After posting that picture, I thought about our family's vegan journey. When I started cooking vegan meals 3 years ago, we ate a lot of vegan prepacked items, faux meats and cheese. It really helped us transition as a family because I didn't know much about vegan cooking and the faux meat and cheeses made for quick go-to meals.
I may have given up on a vegan lifestyle without being able to rely on the processed faux products.
Even though I have no plans in the near future to eliminate vegan meat (mainly Field Roast sausage) and vegan cheese from our diet; I will say we no longer buy seitan, Gardein products, or Amy's prepackaged meals. It's not because I dislike these products, but mainly because I feel so much more confident in the kitchen. I find myself making vegetable stir-fry, spaghetti with TVP & black bean tacos as filling, simple and inexpensive meals.
In the beginning, vegan cooking can be intimidating. Sometimes it's hard not to see meat as the center of a meal and faux meat can help make the transition easier.
If you're fairly new to a vegan lifestyle, don't beat yourself up about eating a lot of processed foods. As you research, learn and grow, that will decrease and you will love eating more whole foods.
Thanks for reading!
