Why I'm Giving Up Processed Foods and Alternatives For Them

I made the conscious decision to give up as many processed foods as possible with the exception of tofu, tempeh, Earth Balance and soy milk. Everything else such as canned foods, packaged fake meats, veggie burgers etc will be gone from my diet. I found from numerous documentaries and commentary that canned foods have animal particles in them such as rat hairs, dander, pieces of bugs and fly eggs fall into the food easily. In a large processing plant, it is extremely difficult to control what gets into the food, so the FDA regulates how much animal particles are allowed. Knowing this is very scary, because canned and frozen foods are convenient and inexpensive. Food costs are one of the reasons against veganism and with the recession, this argument against it would be better than other arguments against veganism that I heard. It's an argument similar to whether or not we give people in starving countries genetically modified food and DDT to eradicate the malaria threat. Both may cause cancer later in life, but is it better to eat well now and not care about what may happen in fifty years.

However, I created this blog to share that there is a way of eating a healthy vegan diet without having to shop at places like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's everyday.

I remember the other day, my mom went into an emotional rant about why hard work and personal accountability are not good arguments for why people are in lower class bracket . In the moment, I felt guilty for feeling that way, but now I don't. I feel like we live in a culture that makes excuses for others instead getting things done when they are supposed to be. I can understand the vegan side of the argument about food costs that there are ways to pay for a vegan diet. I agree more on this than the argument that it's too expensive to eat well. When I go to the Farmer's Market, I buy fresh breads that have only fresh ingredients in them for $3, maybe a little more, but I'm not sure. At Albertson's, I saw a package of bread that was about $4.35. I may investigate on that. Although I hate crowds of people and being around people I don't know, I enjoy going to the Market. The last time I went I got a pretty good deal, a free loaf along with a loaf that I tried. I think it's pretty good. I think if I didn't spend the money on the mutabal and the garlic basil spread, I'd have enough for fruit and veggies. I think getting the vegetables at the farmer's market may be a bit more expensive, but Food4Less should have them pretty cheap. My mom got alot from there for $20. Growing a garden on a patio or in a back yard may also help to cut food costs, but not everyone has the time or resources to grow their own food.

Alternatives to processed foods:

Homemade Tomato Sauce Italian Recipes require tomato sauce and in some cases stewed tomatoes. However, it's does not have to come from a can. (Substitute the vegan margarine for the butter)

Freezing beans and veggies etc: This is useful for left over fresh vegetables and cooked beans. Freezing is even useful for homemade veggie burgers.

Fresh from scratch: Many vegans love food made from scratch. Home cooking can be simple and unsophisticated, but it can be creative and delicious.

Red Bean Burger

Other Recipes

Vegan Tempeh Burgers : Substitutions can be made in this recipe. I plan on using potato in place of flour because I believe that it will make a better binder than flour.