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Newbie Questions! Please help. :o)
Started
by Lily Trahan
on October 19, 2009
Hi everyone! i have been a vegan for almost 2 months now and am thoroughly enjoying it.
This may seem like a silly question but i'm trying to eliminate processed foods (except for Silk vanilla soy milk sometimes) and was wondering if Amy's products are technically processed? i know that they are organic, but... yeah.
Also in the past i discovered that sugar always made me breakout and without it my skin looks so much better. i know that Larabars aren't processed and are all natural but have lots of sugar. is this sugar the safe kind since it just comes from fruits and nuts? Or will it have the same effect on skin?
And the last one, they are building a Sunflower market near my house and i wanted to know if that place is cheaper than vitamin cottage? i heard that it's cheaper than Whole Foods and we don't have a Trader Joe's.
Thanks!
Lily,
Processed foods include any items that have been altered in some way, whether by freezing or cooking or pasteurizing. Typically, the foods to avoid, in my opinion, are the ones that have ingredient lists with more than one item. So instead of just frozen green beans (ingredient list would read "green beans") you are getting added preservatives or chemicals or ingredients you normally wouldn't put in the dish. For example, when you are making a burrito, you probably wouldn't add soy flour or maltodextrin. Although Amy's may be organic, it still undergoes processing. It may be better than other options, and is probably great when you are in a rush, it is still processed.
A good option may be making large batches of dishes and freezing them for later use. You can make burritos, casseroles, soup, beans and freeze them for later in the week (or month!) when you are in a rush and squeezed for time.
Fruit sugar is not the same as white sugar. Larabars should be safe because they only contain whole foods, like dates or cherries. I'm not sure about your specific situation, so you could be sensitive to fruit sugars as well.
xo
melly
cool, I never thought about freezing my own food. Sounds very practical!
I have been vegan for 2months also. I was a vegetarian for 6months or more and transitioned to vegan. I have such love for sugar and white flour. This will be a hard transition for me. I am not ready to be a Superhero so I will stay in limbo for now. I have noticed since becoming vegan feeling better and having more energy. Good luck!
fitmama - good for you for going vegan!! It is definitely a major transition, but one that is so worth it in the end. I've been vegan for a year now, and I am completely head over heels with this way of life.
If you're looking for ideas, anecdotes, and recipes, I've been keeping a blog about my journey --> www.kissmyvegan.blogspot.com. You should check out!
And keep going! Every little bit counts!
One last thing:
"Don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Do something, anything!" - Colleen Patrick Goudreau (vegan baker and animal advocate)
I love Colleen! I have both of her books and love her podcast. Lily, I'm fairly sure that Larabars don't have added sugar - they get their sweetness from dried fruit. I have the same problem with refined sugar - I always break out! But I eat dried fruit pretty often with no problem, and I even eat larabars occasionally. LOVE the chocolate coconut one.
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