I don’t eat expensive heavily processed meat alternatives. I use beans and cheap tofu to replace proteins. Canned beans are cheap AF. Chickpeas are super rich in protein and super healthy. Thankfully there’s a wide variety of beans and tofu is rather tasteless, so just like chicken can be marinated and spiced any way you like. It’s cheaper than adding meat to your dish.
And if you can’t eat that every day, you maybe could some days, meaning a few days less of meat consumption. Cheaper and better for the environment. Win win :)
Absolutely, am a pan of tofu in pan fries. I also use less meat and then bulk put with red lentils, chickpeas, or mixed beans. But the only pure-lentil protein meal I’ve managed to keep on is the Butternut squash curry, because the squash masks the chickpeas. The mealy texture of lentils makes them hard for me to appreciate solo, especially chickpeas (I can’t eat peas for similar reasons) so I tend to half-and-half. A single chicken breast still feeds four people if bulked right. Hummus is fine since the chickpeas texture isn’t as much an issue, and makes for good vegetarian soul bowls.
Unfortunately tofu is not cheap here, it costs about as much/slightly more than chicken. :( Regional pricing I suppose, I’m from an isolated farming nation so luxury goods have to be imported at large mark-up. Anything we don’t grow here gets priced to match :/ Lentils are cheap though, and you can also do a lot with a baked potato!
I don’t eat expensive heavily processed meat alternatives. I use beans and cheap tofu to replace proteins. Canned beans are cheap AF. Chickpeas are super rich in protein and super healthy. Thankfully there’s a wide variety of beans and tofu is rather tasteless, so just like chicken can be marinated and spiced any way you like. It’s cheaper than adding meat to your dish.
And if you can’t eat that every day, you maybe could some days, meaning a few days less of meat consumption. Cheaper and better for the environment. Win win :)
But do what works best for you.
Absolutely, am a pan of tofu in pan fries. I also use less meat and then bulk put with red lentils, chickpeas, or mixed beans. But the only pure-lentil protein meal I’ve managed to keep on is the Butternut squash curry, because the squash masks the chickpeas. The mealy texture of lentils makes them hard for me to appreciate solo, especially chickpeas (I can’t eat peas for similar reasons) so I tend to half-and-half. A single chicken breast still feeds four people if bulked right. Hummus is fine since the chickpeas texture isn’t as much an issue, and makes for good vegetarian soul bowls.
Unfortunately tofu is not cheap here, it costs about as much/slightly more than chicken. :( Regional pricing I suppose, I’m from an isolated farming nation so luxury goods have to be imported at large mark-up. Anything we don’t grow here gets priced to match :/ Lentils are cheap though, and you can also do a lot with a baked potato!