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Supermarket vegan food - healthy or not?

(31 Posts)
tidyskatemum Thu 09-Jan-20 20:45:13

Supermarkets are full of vegan meals labelled "not chicken "not beef", vegan "cheese" etc etc. So many people seem to be moving to a vegan diet for supposed health benefits but it worries me that so much stuff in the supermarket is highly processed, which I understood was something we should try to avoid at all costs.

NfkDumpling Mon 13-Jan-20 08:27:24

Since the vast majority of ready meals contain garlic they’re all out for me as I’m strongly garlic intolerant. I have yet to find a veggie/vegan ready meal without garlic. Allium intolerance is quite common. And I really, really don’t like tofu!

Katek Mon 13-Jan-20 08:42:22

I’m vegetarian but not vegan, and have had a few spells of iron deficiency anaemia and low b12 over the past 40 years. I think most non meat eaters will need a b12 supplement.

Hetty58 Mon 13-Jan-20 10:08:36

For the majority of us, fortified nutritional yeast (half tablespoon) gives the daily RDA for B12.

I think ready meals in general (vegan or not) should be occasional and tend to be low in nutrition - insipid and tasteless.

Most people do know how they should be eating but still buy rubbish in the supermarket. Have you looked in trolleys at the checkout and wondered how/why people choose things - and how they survive?

There's a convenient disassociation with how that food is produced, marketed and presented that allows people to 'enjoy' consuming meat and dairy:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-50986683

Chardy Mon 13-Jan-20 10:48:25

Harrigran - you don't need meat for iron; it's found plentifully in spinach, broccoli, tofu, legumes or my personal favourite, dark chocolate.

Chardy Mon 13-Jan-20 10:49:40

Oh lots of iron in pumpkin seeds and quinoa too