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Guide to Vegetarian Convenience Foods | Table of Contents | Foreword | Book Orders

A diet comprised entirely of organic whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains is the ideal sustenance for humans. But, as we navigate through our hectic modern lives we often seek to find nourishment in foods that are conveniently prepackaged and ready to eat. The delicious, vegetarian food items listed in this book will fulfill that need.

However, I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is that you include as many fresh, whole, organic fruits and vegetables in your diet as possible. This is easily accomplished by tossing a large, colorful vegetable salad and serving it along with each meal, and by eating fresh, whole fruits throughout the day. You might choose melon as an appetizer, berries for dessert, and an orange, apple, banana, or peach as a snack. 

Although there is no human requirement for any foods of animal origin, we have been influenced since childhood to think otherwise. Through clever advertising campaigns directed at both children and adults, the meat, egg, and dairy industries have us convinced that without their products, we would hover on the brink of malnutrition.

From an early age, children are taught that without these foods, they will not grow big and strong. As adults, we continue clinging to this erroneous idea and unwittingly pass this belief on to our own children. Meanwhile, the media blitz continues, reinforcing the already ingrained nutritional lunacy.  It is evidenced by the most frequently asked question of vegetarians: “But, where do you get your protein?”

That question is easily answered, but first, let’s define vegetarian. A vegetarian diet excludes all meat products, such as beef, poultry, lamb, pork, and seafood. A person who eats chicken is not a vegetarian. (Although many people who eat poultry and fish may think of themselves as vegetarian.) A person consuming no animal flesh, but eating eggs and dairy, is referred to as a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

A strict vegetarian, or dietary vegan (pronounced vee-gun) has eliminated all products of animal origin from his or her diet including dairy, eggs, gelatin, and even honey. The foods listed in this book are predominantly vegan. The only two exceptions are foods containing honey (identified by an h symbol) and products containing casein (identified by a c symbol). Casein or caseinate refers to a milk protein present in many otherwise dairy-free foods. Manufacturers claim that using casein improves the taste, consistency, melting, and stretching properties of soy cheese and other products.