Real talk—I love vegan butter

I don’t eat a Whole Food Plant Based diet 100% of the time.

I have vegan butter in my fridge that I put on toast.
When I go out to eat, I don’t worry about the oil.
If there’s a vegan, gluten-free cookie / cake / donut / muffin in my presence, I will usually eat it.

My house is never lacking in dark chocolate.
Once in a while, I have vegan yogurt for dinner.
Sometimes I eat vegan cheese puffs.

Last week, I watched Superbad on Netflix and ate sweet and salty popcorn instead of processing my feelings or making dinner.
If I’m out to eat and fried tofu is on the menu, I will order it 10 times out of 10.

On occasion, I buy pre-made pasta sauce instead of making my own.
Sometimes the only option for store-bought vegetable broth contains oil, and I buy it anyway.

Does this take me out of the Whole Food Plant Based box and put me in the Vegan box? Not really, because sometimes I put honey in my tea, and I can’t guarantee all of my footwear is free from leather. So where does that leave me?

I have no idea, but I do know this. 

Allowing myself some flexibility with how Whole Food Plant Based I eat, without drama or judgment, makes it easy for me to avoid meat, dairy, and eggs 100% of the time. If I veer too far off the Whole Food Plant Based course though, I know it’s time to reel it back in because I feel the difference in my body.

Following our weekly Whole Food Plant Based Meal Plans, making sure I always have Cold Grain Cereal in the fridge for breakfast, eating three plant powered meals a day at around the same time, and dropping the idea of being a “perfect” whole-food plant-based eater is my sweet spot for eating in a way that supports my mind, body, and soul.

Will this work for everyone? Probably not. Some people are adamant about no oil. Some people really have to stay away from sugar. Some people never buy vegan junk food. Some people will never give up cheese. Some people want to eat meat. Some people hate vegetables and won’t touch beans. And there is nothing wrong with any of it.

We all have to choose what works best for us, and what works best might change from time to time. Or it might not.

The question is, what works best for you right now? No one has any business answering this question for you, and more importantly, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about your answer. Your journey with food is YOURS. Honor what you need. Allow people to have their thoughts about it without making it mean anything about you. And carry on like the badass you are.

Today on the blog, I’m having a chat with Stephanie Cauller, a Dirty from our community who I loved talking with. We covered a lot of ground in 22 minutes: how eating Whole Food Plant Based can be super affordable, getting rid of sinus and congestion issues by going dairy-free, how to experience improving health as you age, and how batch cooking can help free up your brain for other things. This is a good one!

We’re also giving you a recipe for Garlic and Chive Cream Cheese that you can’t miss. Do it all right here.

Molly