In an effort to bring my husband and daughter more my direction on the raw vegan spectrum, we are trying out new foods. There are a few details for why and how we’re doing this and some hurdles we are learning to overcome.
1. I eat a predominantly raw high-fruit diet which I love. My husband and daughter aren’t huge fruit & veggie fans. They don’t even like beans. During the week, I eat my way and they eat theirs. Over the weekend we like to find recipes and make meals that we can all enjoy together which means I bend toward cooked vegan, vegetarian, and sometimes seafood meals and they eat salads. (UPDATE: as of Jan 1, 2015 I am 100% vegan and no longer bend.)
Note: I don’t like being in the kitchen. It is not my chosen creative space. My daughter likes to cook (er, bake) and my husband is a wonderful cook, however, for some cultural, patriarchal reason, it seems that the bulk of the cooking/food preparation still falls on me, the wife and mother. This perplexes and annoys me. I love to food shop however! Happy to bring it home.
2. We all recently saw the movie Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret which has encouraged my husband and daughter to let go of more animal foods (namely chicken, fish, and cheese..the final three) for their health, the welfare of the animals, for the conservation of planetary resources (air, water, and land), and to help feed more starving people around the globe.
3. We have a brand new Whole Foods supermarket on our small island. Before it arrived, we happily shopped at Harris Teeter, Fresh Market, and the little local health food store. Some additional items I would special order online, yet we were able to get most or all of what we wanted and needed. But not until Whole Foods opened did I realize how many more options there are that we just didn’t know about prior.
Over the past two weeks since Whole Foods opened, I’ve noticed that we actually save money shopping there. I know the store has been nick-named “Whole Paycheck” so I didn’t think I’d be shopping there regularly. But what I have discovered is that the food items we prefer as a family were essentially considered specialty items at other grocery stores. But at Whole Foods, they are just regular stock. And because they are a large chain, these foods are lower priced than they were as specialty items at other stores. Thus far I have not be shocked at the Whole Foods register and have felt that the total price for what we’re purchasing was very fair.
All that said, here is what we experienced last weekend that threw me for a loop. I requested that our Whole Foods carry the Field Roast grain meat-substitute product line after hearing Colleen Patrick-Goudreau rave about it. I thought how great it would be to try these meat substitutes to get my husband and child off animal meat, let me enjoy these vegan foods with them on the weekend, and we could have some new meals in our repertoire.
The result: my husband and daughter LOVED Field Roast, namely the Italian sausage and the Apple Maple breakfast sausages.
I did not.
Why? Because I don’t eat much wheat (or any grains) anymore, usually just two slices of sprouted grain toast on the weekend and maybe some rice. The “vital wheat gluten” predominant in these sausages was more than my body could tolerate. I totally crashed after dinner…could not keep my eyes open…and I felt awful (cranky) the next day. It was not nice. Normally I am alert until bedtime and most often have a pleasant disposition. I felt the seize of gluten in my system! For a whole plant food eater, the alternative sausages were a processed step backwards for me.
We picked up some Beyond Meat “chicken” strips, a company featured in Cowspiracy. These are soy-based meat alternatives. My daughter is going to try these, but I will not be joining her. We also chose a mozzarella vegan cheese which she said tasted horrible: flavor and texture.
Here is my rub and my warning to you: these vegan foods (organic and non-organic) are highly processed foodstuffs. Are they better choice for the animals and the planet? YES! Are they better for human health? I don’t necessarily think there is a great gain. Eating animal meat certainly has it’s health concerns, but so does eating processed food whether it be vegan or not.
So will we three be enjoying these vegan meat alternatives for dinners on the weekends? Nope. My husband and daughter probably will but I will continue to encourage them to leave animal foods AND processed foods behind. Dang, if they would just eat beans this would all be so much easier!
We will still enjoy local, small-farm yard chicken eggs from Three Sisters Farm on the weekend and perhaps some bi-valves (clams, scallops, oysters, mussels) since many people (vegan and non-vegan) consider them to be non-sentient…but the raging debate continues:
• The ethical case for eating oysters and mussels
(UPDATE: as of Jan 1, 2015 I am 100% vegan and no longer eat eggs or bi-valves.)
Why do I include these occasional animal foods in my diet? Because I’d rather eat whole, real food for B12 and iron than a supplement, plus these are rare meals that I can share with my family. I’m the one who first abandoned our old way of eating and while I’m encouraging my husband and daughter to join me, they are not as passionate about the journey as I am.
I’ll be experimenting this week with a non-soy vegan Caesar dressing in efforts to phase out our traditional dressing (with anchovies and parmesan cheese).
I’m still in process and I don’t claim to be 100% anything, vegan or otherwise. Above and beyond any food guideline, I embrace, teach, and live WHOLE, REAL foods (foods that don’t require a label or ingredient list) first and foremost! The vegan processed foodstuffs do help people transition from a diet high in animal foods to a one featuring less, but I don’t think it’s wise for personal health to stay on them for any significant length of time.
(UPDATE: as of Jan 1, 2015 I am 100% vegan.)
Avoiding vegan processed food isn’t a reason to continue eating animal foods. Ideally we would all move toward real, whole plant foods…plant-based, non-processed eating, cooked and ultimately raw.
Additional Resources:
• How To Drop the Guilt Over a Non-Traditional Family Meal
• Vegan Does NOT Equal Healthful (Photos)
• Tofu or Not Tofu: That is the Debate
• Fruit Over Forks Over Knives
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I have encountered this problem numerous times with my patients. They think that by eating “vegan diet” they are being healthy. Processed food is processed food. Period. I have a handful of vegan patients who are quite sick because of this very problem. Thanks for sharing.
Neither “organic” nor “vegan” equal healthful and understanding this can create or not understanding can destroy a sustainable plant-based lifestyle that is beneficial to the individual, the animals, the planet, and all of humanity. Thanks for chiming in Amy! Always appreciate your feedback!
Agreed! You are welcome. I enjoy the posts!!
Excellent article! Thank you for sharing a real life experience. I will be happy to share your story with my clients in hopes that they will believe that just because it says it is better for you doesn’t always mean it really is! So much of the gluten free food is packaged to look healthier when in fact it is just processed junk food. Same for the meat and cheese substitutes. I enjoy your candor (bet your daughter doesn’t haha!).
Cowspiracy won’t be here in Indy until October. Blah!
Yes, so much gluten-free packaged food is just another form of junk food with one junk ingredient eliminated. Cowspiracy is worth the wait!! Enjoy!
Thank you Carla. I enjoyed reading this because it was so honest and I think helpful to the rest of us who are also trying to work our ways through a process. You are right on about the need for processed vegan foods to be very temporary for transition purposes. While they are better in many ways than animal products, I don’t believe that personal health is one of those ways. Whole foods, mostly plant-based are what I believe are optimal for good health. And you obviously believe that too. Good article.
Jim Smith recently posted..The Future of Food
Thank you Jim for reading and commenting! I enjoyed your article The Future of Food and am excited you’ll be going to the Food for Tomorrow conference! I’ll be excited to hear what you come back with to share.
How do I get a child off grains that only ever wants PB&J? and refuses all veggies and fruits?? (and wont drink smoothies)
Hi Krystale ~ Have you tried making frozen fruit ice cream? This might be a good format for more fruits and fewer grains. https://www.carlagoldenwellness.com/2013/09/09/ice-cream-for-breakfast/ If you can’t omit the grains/PB&J you can at least make sure you’re buying organic bread with simple ingredients (or make bread), organic peanut butter with just nuts and salt (no added sugar or oil), and use a thin spread of jelly/jam. Backing off the sugar elements can make the PB&J less addictive.
Dear Carla! I love your candor and your delivery of an experience. Isn’t that the truth though? Trying to find that happy healthy balance as we transition to a different way of eating. Thank you for sharing. Almost 24 years of plant based eating….and yes there have been those few times when we’ve not been 100% vegan, but 99% of the time we are. It’s a beautiful life and to know I no longer am responsible for the death of any animals does my heart a world of good 😀
Kathie Jamison Cote recently posted..Richard H Jamison, Hero to Many
Thank you Kathy for your encouragement and support! You are an inspiration to me!!! xoxox.
I don’t know what all you have tried, you have certainly been at this for longer than we have since before we met years ago. One of the things that got me started was black bean burgers. Try and perfect a Black Bean burger recipe and you’ll have them hooked. It’ll probably take a lot of prep, but you can make them so they don’t taste like beans or fall apart like the black bean burgers and restaurants do. Also, I have a recipe for mac n’cheese made with tons of nooch and cashew milk that tastes pretty close to that kraft cr*p. For soups, I found out that by putting mashed avocado into vegetable stock soup (carrots, celery, onions), that it will give it that chicken soup flavoring that’s always missing. McKenzie is putting together a cook book of all of her favorites.
Such fabulous tips Chris!!! One question….what is nooch? Looking forward to learning aobut McKenzie’s cook book! Keep me posted!
Nooch is nutritional yeast flakes 🙂
Thanks Emma. I figured that out and I’m glad you added it here for others!
I just thought I’d point out a flaw in your dietary approach to certain nutrients.
You say: “Why do I include these occasional animal foods in my diet? Because I’d rather eat whole, real food for B12 and iron than a supplement…”
But you eat fortified vegan foods that contain B12 and iron, which are supplements.
Thanks for pointing out my flaw in logic, Emillie. This is an older post and I probably need to update it. I do now supplement with B12 but I do not supplement with iron. I really eat no processed or fortified vegan foods, just whole plant foods so I don’t think I’m getting any supplementation that way. I appreciate you taking time to read and comment!
“We will still enjoy local, small-farm yard chicken eggs from Three Sisters Farm on the weekend…” Please consider all the aspects of eating eggs from anywhere. This is still supporting the egg industry and turning animals into commodities.
• All male chicks are killed
• Hens have been force-bred to lay an egg a day or close to it. This severely depletes their body’s resources, and they lose a lot of calcium, leading to brittle bones.
• Hens egg-laying days are numbered and when their egg production declines or they stop laying, they will be sold for slaughter.
• Hens have mothering instincts which they will not be able to express when used for laying eggs.
• Eating eggs, using chickens for any reason is not and never will be vegan.
• Eating eggs means you are on a plant-based, not plant-exclusive diet.
Thank you for bringing up all these marvelous and legitimate reasons for not eating eggs Nancy. This post was written before I went 100% vegan so it is old news about me and I need to update the post. I’d love to leave your information here so that other readers may benefit from your insight and knowledge. Thank you!
Regardless of the animal protein type, animals are exploited. The chicken is not laying eggs for humans to eat, her babies are stolen away from her to also be used. Many “pastured” chickens are living in confined environments and fed conventional grains. The same exploitation happens in the dairy industry, where consumers think the animals have a happy life. But cow moms have their babies stolen from them and the males are worthless to the dairy industry. Cows have 6-10x the amount of milk taken from them that their one calf would normally drink. All in all, farm animals even on small farms, are bred, used, and slaughtered at an early age. None of them are happy to go to or be in a slaughterhouse. Watch “earthlings” and see the truth for yourself of what the aninals experience. Peace.
This post was particularly enjoyable for me since it’s quite near to my current experiences.
How I wish I could get my husband and children fully on board with me! Husband very rarely eats beef or pork but will eat chicken. The kids…well, with a large family they are all over the place, and I have no control over what they eat at school. (I am a slacker mom who is not going to make Pinterest-worthy lunches for them to take to school.)
In an effort to find some middle ground I’ve purchased the Tofurkey Italian sausage, the Beyond Meat chicken strips, and the fake ground beef…can’t remember what it’s called. Doing so feels wrong on two levels. First, it sends a message that we somehow need meat; if we’re not going to eat the real thing we need a substitute. Second, it’s highly processed, and that’s never a good thing.
What I have found, however, is that if I use it in very small bits it’s okay. I might dice some fake chicken to put in a big pot of vegetable soup, or cook with okra and tomatoes. That’s just enough to add a little something for the rest of the family, but not so much that it feels wrong or grosses me out. I must admit that I do love a bowl of the fake meat chili, but I go way heavy on the tomatoes and use at least three kinds of beans…the fake meat is just barely there.
As for eggs, we will likely always eat them. Why? Because we have hens as pets and they lay eggs. I’m not going to throw them in the trash. Once our hens stop laying, they live out their lives with us. Hens are great to have around because they love to eat ticks! We are at the epicenture of Lyme disease here in Connecticut and ticks are everywhere. I suspect we will always have chickens since we take in homeless dogs, cats, horses, and chickens…and sadly those are never in short supply.
Please keep writing about your family and their progress toward vegan eating. Any and all tips (wins and loses) are appreciated.
Side note: I recently bought some Kite Hill almond cheese. It was very good. I would love to hear your thoughts on using these kinds of products.
Thank you Terri for taking the time to read, comment, and share your family’s experience. The vegan analogs can be helpful, as you know, and with a basic understanding of nutrition they will be used sparingly as you are doing. I think you’ve found a happy, middle-ground solution. My main concern is for vegans who rely on these foods for most meals and end up feeling poorly due to a diet composed of highly process foods.
I believe Kite Hill uses quality minimal ingredients. Their soft original cheese includes almond milk (water, almonds), salt, enzymes, and cultures for example. This sounds like a safe bet for the pleasure of eating cheese. I’ve not tried the brand yet, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so. http://www.kite-hill.com/
I am not a humans mom, but honestly I would tell my spouse and kids–if you want to eat animals, cook for yourself. I will cook only non-animal foods. and take them to a farm animal sanctuary and let them meet the animals they eat. peace.