chili oil, like 2 TB soy sauce for 4ish minutes to soak in flavor. Throw in spinach leaves and let them wilt.
Throw the contents of microwave box into frying pan, add garlic powder, onion powder, squirt of lemon juice, a TB of ginger paste, a big spoon of peanut butter, and more soy sauce to taste.
Stir. Stir. Stir.
Put in a bowl and shamelessly eat the whole thing in one sitting.
Santa Fe Bean Co., Instant Fat Free Vegetarian Refried Beans, 7.25-Ounce Pack (Pack of 8) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FICDO8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fu0PAb35WF8B2
Amazon.
Sure. This stuff is supposed to help the flavor of lentils and help digestion. Heat in ghee and fry beans in it for a minute.
I've bought split pea 4lbs $15.
garbanzo Takes a long time to cook to soft. Pressure cooker?
I bought some brown lentils, but they weren't split, and still had the shell. Little more chewy than I like.
These were a very good no soak substitute for navy beans. Bit pricey.
I tried these in chili and they were good. No soak. Small, sweeter than kidney. Fast cook.
Search
I've been using chili and white chili kits from the grocery store, a pound of beans, a bit of chicken for meat, diced tomato, onion, peppers, and any other vegies I want to use up.
I've had great experiences with these green lentils, which have an awesome almost-peppery flavor just on their own. If you're looking for a creamier curry (lentil mush vs. recognizable individual lentils), these are pretty good red lentils. I also grabed these brown lentils, but haven't tried them in a curry yet.
Just a head's up: if you don't eat a lot of legumes, you might find that lentils give you some... flatulence. This is best avoided by rinsing the lentils very well, or by just eating more lentils -- the body adjusts pretty quickly in my experience.
Truly an incredible, delicious food!
I think it could be done as the calorie to weight ratio is great.You could likely survive on the chips alone but I'd supplement the chips with some fresh fruit/veggies when possible. The biggest challenge would likely be getting bored of the chips.
I think you could get creative with storing the whole bag of chips, perhaps in the outer mesh pocket of your pack if you have one or if not by attaching a stuff-sack or other bag to your pack.
Fritos are 160 calories per ounce and probably a bit more crush resistant. I imagine they'd pair well with some instant re-fried beans.
I know it's not exactly the same as TVP, but soy curls are made from the whole bean and are quite easy/fun to use in cooking :)
I bought a few of these I figure I can make these on the trail and use it in burritos for lunch for a day or two.
Butler Soy Curls, 8 oz. Bags (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HAS1SVU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FNx6CbG4Y40S7
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/186691/lisas-favorite-carne-asada-marinade/
I get them from Amazon! Unfortunately it looks like they recently increased the price a lot, it used to be $22 for 6 bags
https://www.amazon.com/Butler-Soy-Curls-Bags-Pack/dp/B008EMAF0G/ref=pd_aw_sim_325_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B008EMAF0G&pd_rd_r=8453e621-0e64-11e9-9a1f-612069dec60e&pd_rd_w=VL9YS&pd_rd_wg=3N2S8&pf_rd_p=57b46099-d750-4d74-83ee-63ad64b310a4&pf_rd_r=8FC8VWKQZXZ1HRKT4A7A&psc=1&refRID=8FC8VWKQZXZ1HRKT4A7A&th=1#&vs=1
>Who decided that every single thing has to come wrapped in plastic?
Consumers did. Plastics are durable, long-lasting, and cheap to make. They keep food fresher as well. When these products were created and provided to consumers as an option, consumers considered them superior in quality and in cost.
But that's not all. Plastics had enormous impacts on all manner of daily life -- military applications, scientific applications, it provided us the ability to travel to space for example.
All of this due to plastics.
Nobody "decided" independently any of this. The material turned out to be highly useful and important and cost-effective and now it's used.
>Who decided that everybody should have a personal vehicle?
Consumers did. Henry Ford took an enormous gamble to create the assembly-line method of creating vehicles to lower the cost because most people considered it a ridiculous notion that people would be driving around in cars or that people wouldn't be using public transportation methods.
But it turns out consumers like having a personal vehicle and when it became affordable for more people to have it, they bought it.
It's really that simple.
>Who keeps pushing for the use of more and more bottled products for hyper-specific purposes?
People buy bottled water because they find it convenient, fast, and easily within reach. You do not have to use bottled-water products if you do not want to.
>Who decided to artificially limit the useful life of household appliances?
Consumers decided they want to upgrade appliances, especially when appliances themselves. New versions of microwaves are better than old versions, so people buy the new version. Same is true for blenders and refrigerators and TVs and diswashers and so on and so forth.
If you're referring to "planned obsolescence" such as lightbulbs for example, competing lightbulb manufacturers quickly arose to offer light-bulbs that last years longer and consumers have the choice to buy them. Many last five to ten years.
If you're referring to "perceived obsolescence" as in a change in appearance or name or branding and so on is the only real difference to the product, I think that doing that is not a big deal. Upgrading your brand or packaging is what businesses do sometimes. It's up to you as the consumer to decide if you want the "new" version or not.
>You blame it on the public that there's literally no alternative
You have a clear alternative. You can reject all modern life and then walk off into the woods never to be seen again. That is your alternative.
Consumers MAKE the market, not the service or product creators. All a product or service creator does is INTRODUCE the product or service to the marketplace (you) and then the consummers (the market) decides whether or not they want to buy it.
So when a company like Tesla decides they can GET RICH offering electric cars to the population and work for years trying to streamline battery technology in order to dramatically reduce the cost to consumers...
Then it's up to YOU whether or not you buy one when it becomes more affordable. If you, the consumer market, finds the cost attractive and the car worth it to buy, then you will buy it. Period.
When people hurrying at a frenzied pace to get meat alternatives to a viable consumer point such as lab grown meat and iron-infused veggie burgers...
And it hits the market and is affordable and grocery stores and restaurant chains begin offering it and marketing companies create campaigns that resonate with people...
Then you will BUY it. And then it will become normal.
>when big companies have been pressuring the whole economy for decades to drive out independent actors and traditional ways of doing things.
That's not how any of this works. Companies don't become "big" unless lots of people like their product and service so much they keep buying it, thus making the company big.
>Nowadays every time I buy lentils I have to throw in the trash a single-use plastic.
Here's a giant burlap sack of lentils you can have delivered straight to your door via Amazon (you have consumer options): https://www.amazon.com/Non-GMO-Project-Verified-Non-Irradiated-Certified/dp/B001PEZLCW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=dry+lentils&qid=1557917341&s=arts-crafts&sr=1-2-catcorr
>Only the supplier profits off of this, and only large-scale suppliers.
No, the consumer profits from it too because it lowers the cost. It also keeps food fresher longer.
>The public is a mine for the lust for obscene profits of corporate executives
If you want to start a business, you must create a product or offer a service that people want and are willing to pay for. There is no other conceivable way to create a successful business.
You as the consumer have all of the power and choice. The only thing a business can do is hope you choose them.
You're being ridiculous.
>If it wasn't like this, companies wouldn't have to constantly push new doodads through overblown advertising campaigns.
If a business doesn't make money, it cannot continue operating.
If people don't like the "doo-dads" the company is offering, they will go out of business.
You have full 100% autonomous choice in what "doo-dads" you think are worth it enough to spend your money on.
Nobody is forcing you.
Soy Curls
Super simple~
First start with these.
On the can there is actually a recipe for the rice seasoning and instructions. It's basically rice vinegar and sugar. Aside from that, steam your rice and then add the seasoning, stuff the inari and you're done! Also, the recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of rice. I actually used more like 2 cups but it really doesn't hurt to have some extra rice.
Lentils are cheap AF on Amazon:
Never had this soup myself but I love trying to make a vegan/vegetarian version of existing dishes.
I found this recipe on google:
https://girlandthekitchen.com/avgolemono-soup-greek-chicken-soup-lemon/
Swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth is one option, but I’ve also seen some vegan chicken broth products. We use one that comes in a powder form from a local health food store. There are some on amazon as well.
Something like this:
Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base, Vegan Certified 8 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N7YKQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bgojDb6Z55B60
You could also make your own vegetable broth. Homemade broth is really tasty.
For the chicken meat, I’ve had good luck with butler soy curls in a soup. They stay together well and don’t turn to mush In a soup like a lot of fake meat products. I usually brown them in a sauté pan first. If you hydrate them in your broth they take on its flavor. They also sell a vegan chicken flavor seasoning for it (same brand) but I’d imagine your broth will give enough flavor on its own but you can experiment.
Butler Soy Curls, 8 oz. Bags (Pack of 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HAS1SVU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_thojDbHX21G1Y
Chik-Style Seasoning - 10.75 oz Jar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008UYIW8U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1iojDb88KXZ9X
The tricky part is probably the eggs. You’ll have to experiment here to get what you’re after.
It sounds like they’re being used as a thickener and making the soup creamy. The recipe calls for mixing the eggs with lemon juice almost like a mayonnaise or a hollandaise sauce.
A “flax seed egg” might work for you, google it and you can see how that’s made. I’d also consider puréed silken tofu. My mom uses silken tofu instead of egg in her cheesecake recipe with pretty good luck. Some combo of the two might even work.
Not sure if this soup has an eggy flavor from the eggs, but if that’s missing you can use a little black salt which has an eggy flavor.
It might take a few try’s and some experimentation but it looks like it can be done.
Yep, Amazon. I'm getting these ones that come in the 8 pack. I have an address in Niagara Falls, NY, and I get stuff shipped there and then bring it back across. I have a couple of packages waiting to be picked up, so I thought I'd throw these in as well, and offer them to anyone here who is interested.
If you are doing from scratch, you probably need to do the beans from scratch. I would also recommend smashing the beans before dehydrating them, to make flakes.
But, since you are buying the beans, might as well buy pre-dehydrated beans like this
What I learned as a college senior supporting myself on about $150/week (including rent): lunchables are fucking expensive. Lentils are where it's at - you can get 108 oz of fancy-ass lentils off Amazon for $21.37, and the cheap ones at the grocery stores around here are maybe half that expensive. Nutritious, and they last, too.
Zatanain's red beans and rice is vegan, dehydrated, flavorful and filling.
You could also get something like bulk soy curls, also dehydrated, very lightweight and very good. Just add to hot water and season, they are good in just about anything. I bet if you were interested in trying you could make a good jerky at home with them to bring, it would be cheaper than a ton of packaged Primal Jerkys. Obvoiusly you don't need 12 pounds, but here is the product:
https://www.amazon.com/Butler-Soy-Curls-lb-Bulk/dp/B007Z8S60Q?th=1
Soy curls are the bomb, especially when you soak them in something tasty and not just plain water
What u/choomguy says. Santa Fe Bean Company has some that are pretty good and can be bought off of amazon, though you can sometimes find them at the super market. Couple them with Minute Rice!
Note: the amazon link is to an eight pack of beans. I accidentally bought these and end up putting most of the bags in my emergency barrel.
DIY sauces are the best. Here is my go-to stirfry marinade. I don't generally measure the quantities; just keep tasting until I find a ratio that works:
Sometimes I replace the gochujang with Sriracha or another chili sauce, and add fermented black beans--this is another wonderfully versatile Asian ingredient that adds a salty funky kick to your dish.
On the PCT I ate freeze dried refried beans and minute rice almost every night, bought from amazon and either shipped to myself, or to my family that packaged and sent to me on trail. Poptarts in the morning, cheap granola bars I buy in town, summer sausage and cheese for lunch. If I found Cliff bars for $1/bar I would buy them, but reluctantly.
As a fake meat I like Butler Soy curds that to my palate do not have that soy after taste that plagues many fake meats. I marinate it is Hot sauce, garlic and onion powders and maybe a little bit of liquid smoke. I fry the drained soy curds in peanut oil and sprinkle on their Chik-Style Seasoning as a breading and it works really nice in stir frys or with Better then Bullion I can come up with a pretty mean chicken noodle soup. I like the soy curds better then Gardein and they are much cheaper.
Buy an instapot pressure cooker and get some dried beans of all varieties. Pair the beans with rice and you have a complete protein! I am in romantic love with my pressure cooker. I'd recommend making chili in it right off the bat. (You'll need diced tomatoes, beans, onion, chipotle peppers and chili or taco seasoning. Split pea soup is also stupid easy and very affordable.
You can also get a seed sprouter and the seeds for it for some produce in your diet. I also like sprouting mungbeans. And it's getting a little late in the season to plant I think but consider starting a tomato plant.
I've read these beans are even better (keep them whole or mash):
Amazon, preserved black beans
This is the tofu I used the first time I made mapo and I think it's still the best I've had. Silken is definitely the way to go, Firm to Extra Firm. It's shelf stable and this is a great price.
Mori-Nu Silken Tofu, Firm, 12.3 Ounce (Case of 12)
Agreed on the chili oil, it's delicious but easily cut for diet.
Edit: added more info on thebtofu
Some of these are hard to find and get into, so I'm gonna post a brief visual guide to Chinese food ingredients/products that bearsx3 posted about. (Note: I'm not Chinese, I've just taken up Chinese cooking as part of my food hobby, so if anyone could add or correct any info, that would be appreciated)
Chinese cooking Wine
Zhenjiang (Chinkiang) vinegar
Hot bean sauce
*found this article about the stuff. It's pretty interesting.
Sweet Fermented Paste
Fermented Black Beans
Sesame Oil
Soy Sauce
Whole Dried Chilies
Things I'm still confused about:
What are some good brands of dark and light soy sauce? Is normal soy sauce in between dark and light, or is normal soy sauce the same as dark soy sauce? What about thick soy sauce? A Balinese acquaintance made some absolutely amazing fried rice that was topped with thick soy sauce and I've been hunting it ever since.
If anyone has any questions, ask away.
Actually rice and beans is significantly cheaper than instant ramen.
A 12 pack of top ramen costs about $9. That's about $0.75 per meal.
These beans cost $15 for 104 oz dry; a serving of beans is roughly 2 oz dry (you soak them and get about 4 oz), so that's about $0.07 per meal's worth of beans.
This rice costs $26 for 240 oz dry. One serving of rice is about 3 oz dry, so that's about $0.32 per meal's worth of rice.
Even just eating rice and beans on their own is significantly more satisfying than instant ramen, I've found. So that's about 1/2 the cost for a better meal.
And in fact, if you're not a complete idiot and just go to the store and buy your supplies, you'll probably pay a lot less.
The downside, of course, is you need to know how to cook and you need to have enough free time to actually do it - without a crock pot, beans can be a giant pain in the ass, and without a rice cooker rice can be similarly frustrating.
Choose the lentils carefully. Perhaps you were using Pidgeon Peas, which require a pressure cooker (or over 1 hour of cooking time) to soften.
Some varieties cook much easier than others. I recommend red lentils from Bob's Red Mill. Pour them into a pot of boiling water (I use a 2:1 ratio of water:lentils), then cover and let it simmer for ~20 minutes. You will be rewarded with tasty, wholesome thick mush.
I found them on Amazon, but it's a rip-off for $4.99 per can.
I bought mine at Wal-Mart for $1 per can on the discount isle.
I use Butler Soy Curls. Not actually sure if Butler is a brand or a variety...in any case, you can find them here on Amazon. Some local stores might have them too (for example, I know Vegan Agenda in Salt Lake City sometimes sells them.)
>B-b-b-b-b-b-b-bonus #1 Make your own damn hummus
I decided to include one of my favorite easy recipes to make. I love middle eastern food, but living in the middle of nowhere midwest makes that hard to come by round dese parts. This recipe + the following falafel/tzatziki makes my friends think I am some sort of food wizard, but it is criminally easy.
>Preperation
>Cooking
You can add any spices you want to this. The liquid aminos gives it a really neat flavor.
I buy them from Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Butler-Soy-Curls-oz-Bag/dp/B0048OBT04
Re:cost of living; currencies are either "strong" or "weak": in countries with weak currencies, cheap things necessary to live (food, place to live, etc.) tend to be a lot cheaper, while everything else (education, beds, real home, technology, etc.) is a lot more expensive. Strong currencies are the opposite.
Most African currencies (South Africa and Egypt are the notable exceptions) are very weak, meaning that basic living (eating) is very cheap, but everything else (including clean water and health care) is much more expensive.
On top of that, variety is practically nonexistent. Eating beans and rice (which is minimally healthy, but sufficient) is very cheap: pinto beans are .04 cents/calorie, and rice is .07 cents/calorie; and that's off Amazon, not generic product from a bulk wholesaler. Eating 3000 calories/day of beans and rice (1500 calories each) would cost $1.60/day of food.
I've been camping recently and even if you're not backpacking you could still use the same food ideas. Something like this would work well (haven't tried it personally yet but I just ordered it): https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Bean-Southwestern-7-25-Ounce/dp/B000FI701Y
Most recipes call for canned, although if you have an Instant Pot, all you have to do is dump in dry beans & pressure-cook them in the IP with some water (same result as the canned kind, but you control the salt & freshness!). Depending on how you like your beans done (firmness & flavor), you can do something like a cup of dry chickpeas, four cups of water, a couple bay leaves, and some garlic cloves. Do a manual cook on high pressure for 40 minutes and then a natural pressure release. Adjust the time (and flavorings) as needed, to your preferences & for whatever recipe you want to use them for (I don't recommend garlic & bay leaves for the cookie recipe!! lol).
I buy dry chickpeas in bulk & store them in a food-safe 5-gallon bucket with a gamma-seal lid (a type of screw-on lid that doesn't require a tool & has a seal built-in). They're good for a year or so that way. A lot of places sell the one-pound Goya bags in the Spanish/Mexican section of the grocery store for about a dollar. Or if you want fancier ones, Amazon sells them in larger quantities:
https://www.amazon.com/Garbanzo-Chickpeas-Verified-Non-Irradiated-Certified/dp/B001PEWJWC/
You can make hummus in bulk & then store it in snack-size packs in your freezer for up to four months. I do a lot of little meal-preppy things like this with my Instant Pot. Like, I make hummus all the time, I make yogurt all the time (for parfaits, homemade froyo, etc.), I make hardboiled eggs all the time (those go into hardboiled eggs for snacks or in ramen, sliced into salads, chopped into egg salad for sandwiches - with or without curry, chopped into potato & egg salad as a side, deviled eggs, etc.). Lots of rabbit holes to go down with the Instant Pot!
I did the trail veggie. I ran into a couple shortly after Fontana that had been weekend camping and packed too much food so they were looking to give it away. Oddly enough they were veggie too. Ended up with several packs of these beans, they were awesome.
I contacted the company halfway to tell them how much I enjoyed them on the trail and they sent around 6 boxes to my mothers' house. I was set for the rest of the trail lol. I'd just add hot water, later on, I sent the stove home and just soaked them for an hour or two before eating.
I carried a small bottle of Catalina dressing and was set. I know it sounds gross, but I love Catalina on beans. Other than that I just had the usual sides of cheese, instant potatoes with gravy, veggie jerky, rice or noodle dishes from Knorr, etc.
If I were to do it all over again I'd probably bite the bullet of extra weight and carry a high-quality multi-vitamin and perhaps a good whey or micellular protein blend. I knew thinning hair would be in my future due to genetics, but pre-trail and post-trail photos are night and day difference. Hair never really grew back. I'm sure many will take this as proof that a meatless diet isn't optimal, but I last I checked, a diet of tuna, snickers, honeybuns, etc. isn't optimal either. I can't think of anyone who "ate optimal" on the trail. Idc what you're eating, the trail will not be kind to your body and the caloric deficit you'll be in will take its toll. Just my 2 cents, then again I met vegans who did just fine, so it's whatever.
Sweet and Spicy Shoyu Soy Curls
You’ll need:
Assemble:
The interwebs delivers! http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Douchi-Fermented-Black-Beans/dp/B003K3KOM8
Some lentils for soup would be really handy. I lost everything in my fridge and freezer when my power went out for a couple days and I've been playing catch-up on making batches of stuff for freezing.
Instant Pot Chipotle Black Beans (so easy!)
Canned beans, schmanned beans. Nothing is better than cooking your own DRIED beans from scratch! These Chipotle Black Beans are SO easy (and cheap!) to prepare in your Instant Pot and the flavors outperform any can of beans. It’s a win-win.
Full recipe (with notes) found at....https://veggiechick.com/instant-pot-chipotle-black-beans/
INSTRUCTIONS
I've tried dehydrating them but they don't really dehydrate well. Plus, these are cheap so I just use them.
Here is the mobile version of your link
It's pretty easy to nearly double the value of the McDouble.
Bob's Red Mill Black Turtle Beans with subscription
All natural,
Kosher certified,
Trans fat free,
Cholesterol free
Calories per dollar: 634.5
Protein per dollar: 42.3g
McDouble
GMO,
Definitely not Kosher,
Trans fat 1g,
Cholesterol 65mg
Calories per dollar: 390
Protein per dollar: 23g
Livestock Subsidies in the United States totaled $4.1 billion from 1995-2012.
*Excluding sales tax
Also, I would suggest ordering from your local food co-op or buying club rather than Amazon.com. You will probably get a better deal, but that's just convenient for comparison.
25lbs of rice for $20, which is just a little over $1/kg, my bad for slightly overestimating.
I literally bought 1kg of chicken breast for $10 last week, and that was at a more expensive supermarket. Easily find it for cheaper at the local butchers or market.
Almost 50kg of beans for $15
Love the (just slightly inaccurate) name calling, really helps your shitty arguments.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008EMAF0G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1539053499&sr=8-3&keywords=butler+soy+curls&dpPl=1&dpID=61iVKpebUvL&ref=plSrch
Try buying these, cheap, healthy and super easy to make, best part is they never go bad as they’re just dehydrated soy.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI701Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You can cold soak them too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HAS1SVU/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1523387914&sr=8-2&keywords=butler+soy+curls&dpPl=1&dpID=51JnQKmK4hL&ref=plSrch
Nomalicious!
I am going to hook you up with the most wonderful things ever: SOY CURLS. Absolutely, amazingly delicious for us vegetarians. They are kind of like tvp but you know how tvp is gooey icky texture? Soy curls do not have that texture. It has an amazingly chewy/"meaty" texture. You will not regret getting them. Great source of protein, gluten free, versatile, delicious--just incredible!
Um...if I win I wanna try these!
The peas are to die for.
Amazon is your friend.
https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Bean-Southwestern-7-25-Ounce/dp/B000FI701Y/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1519239520&sr=8-3&keywords=dehydrated+refried+beans&dpID=51KxO3C8SgL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
Don't know how OP does it, but I just buy it in a can.
Wow, they actually sell it in stores near you? Lucky!
Butler Soy Curls, 8 oz. Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0048OBT04/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_N22KxbV2RMA68
You can them on amazon: Santa Fe Bean Co., Instant Southwestern Style Refried Beans, 7.25-Ounce Pack (Pack of 8) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FI701Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_IMPBMNkasV7bT
Amazon! Shirakiku Inarizushi No Moto 10z https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B446GE0?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
Do you have a kitchen and freezer?
Rice (Basmati, Jasmine, Calrose) and beans (black, pinto, kidney). If you can buy in bulk you will save a lot.
If you have a slow cooker (garage sale/goodwill) beans become really easy and you can store them in the fridge for a week and heat them in the microwave. The bean broth can be used to cook rice or to make soups.
All kinds of lentils (I'm just learning how to cook these).
Frozen vegetables in bulk.
Have a good look at Indian cuisine. There are really good deals on the necessary spices on Amazon, look up SpiceIsland.
I'm a huge fan of dehydrated refried beans Fantastic Foods sells them in bulk and they are pretty good butthey are already seasoned. My favorite are the ones from The Santa Fe Bean Company. Sometimes they ahve them in bulk.
I'm not a vegetarian, but meat is expensive, and meat that isn't expensive is usually loaded with bad shit.
You can add chicken to beans and rice or lentils when you have it.
We love Quorn. However, if you want "This tastes great! Oh crap did I just eat some chicken?" experience check out Soy Curls. I ordered a veggie dish w/ Soy Curls and took it back complaining that they used chicken in their vegetarian dish. They were all 0_o back at me.
It's much more like these, you just cook it and cut it to look like meat. We are calling this one a "duck" not a beef, since it's sweet like a duck. If I remember right from my non-vegan days.
The ramen museum is okay, but nothing special. You get to make your own ramen and the place is often full of school kids. You can see a small replica of the first experimental kitchen and a wall with half a million ramen cups. That's about it - 30 - 40 minutes.
I think natto is vile, but some shops sell a dried form like a natto nut. Its quite good, you get the sense of natto without all the sliminess. https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Dried-Fermented-Beans-Hoshi/dp/B009ZR1TAY
You don't have to eat plain to save money. Just make your own food. Making your own meat substitutes is way cheaper.
This can of vital wheat gluten is $22 for 45 servings. This four pack of beans is $18 for 64 servings. This pack of tofu is $21 for 48 servings. That's 157 servings of protein for $61. Lentils are crazy cheap as are oats, whole grain pastas and breads. Flax seed is cheap (gives you your omega-3s and works as a binder in recipes). Nutritional yeast is sold pretty cheap in bulk sections in some grocery stores as well.
Frozen fruits and veggie are sometimes cheaper than the fresh stuff. I live in CA so I can get some pretty cheap fresh produce. A lot of vegan cooking involves some planning. For example I always keep cashews soaking in the fridge for when I may need a creamy or cheesy sauce.
I eat a lot of mexican food and refried bean flakes (although never used that brand) are easy, quick, and delicious!
McDonalds is NOT a good way to cut your food budget. I can't imagine what you would eat there to get breakfast/lunch/dinner under $5 total.
Yes, definitely start cooking. Here's a very quick, easy, cheap, and tasty vegetarian (high protein!) dinner:
Pick up a bag of Bob's Red Mill TVP for $2.79 at the grocery store, and follow this recipe minus the fresh red pepper (I'm lazy), grab a pack of tortillas and some sour cream. One batch will give you tacos for dinner for about 4-5 days, and that won't even use up the whole package of TVP. That's like $3 for 4 days of dinner! (Since discovering this, I bought 15lb of TVP in bulk from nuts.com which is like 60% the price of individual store packs but does require I have somewhere to store it)
And here's a delicious lentil dish I've taken to making. I usually double it because leftovers make the next day easier or provide lunch:
Heat the oil, then add the scallions (note: if you don't chop up the white part, you can put it in water or a pot on the window sill and grow more) and stir them around until they are lightly browned. Add the spices and stir over heat for a minute so it smells all nice. Stir the lentils in. Add the water, reduce heat to low, and let it cook for 20-25 minutes. Add the salt at the end.
Here's another taco recipe using black beans and sweet potatoes.
Risotto's a good easy dinner that you can make in large batches to last a few days and just toss in whatever frozen veggies your grocery store has on sale.
Eggs are a good cheap breakfast.
And think really hard about whether that $720/yr in weed is really worth it. Heck, the weed munchies probably aren't helping the food budget.
I've been doing research about this all weekend!
Gardein and other's like it make their soy products textured like meat by changing the molecular structure of the plant proteins so they are more stringy like animal proteins. They use an extruder to create the end product of fake meat which is why it's not really possible to recreate at home.
While yes, seitan does come slightly close to meat texture, it's still more spongy and bread-y than Gardein.
So what to do. WELL there is a vegan restaurant in my town that has these devil 'wings' and sometimes buffalo 'chicken pops' that have a really great mouth feel, very close to chicken.
I wondered and wondered how they did this. So I experimented. I got ahold of some TVP and tried mixing that with wheat gluten and the texture was almost there but still not the same. So I asked the restaurant (under the guise of food allergies. I felt pretty sneaky) what was in their devil wings. They said they were soy based gluten free.
Hmmm so no vital wheat gluten after all. So it must just be all TVP, I think to myself. But the TVP I have is in such tiny mince chunks, that can't be right. So I do more digging. There are BIGGER soya chunks out there--> some in smaller nuggets some in bigger fillets.
Whaaaaat how did I not know this was a thing. So I look at these chunks(more so the fillets) and THEY ARE THE DEVIL WINGS! HORAY! But where can I buy these big pieces of soya? I look and look and look and there is only really one company that sells the large soy pieces and that is So Soya in different flavors. A little expensive for me, so I plan on going with the chunks to try first. I looked up a bunch of videos and recipes on how to cook them and you reconstitute them in water or brother, wring out the excess liquid and then use them in place of chicken or beef slices. I wish they were more readily available in markets, but they seem to be something mainly used in Asian cousins(mainly Indian).
TLDR: Soya chunks, fillets, curls. You can buy them from So Soya for the bigger pieces or the chunks are sold online or in asian markets(curls here). They come dried, so you reconstitute them with either broth or water, squeeze out the excess liquid, and use them like chicken.
I mean scape together $15 for a sack of beans, walk until you're somewhere no one will bother you, and then build a shack. Do odd jobs enough to buy another sack of beans when the first one runs out. Spend the rest of your time painting birds or having sex with college chicks or whatever it is that makes you happy.
I make this all the time in the summer. Super quick, super easy. Only hard thing to get, occasionally, is soy curls (this link is the kind I use) - a lot of grocery stores have them but you may need to go to an asian market to find them if you're someplace with low demand for them.
Very first: slice up your cabbage hopefully better than me, pour enough apple cider vinegar to lightly coat everything, then add enough veganaise to coat and then toss splash of BBQ in there. Shake it up and let it sit for as long as possible - an hour is great. You can eat it right away, though. Just gets better if you let it soak in.
1 Bag Soy Curls soaked in cold veggie broth. Drain it after ten minutes or so and mix th a bit of BBQ sauce, let it set/marinade for a bit. You can skip that part and cook right after you drain, however.
Fry the soaked curls in a pan until hot then dump BBQ sauce in there until it's as wet and BBQy as you like it.
Throw that shit on a bun.
Fries was just generic seasoning mixes (Trader Joe's) on top of rosemary frozen fries. Chips are great too. Or eat two sammies, I'm not going to stop you.
I feel the same way! Part of the reason I like making vegan/vegetarian recipes for lunch is I hate the texture of microwave heated meat. I also don't really like the texture of tofu.
I found these things called soy curls and they are amazing. They have a texture similar to chicken, but you can mitigate that by breaking them into very small pieces. They get crispy on the outside, too. Anyways, they are my go-to protein source when I need protein, but know the texture of meat or tofu will be off-putting. You might want to try them.
I'd go with the other poster's suggestion of using mturk.com. The money can be used on Amazon without having to wait to get it into your bank account. Get at least $25 in the account, then you can get some cheap protein without having to pay shipping.
This is a pretty decent price on lentils if you use the subscribe and save: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Lentils-27-Ounce/dp/B004VLVK4O Lentils can be sprouted to add a bit of variety and extra nutrition.
Peanut butter is stupidly expensive on Amazon, but, this is a better deal than some of the others on offer: http://www.amazon.com/JIF-Peanut-Butter-Creamy-Pack/dp/B001KU2TZI/
How are you on herbs and spices? They can make a huge difference in the palatability of your food over time.
I haven't tried these yet (been meaning to), but apparently dehydrated tofu is a thing you can get on amazon. Says it's vegan.
Vegan cooking isn't that difficult once you get used to it. The hardest part is a great egg replacement, which you don't have a problem with.
You can make seitan as a chewy, juicy meat substitute. I'm not a vegetarian but have been very happy with it battered, deep fried, and sauced in a strong Asian-American sauce like orange/sweet and sour/or lemon.
As others have said, Asian food is where it's at. Stirfrys are easy. Tofu, tempeh, seitan, or just extra veggies instead of meat. A Sichuan-style eggplant is delicious. Veggie tempura. Sushi with mango, strawberries, grilled onions, eel sauce(Without eel), mushrooms, fried bean curd, pickled carrots and diakon as options can be surprisingly good. Eschew tradition and have fun with it.
Pasta, pizza, more or less anything baked. Milk can be replaced by soy/nut alternatives, or even water and a little oil in most recipes. Sauces are easy, marinara, pesto, or nutritional yeast(Parm cheese equiv). Bake and frost a cake! Chocolate is just coca powder, sugar, and a fat, with different fats imparting flavors and textures. "Creamcheese" frosting is achieved with apple cider vinegar. Balsamic can be amazing.
Cashew vegan cheesecake is amazing. You can play around with the ingredients in the, what is more or less a nut butter to give it different flavors. White or brown sugar, maple or corn syrup; different fats and acids. I like both acv and lemon, brown sugar, with the coconut milk and oils. Haven't tried the crust, it's good by the spoonful chilled.
I'm not a big fan of wasabi, but I absolutely love sriracha peas: http://www.amazon.com/Hapi-Snacks-Spicy-Sriracha-Peas/dp/B002ERD3HO
That price on amazon is pretty ridiculous, if you can find it locally (I get it at my local Wegmans in the asian import section) it's much cheaper.
Shit, you're right. It's closer to 25%.
Yes. Plenty of evidence. Go to a grocery store. There you will find the evidence you so desperately seek. Sorry I don't have time to conduct a study on the abuses of SNAP. I guess I could quit my job and start conducting research, but I'd need you to pick up the tab for my grocery bill, sound like a plan?
Do I really need to link you the cost of rice and beans? :(
Rice $14.79
http://www.amazon.com/Bombay-Basmati-Brown-Rice-10-pounds/dp/B004H4LPCM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375362740&sr=8-2&keywords=bulk+rice
Beans $29.90
http://www.amazon.com/Pinto-Beans-Bag-Box-Each/dp/B000RHSY9K/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1375362793&sr=8-4&keywords=bulk+beans
Why should you believe what I say? Because your math skills should tell you that $44.69 is LESS than $300-400.
> 25lbs of rice for $20, which is just a little over $1/kg, my bad for slightly overestimating.
Costco. Not everyone has access to one dumb fuck. Add membership fees and it's not .80 lbs. Nice try though dummy.
> literally bought 1kg of chicken breast for $10 last week, and that was at a more expensive supermarket. Easily find it for cheaper at the local butchers or market.
Sure you dud chubbs. I bought 2000 KG of coke for 19.99 at the most expensive dealer last week. Trust me. I 'm on reddit.
>Almost 50kg of beans for $15
You can't be this dumb or can you? If you are a not so clever troll then you are the dumbest most shut in loser i Met here. Not an easy task friend.
This was your link:Almost 50kg of beans for $15 : https://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Turtle-26-ounce/dp/B004VLVJP4/ref=redir_mobile_desktop/135-2788632-8712266?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=mh_s9_acsd_zgift_b16U6F_c_x_1_w&th=1
Bob's Red Mill Black Turtle Beans, 26-ounce (Pack of 4)- $15.28
So fucking dumb. SO fucking shut in.
>Love the (just slightly inaccurate) name calling, really helps your shitty arguments.
Nah. It's 100% accurate. You just proved it.
Downvotes, but no counter evidence.
​
The sign of true intellectualism.
​
https://www.amazon.com/Pinto-Beans-50-Pound-Bag/dp/B0098QCYZ6/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1536385218&sr=8-1&keywords=50lbs+pinto+beans
Gosh, that food desert thing sounds really dire.
Rice.
Beans.