Food for Thought Thursday - Vegan Junk Food

I've really been enjoying Kris Carr's blog since I read about her in VegNews this past December. And the title of this post really caught my attention . . . Vegan Junk Food: Blessing or Curse?

People often chuckle when I describe our current eating habits as "good vegan" (right now) or "bad vegan" (most of the month of December), but to me, the abundance of awesome vegan snacks (and recipes for them) is my biggest weakness. Although a cupcake free of butter, eggs, food dye and chemical preservatives is certainly a better choice than the alternative, it is, at the end of the day, still a cupcake. BTW, speaking of chemical preservatives, did you know that Publix puts propylene glycol in their cakes??? I try to make sure my deodorant doesn't have propylene glycol, so you can imagine my thoughts about it being in cake!

Getting back to my point, I realize it's just as easy to be an unhealthy vegan as it is to be an unhealthy omnivore. That's one of the reasons I try to use the term "plant-based diet" instead . . . because our goal is to make whole, natural plant foods the center point of our diet. Getting rid of unhealthy foods is a great first step, but it's not enough . . . and I've found that in general, we make better choices if I focus on what I should be eating.

My first few months on a plant-based diet, I followed the six-week plan in Eat to Live, which is focused on fruits, vegetables, beans and smaller portions of whole grains and nuts. In a time before I discovered all the great vegan restaurants in our area . . . a time before I mastered the art of baking a vegan cupcake . . . my choices were more limited and eating was simple. To be honest, I've never felt better and I've been trying to get back to that place ever since!