Wellness Wednesday

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People often tell me it's too expensive to eat healthy.  Rory Freedman, author of the "Skinny Bitch" vegan books and cookbooks proved this wrong by purchasing a week's worth of vegan food on a California food stamp budget of $33.  She bought grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and condiments under this budget.  Although it isn't likely that any of her purchases were organic, the items she purchased are much healthier than a diet high in animal products. Animal products contain saturated fat and cholesterol which contribute to the epidemics of heart disease and obesity in America.   

The idea of not eating meat seems to confuse a lot of people.  Last night I was working with a group of women in our local jail.  Somehow the topic of food came up and several of the women were extremely puzzled when they learned I was a vegetarian.  They couldn't contain their curiosity and asked questions like "Do you eat fish?," "Can you eat a steak?," and "What do you eat on pizza?"  When I said I had been a vegetarian (this time) for over 10 years, they were flabbergasted.  Somehow they had the idea that one could not survive without eating some type of animal product.  However, when you look at the cost of meat and cheese (both dollar-wise and health-wise), it is much less costly to eat a meat-free (or low meat) diet.  Ten dollars spent on dried beans or frozen vegetables will stretch much farther than that same amount spent on beef or chicken.