Being Vegetarian: The Thing You Can’t Give Up

When it comes to going vegetarian or vegan, the whole idea of perfectionism—of never eating dairy again and never eating meat—is among the biggest obstacles for people. I saw this first hand for the first time many years ago when I was teaching a class on vegetarian cooking. One student told me that she loved the idea of going vegetarian but she just couldn’t contemplate it, because she couldn’t give up her favorite food—a Reuben Sandwich.

I asked her how often she had a Reuben, and she said “Oh—maybe 4 or 5 times a year.” I suggested that maybe she would like to try being a vegetarian with the exception of 4 or 5 Reuben sandwiches every year. It had never occurred to her!

Sometimes people get more focused on definitions than on meaningful habits. If they can’t imagine themselves as 100% vegetarian or 100% vegan or 100% organic locavore, they don’t bother trying at all. If you’re thinking about eating a plant-based diet, but there are one or two things holding you back, why not give in to those couple of things, and be vegetarian the rest of the time?

When we give ourselves a break--and accept that we may not be able to be perfect-- making changes can feel a little more achievable.

The Frugal Vegan

Beans and rice are cheap, but, for many of us, vegan diets aren’t. Tofu, veggie burgers and soymilk are important staples in some veggie households, and they are often—or usually—much more expensive than their animal-derived counterparts.

But with a little bit of planning, you can cut costs in your veggie kitchen. Here are a few ideas:

Get back to basics: Whatever happened to beans and rice, anyway? They are still the best foods on earth—always good for you, good for the environment, easy on the pocketbook.

Take the condiment approach with meat substitutes: Progressive dietitians have long advised that meat should be treated as a condiment in healthy diets. No more big slabs of beef on the plate—but rather, small amounts of meat should be cut up and used to flavor soups, stews and stir-fried dishes. This approach can serve vegans well, too. I’d love to cook up a whole Tofurkey sausage on the grill, but at more than $1.00 each, it just isn’t feasible. So I cut them into little pieces to add great flavor and texture to soups and pasta sauce.

Shop everywhere: I get my rice and beans in bulk from the local food coop; my peanut butter, coffee, olive oil and nuts from Costco; pasta, sauce, canned beans and wine from Trader Joe’s. If I’m in the vicinity of a Grocery Outlet, I stop in there because you never know what kind of vegan goodies (and cruelty-free products) they might have that week. If you are lucky enough to have an Asian grocery nearby, it’s a great place to find cheap, fresh tofu.

Stock up on savings: : Some of these stores are an hour of driving plus a ferry ride away for me, so when I go, I buy a ton of whatever items are on sale. I never leave home without a cooler! We built shelves in our basement to store cases of canned goods, pasta, cat food, wine, and paper products. In her classic guide to creative frugal lifestyle, The Tightwad Gazette, Amy Dacyczyn suggested storing cases of canned goods beneath the bed! An extra freezer is great if you have room, too, and will quickly pay for itself.

Cook from scratch: Yikes—I know! Who has time? But take a look at your food purchases and see if there are one or two things you can make yourself without a whole lot of effort. I cook beans from scratch, and make my own soups and hummus. But I buy bread and pasta sauce and veggie burgers. And I’m not about to make my own tofu and soymilk (although you might want to!). Making big batches of homemade dishes and freezing meal-sized portions saves lots of time and money. And it feels so good to peek in the freezer and see a month’s worth of dinners!

Grow your own: Even a little plot that gives you lettuce and tomatoes all summer long can save lots of money. Check out the book Square Foot Gardening for ways to garden in a small space. Devote some space to leafy greens like collards and kale because you can harvest the same plants all summer long (they keep growing) and even into the fall (they love the cold!). If you aren’t one to be digging around in the dirt, then grow a few tomatoes, herbs, and strawberries in pots on the patio.


Don’t waste money:. Store brands of vitamins are just as good as pricey brand names. For produce that isn't in season, frozen options are often cheaper and better for you.

Compromise if you need to: Maybe you need to buy bread at the bakery outlet and it isn’t all vegan. Or perhaps you can’t afford to buy all organic produce. You’re already doing a lot for the animals and the environment by eating a mostly plant-based diet. So don’t sweat the small stuff; make concessions where you have to and don’t feel guilty!

Eating for the Earth:Locavore or Vegan?

Voltaire said that the best (or the perfect) is the enemy of the good. And when it comes to diet, there is a definite risk that setting standards of perfection will paralyze us into inaction. On the flip side, it's not great to let a few good choices make us so complacent that we don't seek to do more.

A good example of this in the world of dietetics occurred when Americans got cholesterol savvy and started trading in beef for white meat such as chicken. That was a moderate improvement in eating habits that let people feel good about their diets—but by itself, it doesn't make a diet "heart healthy."

More recently, I’m seeing examples of this in regard to diet and environment. I live in a fairly progressive community of people who are, for the most part, sincerely committed to making choices for the greater good. Most are devoted to shopping and eating locally and choosing sustainable types of food. Our little farmers’ market is bustling in the summer and the food co-op is always crowded. Restaurants tout their sustainable menus with meat, dairy and produce from farms right here in our rural county.

Eating locally-produced food is good, of course. There are many excellent reasons to support community businesses and family farms. But the effects of those choices on the environment are marginal at best compared to the impact of eating a plant-based diet.

A study published last year in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that reducing red meat and dairy consumption is far more effective than buying locally-produced food for reducing greenhouse gases. In fact, the researchers estimated that reducing consumption of these foods by just 11-19% was as effective as 100% local buying!

Do shop locally and buy organic when you can. But for real impact, nothing compares to eating a more plant-based diet.

World’s Best Peanut Butter Cookies—and Yes, They Are Vegan

I made these cookies for a fundraiser last night and, as always, was a little worried about the texture. It’s tricky to get vegan cookies to be tender, (and these are definitely crisp, not soft) but several people told me that they were the best peanut butter cookies they had ever tasted! (And one of them was my friend Phyllis, who is pretty much the most inspired baker in the history of the world.)

I used Adams brand peanut butter—the only PB I use for anything. It’s the closest thing to homemade, and it wasn’t involved in the recent recall. I buy mine at Costco in 5-pound tubs.

Admittedly, these cookies are no great nutritional bargain. They are mostly fat, sugar and white flour. But they’re cookies—they aren’t supposed to be healthy; they’re supposed to be fun!

So here they are—the world’s best peanut butter cookies (according to my friends):

4 tablespoons margarine
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2/3 cup Adams peanut butter **
¼ cup water
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ cups white flour
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional, but encouraged)

** I won’t be held responsible for the results if you don’t use Adams.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together the margarine, brown and white sugar, and peanut butter. Add the vanilla and water and mix everything very thoroughly.

In a separate bowl sift together the salt, baking soda and flour. Stir it into the peanut butter mixture to make a very stiff, kind of crumbly dough. Add the chocolate chips and mix very thoroughly.

Form the dough into balls the size of walnuts and place on a nonstick cookie sheet (I always line the sheet with parchment paper). Flatten the cookies with the back of a wet fork twice, turning it to make a crisscross design. (I have absolutely no regard for non-traditionalists who don’t crisscross their peanut butter cookies!)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until slightly browned (only slightly; don’t over-bake them). Allow to cool on a cooling rack. I like to transfer them to a plate and cover with plastic wrap while they are still just slightly warm because they get kind of hard otherwise.

Great Vegan Bean Cuisine

The absolute best meal I’ve ever had was a platter of chickpeas and fresh tomato sauce; it had simmered all day on the open hearth of a restaurant in Sicily, and—along with a little pasta, escarole, and Chianti, of course—created a meal that could never be rivaled by even the most expensive cut of meat!

Other wonderful bean-based delicacies: garlic-infused Cuban black beans, spicy Indian lentil curry, or lemony chick pea hummus from the Middle East. Beans are world class cuisine!

I always keep a good supply of canned beans on hand for fast meals. But they have become expensive lately, and they also have a higher glycemic index than those you cook from scratch. And cooking your own dried beans is easy.

Except for lentils and split peas, beans will cook much more quickly if you soak them first. Rinse the dried beans in a colander, then put in a pot or bowl with 3 cups of water for every cup of dried beans. Let them soak in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, although it’s okay to leave them for much longer. Drain and rinse, and then add fresh water—the same amount you used to soak them. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until the beans are tender, around 1 to 2 hours.

You can also use the quick soak method: Instead of soaking, bring the beans and water to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour. Drain and add fresh water and they are ready to cook.

Cooked beans will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to six months. This will change their texture and flavor somewhat, but it’s a good way to make sure you always have beans on hand.

If you are bothered by gas from beans, try changing the water in which you soak them several times over several hours. This leaches out the indigestible sugars, called oligosaccharides, that cause gas production. But don’t be so quick to get rid of these sugars. They promote growth of friendly bacteria in the colon that can reduce your risk of cancer. And most people find that they feel less gas-y as they get used to eating more beans.


Canned or cooked, it is easy to turn beans into flavorful dishes to serve over rice or scooped onto a baked potato. Here are a few super-fast ideas. The amounts are approximate; let your own tastebuds guide the way you season these dishes:

For black, pinto, and kidney beans:

Mexican-style beans: For each cup of cooked beans, stir in ¼ cup salsa and ¼ cup corn kernels. Heat and serve over rice topped with shredded soy cheese or chopped avocado and tomatoes.

Cuban beans: Saute ½ cup chopped onion and 3 cloves garlic in canola oil until the onion is tender. Stir in 3 cups of cooked black beans and add salt and pepper to taste.

For white beans—great northern, baby lima, or cannelini beans:

Beans with mushrooms: Sauté 1 ½ cup sliced mushrooms in olive oil. Add 3 cups of cooked beans and season with black pepper, dried thyme and fresh lemon juice. You might also add canned or chopped tomatoes to this dish.

Barbecued beans: Mix in 3 tablespoons prepared barbecue sauce per cup of cooked beans.

Zesty beans with tomato sauce: Mix in 3 tablespoons prepared spaghetti sauce (try a spicy one like Paul Newman's Sockarooni) per cup of cooked beans.

Italian-style beans: Saute ¼ cup chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil. Add 3 cups of cooked white beans and ½ cup chopped figs. Season with dried basil and rosemary.

Beans with apples and sausage: Saute ½ cup of onions in olive oil. Add 3 cups of cooked beans, 1 diced apple, and 4 ounces of vegetarian sausage, (defrosted and crumbled). Simmer together until everything is heated through and the apples are tender.

Beans for Vegetarians and Other Smart Eaters

I’ve got beans on the brain. I’ve been thinking about them a lot because—like everyone else—I’m trying to cut back on expenses. But even in the best of financial times, beans are nearly always on my menu. I love and adore them. Here is what’s so great about beans:

They are central to all kinds of exotic and exciting world cuisine, so beans lend themselves to fun recipes.

They are gorgeous! Lentils and black beans may not be all that exciting, but look around for some of the “boutique beans” like Christmas limas, Calypsos, and Black Valentines. They are kitchen art!

They’re plant foods, so of course, eating more beans (and, therefore, less meat) is good for the environment. But beans are even better than other plant foods. They require less water than crops like wheat and corn, and they add nitrogen back to the soil.

The carbs in beans are the best kind—lots of fiber and resistant starch. That translates to better control of blood glucose, better digestive health, and possibly lower risk for cancer.

Replacing meat in your meals with beans will automatically boost your fiber intake and will lower saturated fat intake—great protection against heart disease.

Beans are packed with potassium—a mineral that falls short in many American diets.

Beans are antioxidant superstars. They are higher in antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables and are on a par with blueberries and strawberries.

I’ll write more tomorrow about just how simple it is to get beans into your diet and about that pesty gas problem, too!