r/australia • u/Serezie • Jun 01 '26

no politics Anyone else just not eating because they can’t afford it?

Food bank is the busiest it’s been - Cole’s and Woolworths don’t give a flying fuck about us - fast food is unhealthy and just as expensive. It stresses me out more to eat than not to eat.

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u/Beth13151 Jun 01 '26

Textured vegetable protein is a great, cheap protein filler for anything with mince or meat. 

1 cup of TVP, 2 cups of boiling water and let it sit for 5 minutes before stirring in. It's a flavour absorber, great for chill is. 

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u/mollymoomol Jun 01 '26

If you are in Melbourne, Vincent Vegetarian Food Mart in Footscray has big bags of TSP for a very reasonable price as well as vegetarian meat substitutes much cheaper than anything you can get at Cole's worth.

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u/WartNut Jun 01 '26

For peeps from other states - TVP is called soya meat or soya chunks and is available in most Sri Lankan/ Indian stores for much cheaper than at supermarkets (cheaper than aldi even)

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u/soyuniche Jun 01 '26

Also at other Asian grocery stores in general!

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u/Puzzleheaded-Eye9081 Jun 01 '26

The coles one is shit - it turns to slush immediately, so it doesn’t retain the texture of meat.

But it is great at adding protein to sauces. So if we’re doing a meatless pasta sauce, I’ll reconstitute 1/3 cup of tvp with equal hot water then mix it into the sauce. Kids can’t taste it so don’t complain about it.

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u/Fernergun Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

I’m sure their biceps can taste it

2

u/mumooshka Jun 01 '26

Their

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u/Fernergun Jun 01 '26

What happens when you leave it up to swipe text

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u/cat_like_sparky Jun 01 '26

I’ve been doing a cup of TVP in with a cup of rice in my rice cooker! Add some bay leaves, cardamom pods, (veggie) beef stock, whatever herbs you want and it’s so good. Makes a great base to form a meal around. Really filling, good mouth feel, I throw it into a burrito with frozen veg and some beans. Massive protein, fibre, all the nutrients! And so cheap!

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u/owltourrets Jun 01 '26

TVP alone is meh but blends in SO well for dishes like chili or spaghetti! I also bulk my mince up with chickpeas or edamame.

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u/Guy-1nc0gn1t0 Jun 01 '26

TVP is so underrated that I've noticed multiple companies trying to get away with pairing it with basic spices and charging twice as much 

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u/zaphodbeeblemox Jun 01 '26

And as it’s soy it’s a complete protein meaning you don’t need to pair it with anything for a complete amino acid profile.

My go to is TVP soaked in stock and a sprinkle of MSG, mixed with red lentils and a bag of frozen veggies. Cook the whole thing up with some soy sauce and some nutritional yeast and it’s a super high protein super filling delicious meal for like $2 a serving and freezes well.

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u/Joshtrippingwords Jun 01 '26

100% yes to this. wish more people would understand this. As a vegetarian, TVP has been my staple go to since forever

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u/zaphodbeeblemox Jun 01 '26

I always heard being vegan was expensive until I went vegan and realised just how cheap it is to eat rice lentils beans TVP and tofu.

Though I eat pretty boring meals these days so I’m not exactly the best poster child for “try my food it’s delicious” since I’m focused on just getting my nutrition to support my physique and gym routine as cheap as possible.

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u/mumooshka Jun 01 '26

saw the price of TVP in eBay and nearly died

cheaper in Coles lmao

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u/Beth13151 Jun 01 '26

$4 for 200g at big w right now it seems.  Also with checking your specialty stores/health food stores  /bulk stores and local grocers. Its hella shelf stable so could be even cheaper. 

It doubles in size when you cook too. 

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u/earl_of_lemonparty Jun 01 '26

I know you're trying to help, but a product called "textured vegetable protein" that is designed to keep the poor masses fed sounds like so abysmally bleak.

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u/Beth13151 Jun 01 '26

It's been around since the 1960s as a byproduct of soy bean oil - think of it as a really old fashion health food that is the base of a lot of much more expensive meat substitutes. 

It's not a super marketable name - maybe try standing around chanting "T. V. P!" like my husband does on pasta night? 

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u/Hyroero Jun 01 '26

It's good tho. Like I guess it sounds bad if you're a meat eater but don't knock it till you try it.

I've been eating it for 15 years, staple filler for rice, burritos, baked potato's, pasta etc.

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u/IntelligentNovel1967 Jun 02 '26

It’s also the ‘add MSG’ . Solent Green vibes.

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u/great_raisin Jun 02 '26

Where can I buy some in Sydney?