Depressed, bored, and on a budget with my food...

[Crissy Snow]

So I haven't eaten meat since January I ate raw for a month there wasn't much of a change of weight just more energy. I didn't know what to do or how to switch it up so I got bored and went back to vegetarian. Basically I ate soy products like Boca, Morning Star, tofu, cooked vegetarian meals and eggs. I felt so depressed and bad. I just feel like it's hopeless because I can't find a way to switch up my diet.

I can't afford fancy equipment and other fancy stuff to make really good raw recipes. How do I live raw on a budget and not get bored with salads everyday? I am trying to get rid of my cravings for soy. I love guacamole and organic chips I never get bored with that! Please help... I fell off the bandwagon with raw. But I won't eat meat again!

[rawstrength]

I once complained to my English teacher that I was feeling bored with my writing assignments. She told me that creative, intelligent people are never bored.
Even if you are on a budget and have no equipment, you can still play with your food, get creative/smart about it and have fun. Spices, cutting things into different shapes, combining foods together in new ways, trying out new varieties of produce, growing your own food/sprouts and sharing your food with others are all ways to mix it up.
Also, although food can (and should be) a fun, creative, and joyous experience, its main purpose is nourishment, not entertainment.
Try non-food ways of getting more variety/fun in your life to ease your boredom and lift your depression. If you are doing something engaging that you really love, then you won't even be thinking about food!

[smoothiegirl]

Sounds like you have already defeated yourself. Dust yourself off and start over. You can do this.:) I live in a small town where government assistance meat or junk is the norm. I don't have any fancy equipment or fancy foods and I have made this work. I don't have a dehydrator or a Vita-Mix-I just use my good ole blender and it works fine for me. I can even make ice cream in it.
I did save for a juicer and it has been well worth it. The nearest whole foods is 150 miles so I don't let it bother me. I use my local grocery stores, Wal-Mart and the Amish stores. Some of the recipes I make I just leave the ingredients out. I made egg salad the other day and I didn't have tumeric- I left it out -it just gives it a yellow color. It wasn't too bad. Find substitutes for some of the spices and sweeteners. I use raw honey to sweeten. I have discovered that some of the spices are too strong for me. My typical diet includes green smoothies w/superfoods, fruit juices, veggie juices- lots of greens daily, on occasion- a few nuts, dates, salads, maybe a recipe w/out a dehydrator. I like to make banana ice cream. So good. I'm thinking of making a fruit salad-banana, strawberries, oranges-drizzled w/raw honey. My body has been telling me lately what to eat and it works pretty well. I am looking into trying to find a dehydrator. I would like some crackers, breads, and other things. But for now, I'm okay. Hope this helps!:) Oh yea! If you travel out of town- hit their local stores for any cheap produce.

[lytlsprout]

I don't know what you have, but most of my kitchen stuff didn't cost much. The food processor was under $50 at target and I got a nesco dehydrator for under $50 online with a temperature control. Those two things would give you a lot more variety and you wouldn't have to spend much for the tools. but then you can make pates and flax crackers and your own raw burgers.

[beckx]

it's easy to be bored when you have no energy from eating SAD!

if you can get yourself a $20-30 food processor you'll have lots more options. there are tons of things you can make with a food processor; check out goneraw.com.

[Raw Angel Mom]

I got many appliance and the one that i use the most is my blender and food processor. You can get both for a very good price.

For intance you can make nice tacco with icebergh salad for the tacco. Any salsa receipe, you can make a nice cheeze with your blender or food processor, a burger nut (walnut or any nut, salt, seasonning, onion, garlic, lemon juice etc...), and slice of avocado and VOILA. If you have a coconut, you can make your burger with coconut. Alissa has nice cheese recipe in her book. If you don't have the appliance, you can just use your knife and make some wrap, etc... Sushi wrap for instance, you could do that. I ALSO leave out many ingredients and turn out just fine

Soup, all kind of delicious and easy soup. Many recipe you can find for free if you google.

desert.

It is important to get a food process it is really an investment. Maybe you can save $5-10/week and once you have the money, treat yourself. After this, keep saving and then get your blender. The dehydrator is nice for the beginning but to tell you the truth now, i rarely use it. I make icecream with my food processor, and many raw gourmet with it.

For pasta, you can simply use a carrot piller.

I find that making green smoothies everyday take away many craving.

[Clare]

I have found that I always love my foods if I am really hungry when I eat. I was driving my kids and my mom today after a bunch of errands and we passed around ripe bananas. I was remarked to my mom how I could never tire of bananas when hungry. Same goes for anything natural - no two are alike. Green smoothies, for example, are always different. And we are even more blessed because we get different fruits in every season! God is good...

Try waiting until you are really hungry to eat. And then ask for blessings for your food and body. Like others have said here, maybe you could find other ways to enrich your life. It helps me have gratitude when I focus on service and the many who have less than I do in some way.

[RawHeaven]

Hey there lots of great advice & suggestions you've received already.

I just wanted to say congratulations to you for not eating meat since January. If you have the will to do that, you can do anything. It shows that you're in this for your health and to take care of yourself. Being depressed could be a part of your detox. Severe depression is something that I experienced recovering from an accident. A few months after I became raw I was surprised that I was experiencing depression again for a few weeks when I was supposed to be feeling so wonderful eating raw. I discovered for myself I was releasing the emotional pain and trauma from my tissues and cells. It was as a result of cleansing my body and eating raw foods that I was able to heal these deeper levels. When it passed, I experienced pure joy. So don't deny where you are -- trust you're healing. We are not always going to be skipping around with a big smile and tons of certainty. We cycle with our emotions - otherwise we wouldn't be human in my opinion. note: If your depression doesn't subside, no matter if it's mild or major, go talk to a professional therapist - even one session will help. That's what they are there for -- took me months of unnecessary suffering to figure this out and it helped me considerably to talk to someone.

If you're still craving the guac and chips...hey I did too for awhile there. Try switching to raw guac and raw flaxseed crackers (if you can get your hands on them). You can purchase a Nesco dehydrator on Ebay for less than 20 bucks. You can order flax seed crackers on line for example. There are other options of course, this is just what is coming to mind in the moment.

If you really want to do this, you've got to figure out why you want to do it. Raw will be whatever you want it to be. Focus on it being fun. Have fun with creating different foods. There is a food prep section calling your name in this forum. Lots of great suggestions in hundreds of threads.

All the best.
Crystal

[michiganrawfood]

Oh, I know how you feel! I am not much of a cook (raw or otherwise! lol) and there are no raw restaurants for when I'm not in the mood to make raw food dishes. SO I get bored very easy.

Your post made me think of something too-I use the excuse I have no money to buy that stuff (and I don't, I'm in negative numbers in my bank account-only able to pay my bills thanks to a loan!) but I have no problem charging on my credit card other things i really want.

My point is-if you REALLY want it, you would find a way to purchase the items. Find a discount. Save $10 a week for a year...ask for it for a birthday, find it on ebay, look on raw food message boards for people giving them away...post on craigslist, or freecycle.org. Etc.

I'm not yelling at you-I need to take my own advice, becuase I just realized I make the same excuses also!

I think a better question we should ask ourselves is why do we not want to take the time and effort? What are we afraid of? Failing to make good, interesting dishes? Worse case scenario-we get the equipment and we still can't do it-are we any worse off than we are now?

[snowy11480]

I can relate to what you are saying... I have a hard time staying creative with my food. I feel like i eat raw hummus or raw advocado sandwiches 7 days a week lol. I just am not that creative in planning my menu and sometimes it does get a bit boring. What i then do is look thru some of my cookbooks - like Quick Fix Vegetarian or the Hallelujah Cookbook called In the Garden and get a few new ideas... or things i've forgotten about.

about being on a budget - try hitting up some local farmers markets or produce stands - they are way cheaper for me as compared to the grocery store here - their prices are ridiculous. and i tend to find the more from scratch you do things, the cheaper they tend to be.

and lastly, i find my mental peace of mind is much better when i get in 30 minutes of exercise a day. the days i don't get in a brisk 30 minute walk, i can definitely tell a difference in my mental statement of mind and motivation! So, work in at least 30 minutes a few days a week to start. it really does help.

Best of luck!!! hang in there - you're already off to a good start... and this forum will help you to maintain:)

[raw_danceruk]

There is hope!!

Take the focus OFF food..and onto Living life!! How you want it to be!! Food is just the fuel for life.. thats it!

Hunt down used items if you want to get a blender or juicer..these things arent essential!!

I used just a £10 blender and basic knives for a year..its doable.. My budget is £15 a week..and I never want for anything..thats $30 a week for food. I buy bulk direct from wholesale, its half the price of supermarkets!

Have fun, get creative..dont stress!

It will fall into place:o

[Green_Woman]

Wow. I feel like I spend WAY too much on food, reading all this.

$30 a WEEK???? How do you do it??? You GO, girl!!!

:D


I'd love to get down to $50/week... right now I spend about $300/month, but I also buy ALOT of kombucha ($4/bottle) and Larabars ($2/bar)... I go through a bottle a day and at least one bar.


When I move, my budget will decrease drastically, so I will have to make my own kombucha and food bars. No problem - I'm mentally prepared, and my body will understand.

Do what you have the capacity to do. No less! Eventually, more will come to you!

[lytlsprout]

It's funny because when we eat cooked we eat the same thing over and over and don't complain but raw it seems to be a problem. I think a lot of it has to do with just trying new recipes. don't be afraid to try and not like something, that's how you'll find out. i have a friend that when ever he goes out always orders something he's never had. so once a week try a new recipe!

[Crissy Snow]

thank you everyone for your helpful support... the main thing that i really want is the juicer... my fav juice is carrot and orange i get it from jamba juice all the time. My body is craving natural juice. For some that don't know I am also relapsing into an eating disorder. The only thing I want to consume is carrot orange juice. Not sure why the relapse I think it's because of my boredom with food and because of the fancy equipment I can't afford.

I totally forgot about ebay not sure why it hadn't cross my mind. But all I want is juice. And you know what else? Grapefruit I never get tired of grapefruit but I can't live off of grapefruit, guacamole and carrot orange juice. That's the stuff I never get tired of for some reason. It's like I can eat it for as long as I live lol...

[RawHeaven]

And you know what else? Grapefruit I never get tired of grapefruit but I can't live off of grapefruit, guacamole and carrot orange juice.

Yes, you can. Until your body begins craving the next food. ;) Enjoy your food and simply listen to your body. It's speaking to you loud and clear.

[diamondscape]

Hey

I also have a very limited budget and a husband and 3 boys to feed. Here is my solution.

I will take all the help I can get soooo for now... until we have more income which btw is the goal and will happen!!!! HOORAH!!!

Food bank run once a week gives me tons of fresh and mostly organic fruits and veg. I even found the Raw Bliss Cacao spread there!!! Crazy!!! and I get bananas and avocados out the wazoo!!!

And I posted this somewhere before. But try freecycle. There is one in every city in the US. I got a dehydrator, blender, and processor for FREE!!!! They are not the vitamix etc... but they work fine and will do until one day we get another.

I think if you just keep putting it out there you know in the spiritual realm that it WILL come to you somehow... Just be patient and yes get creative...

My mom calls it being "resourceful" I call it being creative!!!!

Peace!!!

[petaltothemetal]

Money's been very tight here, too. I lost money on a house I had to sell that was on the market 17 months.

Sometimes it's about priorities. What other expense can you trim? Because our bodies are made and remade daily off what we eat, breathe and drink. Think about it - we are constantly creating new cells inside and outside, new skin. When you put a lot of trans fats into your body your body actually attempts to use it to make cells with. Eeewww.

That said, my cheapie blender just broke, as did my cheapie tiny food processor. I have a hand me down back up blender and will use that until I find a good deal. I have always found that if I know I need something but can hold off, I can usually find a really good deal at a thrift store or refurbished online.

The one thing I am really glad I bought that cost a bunch of money ($200) was an Excalibur dehydrator. The little round ones you get at a department store aren't very good.

With a dehydrator you can grow or buy fruits and veggies when they are plentiful and cheap and turn them into roll ups and crackers and chips - without sugar or oil! Sounds to me like a dehydrator will solve your cravings!