Do you rely on processed foods or ready meals as part of your vegan diet?

[fiamma]

I was just curious as to how many people rely on processed foods or ready meals as part of their vegan diet. I don't consider tofu a processed food, but things like tofu hot dogs and burgers yes. Perhaps some people may have different opinions as to what constitutes processed foods... anyway I'd be interested to hear your views. Thanks

[Look4Hope]

I eat the Amy's brand and Gardenburger brand frozen dinners. Also the Gardenburger and Boca Burger veggie burgers. I am new to veganism and need the extra help. I wasn't even veggie for long so treating veggies as the main part of a meal is something I need to work at. However, I don't eat the frozen dinners every night and I supplement them with some vegetable I cook or salads I prepare.

[applepie]

Tofu is the only processed food I eat occasionally. Otherwise, my credo is "the less processed the better for you". Most of the processed stuff available also puts me off because it's made to resemble meat. I also enjoy cooking and trying out new things, so usually I do my own cooking. If I'm pressed for time, I will have leftovers frozen for this purpose, or it's just sandwiches or muesli.
I can understand though that processed foods can be of great help especially if you're new to veganism.
Edit: As people seem to take soya milk and yogurt as processed foods - which I wasn't thinking of as such - I have to add them to my list of processed foods I consume.

[Tigerlily]

I guess I would consider processed foods to be fake meats, already made meals you heat up, pre-made desserts, soy yogurt and soy milk, etc. I guess anything that has already been pre-made. I personally don't think all processed foods are bad. Yes some are high in sodium and preservatives but things like soy milk is a processed food but it isn't high in the 'bad things'.

So yes, I guess my diet would be "high" in processed foods but I don't think it's wrong or bad. I'm not an elite vegan Nazi who makes everything from scratch and I don't want to be.

[sugarmouse]

I try to eat mostly fresh foods and feel guilty when I eat things liek bread, meat substitutes,cheese substitutes and pasta..I try to minimise them...but I do not cut them out completely. Bread and pasta (especially pasta) make me ill anyways so I steer clear!

[Mermaid07]

I love tofu and veggie burger and eat them at least twice a week! I also buy tofu occasionally and some dark chocolate! Soy flax seed chips are good too. Sometimes I also buy vegan muffins.

[auntierozzi]

I like to cook fresh stuff best. Occasionally I get Quinoa or other grain 'burger' type things and also regularly buy organic soya yoghurt and milk.

[fiamma]

Ok, I've managed to add a poll, which I couldn't before, so I'd be curious to see your votes For the sake of clarity for the poll, by processed foods I intend things like pies, sausages, ready meals and manufactured desserts. I wouldn't include tofu, nut milks or yogurt.

[Pob]

We do buy and use them, but we don't rely on them.

[harpy]

Yes, I wasn't sure how to respond to the poll, because like Pob we buy them and have them now and then but they are not a major part of our diet.

I rarely buy anything that I would describe as a ready meal but I'll incorporate things like veggie sausages and fake cheese (and tofu) into an otherwise home-made meal. We do have bread most days, and pasta fairly often too.

[veggiegirl3]

I've been eating a lot of meat substitutions lately. They're high in protien and I've been craving it. Plus, they were quick and easy during finals!

I don't tend to eat very much processed/fefined carbs though. I like whole grains better and feel good about eating them. BUT... I do tend to like soy ice cream and eat it regularly.

[SeaSiren]

No, not anymore. I eat a whole foods diet.

[Roxy]

I voted yes. We buy and use fake meat products reguarly and Amy's frozen meals and soups and chilli come in very handy sometimes. I also like the Starlite Cuisine vegan tacquitos, but I only buy them when they're on sale.

[Risker]

I rarely use them, they're just for lazy days when I can't be bothered to think of something to cook.

[aubergine]

Only when we're in a pinch.

[twinkle]

We do buy and use them, but we don't rely on them.

Same here. I could quite happily cook everything from scratch but sometimes it's easier not to. It really depends what I feel like eating, how much time I have, etc., etc.

[emmapresley]

i cook pretty much everything from scratch..now and before..not always appreciated tho..but..it does completely bring down the quantity of rubbish the bin men need to take away cos the peelings of veg go into the c.bin, and there just isn't much packaging kicking about.

without sounding TOO much like my mother..
"preparation and organisational skills are THE keys to success!"

^^ this has to be said in an overenthusiastic yet slightly nagging tone of voice

[pavotrouge]

I also prefer making things from scratch.

Processed foods I do use regularly are milks apart from almond milk (but I want to make my own rice milk sometime soon!), sometimes (maybe once a week) tofu, tempeh, saitan and soy yoghurt and very very rarely, as a kind of treat, processed fake meats or soy cheese.

I've become to used to making things myself that most bought stuff tastes rather bland to me, anyway.

Making things from scratch is so much better for you, the environment and can also be fun.

[veganbikerboy]

I would say I rely on them, i don't like it, but it is just the way my life seems to be at the moment.

I don't often have the time or motivation to cook for one, I have a terrible habit of eating on the run, I am really poor at planning my meals.

It is a shame because I love cooking and love fresh, organic veg. I'm hoping i will have more of my own produce from my garden this year and hopefully with the prospect of 'free' healthy food i will be better fed

[satirecafe]

Currently I don't, but I will very soon once I begin college

[Bic]

I used to eat prepared foods quite a bit, but in the past 2 weeks have been completely without. I'm cooking all my meals now and I must say I perfer it this way. Taking time to prepare a meal gives me a better idea of what I'm eating and how much.
I could eat the prepared foods quite quickly and without much attention payed to calories and serving size - but constantly measuring things out for recipes has stopped that problem.

[pat sommer]

For myself, not often. For omni dinner guests anything I can fool them with!

[Yogini]

I eat them occasionally. I hardly rely on them. I do rely on brown rice, fruit, filtered water, and certain veggies such as carrots.

[rantipole]

I eat cereal just about everyday. Also, I love veggie meat products. There are also these premade Indian dinners that I love. I usually add fresh stuff to them (rice, greens, etc.) to make them more nutritious.

I don't have a problem with processed foods, so long as you are careful what is in them.

Cheers,
rant

[grillie]

Yes. Vegan icecream, hotdogs, sausages, Zoglos schnitzels and nuggets, burgers, canned soups, Tofutti soycheese, frozen chinese dumplings and spring rolls, samozas, pasties........ anything I can get my hands on, really.

One day I will bite the bullet and become a raw-fooder, but not just now.

[rxseeeyse]

don't really find anything vegan with those...I work in a supermarket, and processed foods are always meat meat and more meat...

[Mollfie]

I mostly make things myself, but I have soy mince, burgers and fish fingers in the fridge for when I'm being lazy and for my boyfriend because he's veggie but likes to have vegan alternatives as much as possible. Plus he liked eating fake meats and he's pretty healthy so whatev. We have vegan bacon butties yesterday, delicious.

[rrqu]

I try to avoid them, but sometimes it just happens. Once I get my own place I plan to cut processed food out.

[Mr Flibble]

Rely? No.

Use? Sure.

[colleengirl95]

I buy processed foods but i don't eat them regularly i eat them a few times in a month but not always. What's important for me is to eat what you call real food like veggies, friuts and nuts.

[fondducoeur]

I wouldn't say I rely on processed foods but I do use them. I cook a lot and sometimes like to experiment with things like soy cheese, beefless strips, tofurky sausage etc. When I don't have leftovers to take for work (or am w/o sandwich fixings) I take things like instant noodles, Amy's burritos, etc.

[mmmorgans]

NO! Absolutely not. I very rarely eat processed or pre packaged food. It is so much easier to create your own delicious food. Also, there isn't much in the way of prepared/pre packaged vegan food that is good or I would even consider spening money on.

[cobweb]

Yes I do rely on them because I hate spicy or 'hot' foods, I like traditional British type meals, so do my family. I'm not greatly happy that I rely on them though, I would prefer to cook more from scratch but I get a bit stumped for ideas for things we'd ALL eat.

[Stuart]

If I eat healthily it's only accidental to the fact I enjoy that food, but broadly I've little problem eating burgers, chips, sausages or whatever. Many vegans seem to care about healthy living, but I only care about the animal rights issues. I pretty much eat and drink what I like on principle in fact.

[megrainbows]

I don't rely on them at all, I try to cook all my meals from basic ingredients myself, so I can know everything that goes into it and make my money stretch further. I also wouldn't feel my diet is whole or nutritional enough if it was all pre packed. Although sometimes I do have frozen chips, frozen veggie burgers or sausages ect when I'm feeling lazy or we don't have enough fresh produce on hand to cook a decent meal

[cobweb]

ha-ha Stuart we are much the same, I believe that any diet/lifestyle can be as healthy or unhealthy as one makes it. We eat processed crap in our house but also make a point of eating a LOT of fresh veg, sprouts, Udos oils, etc, so I know we are eating at least as well, and most probably much better than we did as veggies or meat-eaters. However, health reasons would never be my driving factor in being vegan.

[Stuart]

^ Two peas in a genetically modified pod.

[Charley333]

Since becoming vegan, i've tended to cook from recipe books that require fresh ingredients rather than rely on soy substitutes. It's cheaper and as megrainbows says it means you know what goes into it
I do like my mozzarella cheezly for pizza and swedish glace ice cream though!

[twinkle toes]

i try to eat food made from scratch as often as possible, but every now and then when i can't be bothered i'll just microwave an amy's burrito or something. always feel a bit crap eating ready made stuff though, sort of run down and a bit skanky (not sure if that's a psychological thing or an actual effect of what i'm eating :/ )

[harpy]

Maybe you're sensitive to an ingredient that is in the ready meals, twinkle toes? Otherwise if it's just an occasional blip in a diet that's mainly fresh stuff I would be surprised if they did you any real harm. I suppose if you had something with a lot of sugar or white flour it could affect your blood sugar.

Sometime between my 2006 contribution to this thread and now I started making my own bread so I think that gets me off the hook on that front! Not pasta though, we still buy that ready-made.

[twinkle toes]

I suppose if you had something with a lot of sugar or white flour it could affect your blood sugar

ohh you know what, that would probably make sense because of the whole lack of energy thing

[magnificent-insect]

I said yes, because I do drink plant milks often and I admit canned veggies and beans are easy to just open and eat and keep longer. Though for the most part I try to stick with non-processed and non-cooked foods.

[Festered]

I wouldn't say canned beans are a 'processed' food.

[MarkAnthony]

To be honest I would consider any non-raw food to be processed, and my diet is a long way from raw, so the answer from me would be yes.

In a more general sense though, I'm fine with tinned (and fresh) pre-made soups, baked beans, smoothies etc. I don't really see it as 'unprocessed' if I make a loaf of bread myself, which I nearly always do.

I do eat plenty of fruit and vegetables mind, so there is that. I think fresh fruit is probably the only wholly unprocessed thing I eat regularly. I think this very much comes down to definitions. In any case I'd say my diet is reasonably healthy.

[Festered]

What I mean is, if I buy dry beans and soak and cook them I don't see that as processed and essentially that's all canned beans are. Fake meats, cheese etc I see as processed but I appreciate different definitions

[MarkAnthony]

What I mean is, if I buy dry beans and soak and cook them I don't see that as processed and essentially that's all canned beans are. Fake meats, cheese etc I see as processed but I appreciate different definitions

Yeah, I get this distinction. I think it's probably quite clear to most people where food 'processing' in whatever form is to the detriment of health, which is probably the case with most faux meat/cheese but not with soya milk/tofu.

[fiamma]

Just came across this thread again, four years after posting it *warm and fuzzy feeling inside* There seems to have been a little confusion over the definition of "processed foods". I guess my reason for posting the thread was that I know a lot of people do actually rely on foods such as soy or veggie burgers (those you buy in the shops), with junk food like biscuits (cookies) and ice-cream featuring highly in their diet. So much so that these things become cravings that become detrimental to health, and lead to us seeing threads like "Do I really have to buy all these mock meats and cheeses to be vegan?" If these things make up a small or even moderate part of someone's diet then I don't see that as falling under the heading of "relying". I don't consider tofu, tempeh or seitan to be processed foods really, either, more like basic ingredients from which to make other foods.

But having said all that (and not particularly clearly, either, I don't think!! ), I'm certainly not judging ANYONE for the food choices they make My own reason for going vegan is for health, among others, and I try to make as much from scratch as possible. I occasionally buy dark chocolate, and we get soya ice-cream from the gelateria downstairs probably a couple of times a month, but that's about it. I'm actually quite glad we don't have the range of ready vegan foods that I know are available in the UK - I enjoy cooking from scratch and taking advantage of all the wonderful foods we have here in Italy.

Happy veganism everyone!!!

[Neptunus]

Processed food? Yes.
Ready meals? No.

I use a couple of types of faux-meats to add easy and tasty variety to my meals, from regular old TVP to frozen burgers. I also use soy milk for cereals, desserts and all sorts of cooking. Processing food is, in my opinion, an aspect of human ingenuity; one which I utilize when it makes sense. ; )