To help shave a couple of dollars off of my grocery bill, I add a meatless meal to my weekly menu on a regular basis. The meatless meal might be an egg scramble or frittata, some kind of bean dish, or it might be a soup or casserole containing Texturized Vegetable Protein.
Texturized Vegetable Protein, or TVP, is a soy protein that can be purchased ready to use at your local grocery in the freezer section or by the bag under the brand name Bob's Red Mill. If you are lucky you will find the TVP in the bulk section of the store. Both bagged and bulk TVP is sold in dehydrated form. If your intentions are to cut grocery costs, buying the dried TVP in bulk and rehydrating it as needed will give you the most bang for your buck.
So how does this stuff taste? I think the TVP takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking. That being said, I wouldn't try to use it in a sloppy joe or something that features meat as the main "idea" of the dish as it won't have the depth of flavor and the consistency might seem off. I have successfully used TVP in place of meat in soup, chili, and burritos.
This week I will be using TVP in my Monday night meal. Vegetarian burrito casserole keeps my family asking for more and helps keep my wallet fat and happy.
Meal Plan Monday, December 7th through 13th
Monday
Breakfast: baked french toast, bacon, orange wedges
Dinner: Vegetarian Burrito Casserole , salad
Tuesday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs, cinnamon toast, fresh pears
Dinner: homemade pizza, veggies and dip
Wednesday
Breakfast: oatmeal, smokey links, applesauce
Dinner: Tex-Mex turkey soup, salad
Thursday
Breakfast: buttermilk pancakes, bacon, banana
Dinner: tuna noodle casserole, peas, carrots
Friday
Breakfast: apple cinnamon muffins, yogurt, strawberries
Dinner: spaghetti & meatballs, spinach salad
Saturday
Breakfast: cereal, fruit
Lunch: mac & cheese, steamed broccoli, applesauce
Dinner: leftover turkey casserole, salad
Sunday
Breakfast: omelets
Lunch: curried turkey pitas, clementines
Dinner: pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, green beans
Posts
