Ultra Processed Vegan Food

I came across this video on Facebook the other day, which surprised me. Martin Freeman, Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit films, has started eating meat again after thirty-eight years of having a vegetarian diet. Yeah, I know, thirty-eight years of not eating animal flesh and then returning to it. He also freely admits during an episode of the Dish podcast that the reason he became vegetarian was that he felt uncomfortable eating meat. What surprised me the most was his reason for returning to a carnivorous diet – ultra processed vegan food! You can see a video of the podcast below.

Along with all you other vegans I felt like screaming at the screen ‘Nooooooo!’ How can you go back when you know it’s ethically wrong? Chatting with the hosts, Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, and fellow guest Tony Shumacher, Martin boldly makes the statement, ‘Pork pies and scotch eggs are the food of gods.’

What! Aren’t pork pies and scotch eggs processed foods?

Pork pies and scotch eggs aside, I understand his point (to a point) about processed foods. In my opinion, just because you’ve adopted a vegan lifestyle it doesn’t mean you have to live a life on veggie burgers, vegan pizza, and beans on toast.

Whether you’re a meat-eater or vegan, you can still make unhealthy and healthy food choices. It’s always better to choose whole foods and cook with raw ingredients rather than eating junk and processed food. It’s also cheaper to cook from scratch. Feel free to check out any of my recipes. Eating healthy vegan food doesn’t mean you have to eat salads all day, every day either

Cook you’re own vegan food, leave off the processed

There is an abundance of vegan cookbooks now available, with recipes that are cheap to make and easy to cook. Yes, I know, when you’ve had a hard day, nobody feels like slaving over a hot stove, even for twenty minutes. If that’s you, high five, I know how you feel.

Here’s a good idea nobody’s ever thought of before…

Here’s a good idea that no one’s ever thought of before. Why not batch cook and freeze some ‘bad boy’ dishes? Lentil Bolognese, vegetable curry, or maybe a black bean chili. Cook for the week, or even the month if you have the freezer space. Simple. Just remember to take it out of the freezer in the morning to defrost. There. It’s ready to heat up. The worst task you might have to do on your return from work is to boil some accompanying rice or pasta whilst you’re slipping into your comfy slippers. You may even get away with shoving a potato in the microwave, a quick way of making baked potato.

You could always invest in a slow cooker. I’ve put many a curry or casserole in one in the morning, only to return from work with a delightful smell wafting at me as I enter my front door. Also, air fryers are a healthier way of cooking certain fried foods rather than the old-fashioned deep-fat fryer. There are even specifically vegan air fryer cookbooks available. I can wholly recommend this recipe for air-fried tofu – yummy!

Look, I don’t want to appear judgy. I love a bag of crisps and the odd shove-in-the-oven dinner, especially when I’m tired after a hard day. Just not every day. And I’m afraid (for my own health) I’m one of those people who is addicted to chocolate. You can read about my top five vegan chocolate bars here.

As a general rule I try my utmost to eat as cleanly as possible. Yeah sure, on a weekend I treat myself to eating a few unhealthy snacks. Wouldn’t life be boring without. I think, like with any kind of eating habits, if you eat healthy for at least eighty percent of the time, along with a good exercise regime and plenty of sleep, you’re living a fairly healthy lifestyle. I MUST STATE – I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, but I listen to a lot of self-help books and healthy-living podcasts. Unless the authors I listen to are all wrong I think you can safely assume 80/20 eating will keep you in good form. Of course, If you have any kind of medical condition, and are unsure about your diet and health, please book an appointment with your doctor or medical practitioner.

Ultra Processed People

I listened to a book just recently (I love listening to a book when I’m on my morning walk) called ‘Ultra-Processed People’ by Chris van Tulleken. This book explains how processed foods are addictive and what they are doing to our bodies. I wholly recommend this book, it’s life-changing and possibly even lifesaving (I’m not getting any money for endorsing this book.)

There is also a Facebook page for people who have read the book. This is really helpful for healthy eating tips and ideas. This is where I heard about the Yuka app.

It rates your ultra processed foods, even vegan foods

Available on the Apple App Store or Google Play, this is well worth downloading. Using the app, you scan the barcode on a product, it then evaluates it, and then gives you a quality rating. It also gives you a rundown on what’s in the product, for instance, whether it has too much sugar or salt, whether a certain additive is carcinogenic, etc. You also get a few suggestions for healthier alternatives. This app is 100% independent, so they don’t get paid for recommending products. You can also check cosmetics, toiletries and beauty products too.

There’s only one downside – it now takes me ages to do my grocery shopping! Yes, I’m that person. Standing there, phone in hand, scanning every barcode, with strange looks from the supermarket staff. Whether you’re a meat-eater or a vegan, I think it’s well worth the time and effort if it helps you to make healthier choices.

Why give the meat brigade a reason to say ‘It’s your vegan diet’, every time you complain of a slight ailment.

Huh, how many times have I heard that one!