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Meat is not the most expensive part of our food budget, fresh produce is (fruits and veggies). We go through it so fast. I try to grow what I can but it is difficult, hard to keep deer and squirrels and other pests off things.
Which is one of the reasons why it is so expensive, that and now gas is going up again.
I rarely eat meat and it certainly seems that a LOT of meat in the diet is not a good thing. Legumes, rice and whole grains are usually cheaper.
However....as stated above, fresh fruit and veg isn't that cheap either; in fact they can be quite expensive. A pork roast or whole chicken or turkey provides many meals. I'm single and can base almost a week's worth of meals off of a chicken or pork roast - on sale, that's under $5.00. In that week I'd spend easily 3-4 times that on vegetables and fruits.
I might rely a lot of legumes, etc but I certainly don't want to eat nothing but lentils or beans!
Re: growing your own...I do that and it's not necessarily inexpensive either plus it takes some work to set up and maintain a vegetable garden that produces a meaningful amount of food. Plus for those of us with a short growing season, we only get fresh produce from a garden for a few months. Canning and freezing is also labor intensive and requires some financial resources too.
I pay less for meat than for most fruits and veggies. I buy frozen leg quarters for 59c a pound or less, and I eat a lot of organ meats (liver, heart, etc) for around a dollar a pound. Very few fruits and veggies are as cheap as a dollar pound (mostly just potatoes and carrots and bananas).
So I could actually save more money by eating more meats, and giving up fruits/vegs.
Location: Living near our Nation's Capitol since 2010
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Why do I get the feeling you are a PETA-type vegan? Are you against eating meat for "moral" reasons?
As said by others above, meat is not the most expensive part of my diet. I would have to say that vegetables and fish are at the top. I enjoy eating meat..certainly in moderation...but I find it delicious, satisfying and overall, not so expensive. I like to braise turkey thighs (about $1.00 each), stir-frys (less than 1/4 lb meat per serving), kebobs with 20% meat and 80% vegetables, etc. I eat meat about 3 times a week, fish once a week and vegetables, grains and salads the rest of the time. I am extremely healthy and I have tons of energy.
Eating meat is not bad for you if you employ common sense, moderation and careful planning.
Meat may not be the most expensive but it is certainly the most environmentally devastating to mass produce and most of it (unless free range, no hormone, grass fed) is not great for health. I think we can all reduce the amount of meat we eat but cutting it out completely is a bit difficult and impractical also, for health reasons. Fruits and vegetables may be expensive but in the long run they will save you some healthcare woes and costs. Eating cheap meats (though organs are yummy) is a certain way to get cardiovascular disease.
Eating balanced is probably the best for health overall. Given healthcare costs, it makes sense to do what is best for your health.
There have been several studies done on 'mountanmen' type people in the artic who eat a year round diet of mostly to totally meat and animal related products.
They are/were very healthy.
-I use them because they arn't one of the 'tribal examples' where you could claim genetic adaptation.
Now, I DO try to eat organic beef, not raised with all those growth hormones etc.
But I eat a steak about once a week along with my fruits and veggies.
We are omnivores. Anything else does NOT make 'health sense'
-I know several vegans and vegetarians. They have to WORK hard to eat a diet which will maintain their health... and often still look pale and sickly.
TO say nothing of the fact that THEIR DIET costs more.
im a vegetarian, meat is cheaper than store bought veggies. you get what you pay for. im not sickly or pale, i run 2 miles in 15:20. we find gardening to be affordable and rewarding. just my opinion.
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