What's some inexpensive, healthy food?

[Jeff G.]

I love a mix of fresh veggies for a meal. Sliced daikons are great for a change of pace to celery, carrots, etc.

Favorite raw veggies.. cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, radish(red or Daikon), jicama(nicely sweet edged), Potatoes!!, celery.

Of course you can then move into the fruits. A little fruit along with some fresh veggies and you can have a great meal for little money.

As a matter of fact, that is what I a doing for lunches now. I stop a the store and get fruit and veggies and take to work. Cheaper than eating out and a lot better for you.

 

[seans_potato_business]

I say switch off the freezer and make do without. I just use fresh foods and the refrigerator (which can keep most frozen foods edible for a couple of days anyway, not that I ever buy frozen foods). Note that buying foods that can be kept at room temperature (e.g. fresh brussels sprouts instead of frozen or UHT milk instead of regular refrigerated) is cheaper because of the reduced overheads. I also found that tomatoe puree is cheaper than fresh tomatoes when you consider the quantity of tomatoes that goes into making it.

If you simply stop buy food at snack bars etc and make you own sandwiches and stuff from now on, that should help to make major headway towards your goal, also.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hawkeye - I'm ignorant to what might be missing from my diet without meat... aside from protein, what things does meat offer that is not in vegetables, fruits, grains and lentils?

Iron, calcium, zinc and some B vitamins are more easily absorbed by the body from meat sources than from other sources. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that is only produced by animals - it does not exist in plants - and so the only way to obtain it is from some sort of animal product.

Women's Health Advisor 2005.4: Vegetarian Diet (Adults)
Nutrition Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12, Nutrition, Feinberg School of Medicine

A vegetarian diet needs to be carefully planned in order to be healthy; complete proteins can be formed by combining certain foods (i.e., rice and beans), while meat sources of protein are already complete (they contain all the amino acids necessary to create new cells).

 

[bethzaring]

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that is only produced by animals - it does not exist in plants - and so the only way to obtain it is from some sort of animal product.

I grow the medicinal plant, comfrey. Reportedly, it is the only known plant that contains vit b12.

"Comfrey produces large amounts of foliage from late May until hard frosts in October or November. This crop has been used as a salad green and potherb because it was considered a good source of protein and a rare plant-derived source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is produced usually by soil bacteria and fungi or in the small intestines of some animals. Humans usually obtain this vitamin from eggs, dairy products, and meat."

 

[GotGarlic]

I grow the medicinal plant, comfrey. Reportedly, it is the only known plant that contains vit b12.

"Comfrey produces large amounts of foliage from late May until hard frosts in October or November. This crop has been used as a salad green and potherb because it was considered a good source of protein and a rare plant-derived source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is produced usually by soil bacteria and fungi or in the small intestines of some animals. Humans usually obtain this vitamin from eggs, dairy products, and meat."

Did you get that from here? Comfrey - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki

It would be nice if there was a citation for the source of that information. Also, I don't really give it any more credence that I would Wikipedia, because "Appropedia is a wiki, a type of website which allows anyone to add, remove, or edit content. Registration is encouraged but not required for contributors."
Appropedia:About - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki

I could log in and take that paragraph out if I wanted to

The source I gave, at Northwestern University, said:
Vitamin B12 deficiency is most commonly the result of inadequate absorption. Low intake can also contribute since vitamin B12 is exclusively found in foods of animal origin.

 

[bethzaring]

Did you get that from here? Comfrey - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki

no i didn't.

look in any herbal book. it is not the least bit disputed that comfrey has vit b 12 available to the human body when eaten. I am sure I have read this fact at least 20 times in the past 40 years.

 

[periwinkle]

You could make a mujadarra, with lentils/rice/onion. Try making homemade soups, they are cheap and easy and can be frozen for future meals. Also, can you eat sweet potatoes? Really tasty...I'm trying to think of more foods....

 

[GotGarlic]

no i didn't.

look in any herbal book. it is not the least bit disputed that comfrey has vit b 12 available to the human body when eaten. I am sure I have read this fact at least 20 times in the past 40 years.

I don't know if you've been reading the Food Myths thread, but repeating something for a long time doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

This is interesting: from Christopher Enterprises, Inc.
"... the FTC said, comfrey is not safe for internal use because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are known to be toxic to the liver, and taken internally such substances can lead to serious illness or death."

I have a book called "The Complete Book of Herbs," copyrighted 1988. About comfrey, it says "The list of beneficial substances in its leaves sounds impressive and includes calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, C and B12 - but not in sufficient amounts to meet our daily requirements, especially as comfrey should only be taken internally in moderation."

There's a footnote that says: "Some authorities say comfrey should not be taken internally."

I'm not sure how to reconcile "B12 is only available from animal sources" and the above, but it sounds like comfrey is not a preferred source of anything: From The Green Line :
"Did you know ... illness, injuries and death have been associated with the use of the herbal supplement comfrey? Preparations of comfrey, a fast-growing leafy plant are widely sold in the United States as teas, tablets, capsules, tinctures, medicinal poultices and lotions. Since 1985, at least seven cases of liver disease including one death have been associated with the use of commercially available oral comfrey products. Comfrey plants contain high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) report. The FDA has informed makers of supplements with comfrey that the herb poses a serious health hazard. The agency "strongly recommends" that companies selling comfrey products have them removed from store shelves and warn consumers about continued use."

 

[bethzaring]

I don't know if you've been reading the Food Myths thread, but repeating something for a long time doesn't necessarily mean it's true.

This is interesting: from Christopher Enterprises, Inc.
"... the FTC said, comfrey is not safe for internal use because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are known to be toxic to the liver, and taken internally such substances can lead to serious illness or death."

I have a book called "The Complete Book of Herbs," copyrighted 1988. About comfrey, it says "The list of beneficial substances in its leaves sounds impressive and includes calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, C and B12 - but not in sufficient amounts to meet our daily requirements, especially as comfrey should only be taken internally in moderation."

There's a footnote that says: "Some authorities say comfrey should not be taken internally."

I'm not sure how to reconcile "B12 is only available from animal sources" and the above, but it sounds like comfrey is not a preferred source of anything: From The Green Line :
"Did you know ... illness, injuries and death have been associated with the use of the herbal supplement comfrey? Preparations of comfrey, a fast-growing leafy plant are widely sold in the United States as teas, tablets, capsules, tinctures, medicinal poultices and lotions. Since 1985, at least seven cases of liver disease including one death have been associated with the use of commercially available oral comfrey products. Comfrey plants contain high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids according to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) report. The FDA has informed makers of supplements with comfrey that the herb poses a serious health hazard. The agency "strongly recommends" that companies selling comfrey products have them removed from store shelves and warn consumers about continued use."

I have been reading about, and using, comfrey since 1976, the fresh, home grown variety, not the manufactured product. I have seen a lot of conflicting information concerning comfrey over the past 40 years. I suggest you do a lot more reading to calm your concerns. and remember, I only responded to your incorrect post, that there was NO PLANT that contains vit b 12. But I now find that there are actually 2 plants that contain vit b 12, comfrey and alfalfa plants, okay? enough?

 

[GotGarlic]

I suggest you do a lot more reading to calm your concerns.

I'm really not that concerned, since I don't use it. I just thought you might be interested.

... and remember, I only responded to your incorrect post, that there was NO PLANT that contains vit b 12. But I now find that there are actually 2 plants that contain vit b 12, comfrey and alfalfa plants, okay? enough?

No need to get testy I'm still not convinced that that's true, though. My book is dated 20 years ago - a lot has changed in that time and I don't know where that book got its information anyway. (rhetorical question) Why would government and higher educational sources consistently say animals are the only source of B12 if it's not true?

 

[GB]

OK folks. Time to get back to discussing inexpensive healthy foods.