People often ask me, "Isn't it more expensive to eat healthy?" That does bring back memories...That first year of being a vegetarian was a lot of trial and error. I was trying out a lot of different brand foods from health food stores. We were moving away from the better known brands with lots of additives. Those big store brands do tend to be cheap (as are the fillers they use in them)!

I was feeling like without meat as the center of the meal, I needed to make MORE dishes at dinnertime. And, I was buying a lot of "transitional foods" like fake chicken, bacon, ground beef, deli slices etc... These foods aren't necessarily less expensive than the animal products they were replacing.

So yes, I was thinking it was costing more at that time. BUT, I have come to know for sure that it is less expensive to gradually move towards a simple plant-based diet. It keeps getting less expensive the more you move towards that "foods as grown, simply prepared, mentality." It takes a little time to adjust to a new lifestyle. And the bigger question I immediately think of when people sort of - complain is... "How much is your health worth?"

How much do you, or might you, spend on Rx medications, doctors visits, lost wages, lost time going to different specialists, aggravation, grief etc... if you are not well? It is hard to put a price on one's health, but imagine your life without it. Yes, we all are going to die from something. But being disabled, diseased, and broken in body isn't something that automatically happens to all cultures of people in the later years. The decisions we make day by day can make all the difference. As Dr. Hans Diehl says that "How we choose to live, often determines how we will die."

I have here some examples of inexpensive dinners for a family: (Most of the individual prices of items came from Walmart and Trader Joe's, BUT - buying LOCAL and ORGANIC is best in my opinion!)

Veggie Stir-Fry (serves family of 4)
2 bags of frozen stir-fry veggies     
2 cups dry brown rice                      
1 bag salad greens                           
dressing                                               
stir fry sauce                    
Total: $9.24

Spaghetti Dinner (serves family of 4)
1 box whole wheat noodles     
1 loaf of whole grain artisan bread   
1 jar store bought marinara      
mushroon, green pepper and carrot to add to the sauce
1 bag mixed greens and dressing  
Total: $13.66

Nacho Bake Casserole (serves family of 6)
1 bag baked tortilla chips   
1 can black beans  
1 large jar salsa
1 can mexicorn  
1 tomato
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 box "creamy" tomato soup
Total: $11.39

Creamy Veggie Curry (serves family of 4)
1 box couscous
1 can light coconut milk
1 bag frozen mixed veggies
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 cup frozen peas
curry seasoning
Organic mixed green salad
Total: $10.34

Taco Bell (serves 2-4)
4 7-layer burritos, al fresco (no dairy)
Total: $8.07

Bon Appetit!