HaHa I think to myself as I write this. It would be pretty hypocritical if I had anything negative to say about more people becoming vegetarian or vegan, and really that’s not what this is about. I think it’s great and am always ready to try convince someone to give it a go. This is more of a commentary on the food industry’s reaction to the increase in plant based eating and the tendency for consumers to buy into it. As the years go by more and more veggie options become available in the grocery store but are they really good for you?
If you speak to anybody in the medical or nutrition fields they will tell you to lay off the processed foods. It doesn’t matter if they’re veggie or meaty. It all comes down to big food trying to sell you processed food. There is no substitute for making your own food from real ingredients and eating a plant based diet is a great opportunity to do just that.
I guess my point is this; It’s great to save the animals but damn you need to look after yourselves and the planet too. Why not reap all the benefits that mindful eating has to offer? Try to take the half hour or hour out of your day to cook and don’t let “big food” lure you into their world of quick and easy yet suspect cuisine. Of course we’re all doing the best we can, so if you are buying prepared food be sure to check the labels and make the best choices possible.
Here are a few suggestions if you need help getting off the processed and prepared foods wagon.
In a Sandwich
Instead of veggie slices make up a pan of veggie pate. It keeps well, can be frozen and is excellent in a sandwich. This is super easy to make. In fact the first person in our house to make it was our son who was a teen at the time. I see this same recipe on various sites and despite various ratings I think it is great.
https://www.food.com/recipe/veggie-pate-83095
A Quick Burger
If you like to have a veggie burger for lunch, avoid the high fat brands entirely. In fact you can make these chickpea burgers and freeze them. Nothing but real food in these. They aren’t trying to be anything they’re not and they’re a decent source of protein. I leave out the hoisin and liquid smoke… mostly because those aren’t things we keep around.
Awesome chickpea burger recipe
Burritos to go
When I’m doing up a batch of black beans in the Instant Pot for dinner I’ll often do more than we need and make burritos with the left overs. Burritos are freezable and microwavable which makes them the perfect snack or meal on the run. I know the wraps are processed food too, but I never claimed to be perfect… Making up a dozen of these only takes about 30 minutes.
For Dessert
There is a shop near our place that sells these amazing gluten free, vegan chocolate, raspberry torts. For a couple of years we would buy them for special occasions or if we were going out and had to bring dessert. Damn though they cost a small fortune. After a time Kyla decided that surely she could make something similar to this. She searched the web and found this recipe from Bakerita that is just as good as store bought. So next time you need a birthday cake or dessert give this a try.
https://www.bakerita.com/no-bake-raspberry-chocolate-tart-paleo-vegan-gf/