Do You Shop For Food or Groceries? Vol 3
I am not a vegetarian, however, I am a chef that prepares all types of cuisines for my clients and their guests. Doing research for this weeks blog, I learned there are four types of vegetarianism.
Vegan - Vegans do not consume any animal products or by-products.
Lacto Vegetarian - Lacto vegetarians consume dairy products.
Ovo Vegetarian - Ovo vegetarians consume eggs, but no dairy products.
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian - Lacto ovo vegetarians consume dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.
Volume 3 of this blog is focused on Lacto-ovo vegetarian meal options. In the coming months, I will dedicate a blog to each type of vegetarianism.
I always thought it was more economical to cut out meat to save on your grocery bill, however, I was wrong! I spent the same amount of money this week on groceries as I did for the January blog posts. Because it was just vegetables, I wondered how they averaging the same cost as meat? In the past, I looked at the grocery store flyers and sought out the best deals possible for the meals I planned to prepare. This week, I didn’t do that prep work and assumed vegetables would be cheaper. I. Was. Wrong! I spent $33.25 and yielded seven complete meals to feed a family of four. Lesson learned: I need to scout the ads even if I am only buying vegetables and fruits.
While in the grocery store, I paid close attention to the price of pre-packaged vegetarian options and was blown away at the cost! For example, a whole pineapple uncut was $2.19, however, a precut already packaged pineapple was $6.99 per pound! Squash and zucchini were $.99 per pound, however, a precut package of squash and zucchini were $3.99 per pound! It was the same for greens. All varieties of greens were $.99 per bunch and bagged greens were $2.99 per bag. I was truly blown away at how expensive ‘convenience’ is for customers.
If you are a vegetarian and are looking at ways to cut down on your weekly grocery store bill, consider cutting out the pre-packaged/pre-cut items. Also, in season, some Farmer’s Markets may offer better prices for produce and fruit.