Went to the super giant mega international market today while waiting for our traps to catch some feral cats† for a client. There wasn’t a single whole tissue pork or beef cut for less than $5 a pound. Ground pork was $4.50 a pound. Cow feet were more than $5 a pound.
This makes chicken the only affordable option for making meat based meals for cheap right now.
Once these fertilizer shortages caused by the war in Iran take hold the price for vegetarian meals are going to skyrocket too.
By the midterms things will be way worse than they are now. Time to stock up on rice, beans and pasta. Start that herb garden now so you can flavor your calories.
I planted 200 onions this year. They are already looking great. I might have to start looking at more 18th century recipes. They loved onions.
† no. We are not eating the cats. This is a standard TNR situation. Pulled four kittens that were about two weeks old. One of them was already dead and one wouldn’t have made it through the day without intervention. Fix yo damn pets.
For a number of reasons (cost certainly being one), I’ve been paring back meat in my diet. Been experimenting with different ways to cook tofu and incorporating more grains and legumes for protein, but sometimes the meal still feels lacking. It’s hard to divest oneself from the attitude of “it’s not a meal without meat!” when that’s how you were raised.
I try not to think too much about future prices. I’ve got enough dry staples and canned goods to feed us for ~3 months and fresh veggies in the garden. Worrying beyond that is just anxiety without an outlet.
We can do meat free pretty easily as far as satisfying meals. But my wife has anemia and no amount of black beans, chickpeas and supplements fixes it. A 16 ounce steak makes her whole overnight. I don’t know if it’s some kind of bioavailability issue between the two. But the results are obvious.
We used to have about three months on hand but the last two years have depleted us down to about one.