It is easy to take almost any belief in life to an extreme (including The Primal Blueprint). One of the unfortunate commercialistic side-effects of the rise in vegetarianism is the creation of meat-like products: “food” based on soy and a multitude of other ingredients to mimic the taste/feel of meat. Take, for instance, “Chick’n Nuggets” – a tofu-based concoction surrounded by bread and corn.

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The famous Chicken McNugget was demonized for being deep-fried, not containing enough chicken/protein, and removing the last trace between animal and food in many children’s minds. All of these facts are true. However, creating a similar monstrosity based on soy is not the answer, and I see no reason why people should feel “good” about eating something with fourty-some ingredients just because it doesn’t contain meat.

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Of the ingredients listed, soy appears four different times and corn thrice. There are barely any real seasonings and the added vitamins scream that something has gone awry in the process. How anyone could purchase this and consider it ‘healthy’ is beyond me.

I will be the first to admit that meat coming from inhumanely-raised chickens should be left alone and that deep-frying / trans-fats are indeed the devil. You can still enjoy a ‘chicken nugget’ with a simple, tasty, home-made recipe like the ones available on RecipeZaar

Only eat food made from ingredients your grandmother (or great-grandmother) would recognize.

  • Michael Pollan