Although I am of the school of thought that you don’t have to cook everything from scratch to be healthy and convenience foods do have a place – sometimes those convenience foods can add up cost-wise!
I thought I would create a fun challenge for myself and see what the cost difference would be if I made my favourite convenience foods myself! Check out the differences below:
I certainly did save at least a few dollars per serving by making them myself. This may not seem like a huge difference, but that difference gets greater and greater with the number of servings that I make.
Let me know which recipes that you want to try!!
“Beyond Meat” Burger
Ingredients
- 12 sliced mushrooms sautéed until browned
- 1 cup quinoa
- 12 oz tempeh chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup quick cook oats
- 2 tbsp grated beets
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa and set aside one cup.
- Sauté the mushrooms until tender and browned.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl food processor and process until mostly chopped, and incorporated, and the mix resembles "hamburger."
- Divide into four pieces (or more or less, depending on how large you want your burgers), and shape into patties.
- Sauté patties in a pan with optional oil and serve on buns with your choice of condiments.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Veggie Power Bowl
A copy-cat of the "Healthy Steamers" version
Ingredients
- 1/2 Red Onion diced
- 2 cup Spinach Frozen
- 6 cups Edamame beans thawed
- 1 cup Frozen mangos thawed
- 1 Carrot julienned
- 6 cups Quinoa cooked
- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
Dressing
- 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup/honey
Instructions
- Head a large frying pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking oil (I use avocado).
- Add diced onion and frozen spinach to pan. Sautee for 3-5 minutes, until spinach is melted.
- While spinach is cooking, mix together the dressing, in a small bowl.
- Add the cooked quinoa, edamame, mango and carrots to the frying pan. Mix everything together in the frying pan. Add the dressing and top with cranberries and sunflower seeds.
- Remove from frying pan and divide into servings. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Bean & Rice Burritos
Copying the Amy's Brand Burritos
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion diced
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tbsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/3 cup water
- 2.5 cup black beans cooked
- 2/3 cup rice cooked
- 5 tortillas large
Instructions
- Cook diced onion with a bit of oil or water in a medium or large pan until soft.
- Add tomato paste, spices and the 1/3 cup water to the pan and mix thoroughly. Add the rice and beans to the pan next, until combined.
- Place a tortilla on a flat surface and add 3/4 cup of the bean mixture. Wrap the burrito. Repeat four more times.
- To save for later, place the burritos in a container and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!