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TVP – a Meat Budget Friend
Often the largest chunk of your grocery budget is meat so looking for ways to save money and feed the family and keep the carnivores happy is a challenge.
There's a great product available that will help you do all these things – TVP or Textured Vegetable Protein if you prefer. This versatile meat substitute will slash your butcher bill and still let you have the rissoles, meatballs, sausage rolls, pastas, meatloaves, pizzas, casseroles and stews that you like.
I have been using TVP all my married life, I grew up watching my mother use it. When I married a “feed the man meat” type of guy, I started substituting half the quantity of meat for TVP. Twenty-nine years later I still do it. The only difference is these days he knows it's in the meal! If you've never tried TVP, don't be afraid. It has a similar texture to mince, will absorb flavour from other ingredients and is very quick to cook – ideal if you're in a hurry to get dinner on the table.
It's available from health food stores in 200g packets – about $3.60. This is a great “sample” size to start with. If you think you need inspiration, go to www.sanitarium.com.au and put TVP in the recipe search. You'll find some really delicious meal ideas there.
TVP is made from soy flour and is very low in fat. It is sold in dehydrated granules, and can be used as a replacement for minced meat, or to extend your meat meals and substantially cut costs. TVP is reconstituted in the sauces of dishes, or in stock, water and a stock cube, soy sauce and olive oil, tomato paste - it absorbs the flavours it is used with. It looks like minced meat, and is much the same in texture.
One cup of TVP (75g) bulks up to the equivalent of 500g of mince. I pay $3.50 per kilo for bulk TVP and it goes a long way (I buy 10 kilos at a time, once a year. Then I vac seal it in 1 kilo packs and freeze for longterm storage). I've seen it in health food stores, but for a lot more in price. As for anything, shop around. We tend to use ½ and ½ in recipes as we like meat, but also want to save.
TVP can be used in pasta dishes, in pie fillings, on pizzas, in soups, pies, meatloaf, in fact anything that has mince in the recipe.
So, what are the savings over a year?
Based on a sale price of mince at $8.00 per kilo, and 500g in one meal:
One meal using 75g TVP per week is 1.35c x 52 = $70.20
One meal using 500g mince per week is $4.00 x 52 = $208.00
SAVING = $137.90
Based on a usual price of mince at $14.00 per kilo, and 500g in one meal:
One meal using 75g TVP per week is 1.35c x 52 = $70.20
One meal using 500g mince per week is $7.00 x 52 = $364.00
SAVING = $293.80
You have nothing to lose and a few hundred dollars a year to gain by trying TVP in your next mince dish. If you don't like it at least you'll know and can find other ways to get the meat budget down.
There's a great product available that will help you do all these things – TVP or Textured Vegetable Protein if you prefer. This versatile meat substitute will slash your butcher bill and still let you have the rissoles, meatballs, sausage rolls, pastas, meatloaves, pizzas, casseroles and stews that you like.
I have been using TVP all my married life, I grew up watching my mother use it. When I married a “feed the man meat” type of guy, I started substituting half the quantity of meat for TVP. Twenty-nine years later I still do it. The only difference is these days he knows it's in the meal! If you've never tried TVP, don't be afraid. It has a similar texture to mince, will absorb flavour from other ingredients and is very quick to cook – ideal if you're in a hurry to get dinner on the table.
It's available from health food stores in 200g packets – about $3.60. This is a great “sample” size to start with. If you think you need inspiration, go to www.sanitarium.com.au and put TVP in the recipe search. You'll find some really delicious meal ideas there.
TVP is made from soy flour and is very low in fat. It is sold in dehydrated granules, and can be used as a replacement for minced meat, or to extend your meat meals and substantially cut costs. TVP is reconstituted in the sauces of dishes, or in stock, water and a stock cube, soy sauce and olive oil, tomato paste - it absorbs the flavours it is used with. It looks like minced meat, and is much the same in texture.
One cup of TVP (75g) bulks up to the equivalent of 500g of mince. I pay $3.50 per kilo for bulk TVP and it goes a long way (I buy 10 kilos at a time, once a year. Then I vac seal it in 1 kilo packs and freeze for longterm storage). I've seen it in health food stores, but for a lot more in price. As for anything, shop around. We tend to use ½ and ½ in recipes as we like meat, but also want to save.
TVP can be used in pasta dishes, in pie fillings, on pizzas, in soups, pies, meatloaf, in fact anything that has mince in the recipe.
So, what are the savings over a year?
Based on a sale price of mince at $8.00 per kilo, and 500g in one meal:
One meal using 75g TVP per week is 1.35c x 52 = $70.20
One meal using 500g mince per week is $4.00 x 52 = $208.00
SAVING = $137.90
Based on a usual price of mince at $14.00 per kilo, and 500g in one meal:
One meal using 75g TVP per week is 1.35c x 52 = $70.20
One meal using 500g mince per week is $7.00 x 52 = $364.00
SAVING = $293.80
You have nothing to lose and a few hundred dollars a year to gain by trying TVP in your next mince dish. If you don't like it at least you'll know and can find other ways to get the meat budget down.