Thursday, October 28, 2010

Real or Fake?

When I was a new vegan I took to the fake meats like a fish takes to to water (teehee - like my animal reference? Dang I am funny). It made the transition easier and like this article notes, it was nice to have comfort foods around and to be able to indulge in things that were familiar.

However, now a year into my veganism I feel that I can stand here and say: FAKE MEATS ARE BAD FOR YOU (and they taste gross too) with a clear conscious and the knowledge and education to back it up.

Why do I say this? Well, BECAUSE THEY ARE FAKE (and duh) are highly processed and full of preservatives. Mmmm, fake dead cows made of high fructose corn syrup, grain powders, artificial flavourings and color. Dosent that sound delish? ICK!

So keep on walking, move away from the fake chicken nuggets, “beef” strips and deli slices. Go onwards and find that veggie isle and dry goods bulk bin - Dive in head first to legumes, lentils, beans and whole grains. I promise, you will not be sad you did.

Sure, fake meats serve a purpose when you are at the start of your vegan conversion and help to bridge gaps that may be hard to cross at the beginning. But they should only play that bridging role and be something that you move away from as you become more confident in the kitchen and find better and FAR TASTIER ways to replace meats and dairy products in your diet.

There are endless website and books devoted to yummy, easy vegan cooking. Even here on my blog you will find tons of recipes that are tasty and simple (trust me, I ain't no Martha, but I do know my way around my kitchen).

So ditch the fake stuff and go for the good stuff, the REAL stuff: FOOD!!

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