A plant-based diet is considered the ultimate health plan that keeps the body in shape and staves off diseases associated with unhealthy food choices. Due to the oh-so-healthy reputation of plant-based diets, many people assume that they can gorge on all plant eatables because they will be consuming unsaturated micronutrients. But there is more to the story than that!
As much as we don’t want to pop the happy bubble that allows you to binge eat plant-based foods, we need to do it to set the record straight. Have we ruffled your feathers a bit because you don’t want to have to give up the decadent soy burger that you love so much? Well, we hate to break it to you, but you need to stop eating your favorite soy-based veggie burger. Why? Because it falls in the category of processed foods, which we all know aren’t good for your health or weight.
Processed foods, vegan or not, are not good and shouldn’t be a part of your plant-based diet. Plant-based varieties of processed foods can be deceiving and often labeled as healthy, but they are not. They are usually made with not-so-healthy ingredients that can adversely affect your health and weight, so it’s better to avoid such foods.
If you’re not sure which plant-based food items gal under the umbrella of foods to avoid, here’s a list for you.
Contents
Frozen Veggie Burgers
One of the most commonly eaten processed foods is the frozen veggie burger that you can get in the frozen foods aisle at your grocery store. It appears as a healthy alternative to a hamburger, but it’s really not. It’s often made with faux meat and topped with vegan eggs or cheese, and none of those ingredients are suitable for your health or weight. Therefore, you must avoid devouring the frozen veggie burgers as they do not contain wholesome constituents that are the hallmarks of a plant-based diet.
Refined Grains
Refined grains safely lie in the plant-based foods category, but are they healthy? Nope! Not at all. White bread, pasta, tortilla, rice, and flour are plant-based edibles, but they are full of saturated compounds that are harmful to one’s health. Satisfy your grain cravings with brown alternatives and stay healthy!
100% Pure Fruit Juices
Even if the label claims 100% pure juice inside a pack, know that it’s a hoax. Eating fresh fruit is not the same as drinking bottled juice because the latter generally contains plenty of sugar that is nothing but an edible vice. Therefore, when you crave that tantalizing fruity goodness, always choose fresh fruit over packaged juice.
Canned Plant Foods
Canned plant foods don’t even come close to the healthy goodness of their fresh counterparts. They are high in sodium and sugar that most people overlook on the label, and resultantly end up having an unhealthy food item. Steer clear from preserved plant eatables, dice fresh veggies, and fruits yourself to enjoy a wholesome meal.
If you are on a vegan diet, you must wish to be your healthiest version. Don’t thwart your efforts by eating the wrong foods just because they claim to be plant-based! Consume healthy plant-based meals to get maximum benefits out of this lifestyle.