Are We Really What We Eat?

The more I read of The Omnivore's Dilemna, the more I think about what I eat. To give you all an idea of what I eat on a typical day, here is a log of everything I ate today:

Breakfast
a bowl of kashi puffs cereal with fat-free half and half
coffee
truvia

Lunch
Veggie Wrap with Tofu (details to come in tomorrow's post)
2 Apricots
Annie's fruit snacks
rice cake with grape jelly (pre-workout snack)

Dinner
red lentils (see earlier posts for recipe)
brown rice
cantaloupe

As I reflected on what I ate today, I realized that the only thing I ate that wouldn't qualify as vegan was the fat-free half and half that I put in my cereal. Despite the fact that my diet is borderline vegan, I don't think I would ever be able to make the commitment to becoming a full-time vegan. I'm not saying that it's a bad idea to go vegan (in fact, I have a lot of respect for those of you who have that willpower). It's just that I like having the option to use dairy products when I need/want to.

I feel like the main reason my diet has evolved to become borderline vegan is because I am making a greater effort to eat more whole foods. I am making a greater effort to avoid processed foods, especially those that contain HFCS and hydrogenated oils. In the process of doing so, I have turned to the produce section of my grocery store.

My new mantra for food is this:
Buy more produce, especially that which is in season and/or grown locally. Avoid HFCS and hydrogenated oils when possible, but don't starve yourself in the process.

The fact of the matter is, not only is produce better when it's in season and/or local, but it's cheaper.

Here is my problem with processed foods: our bodies aren't meant to break down the chemicals used in those foods. One could argue that we've evolved to digest preservatives, dyes, and HFCS, but is that actually a good thing? I often feel better when I eat whole foods: I have more energy and feel healthier.