Is Processed Vegan Food Healthy?

So don’t be fooled into thinking you are being kind to your body just because the box or packet has a vegetarian label.

Frozen veggie burgers, soy cheese, rehydrated textured soya sausages, chicken nuggets without the chicken and soy protein isolate nutrition bars are all a far cry from the image of whole grains, beans, baskets of vegetables and the statutory helpings of lentils.

Source:http://www.ticotimes.net/Weekend/Weekend-Columns/When-vegetarianism-isn-t-so-healthy_Friday-November-01-2013

     Without a doubt, it is nice to see the wide range of vegan packaged food items available in supermarkets these days.  First, knowing that the product you are buying is labeled vegan reduces the time to scan the label for any meat or dairy ingredients.  Second, it allows those used to buying packaged goods to have a vegan alternative which makes switching to the vegan diet more accommodating.  Third, as sales increase, it well pressure the larger consumer packaged goods companies to change their product offering.
     However, there is still nothing better than eating whole, unprocessed foods.  Regardless of the ingredients, processed foods, vegan or otherwise, usually have more salt, refined sugars, saturated fats, and preservatives than the fresh meals you would cook at home.  For example, during a recent trip to the grocery store, I found a can of vegan chili that had 550 mg of sodium per serving!  It is always recommended to eat processed foods in moderation or as little as possible and get used to cooking your own food whenever you can.  You will feel better and be healthier in the long run as well as reducing the waste created from the packages in which these foods are sold!