Sheesh - If You Know What I Mean. I should have gotten that one!
I can handle TVP without extreme untoward after effects but it is not my favorite.
I’d rather have well cooked pinto beans, and they’re cheaper. Cooked well they behave themselves during their journey through the innards.
I've heard adding a bit of baking soda to the pot will make them behave.
I'm kinda like you in that I'd rather have real food. I used to have a decent garden and canned, dehydrated, or froze everything. Not so now days. I stock up on store bought canned goods that we normally eat. I was raised by a farm granny so can't sleep at night if the pantry isn't stocked. Hubby recently became one of the unemployed so first thing I did was go through every inch of the kitchen organizing, checking dates, and making sure I knew what we had and what we didn't. Not that I don't keep it organized, but there were still some surprises - mostly to the excess side and only a half dozen things went into the trash. Not long ago, I had done the same for the bathrooms. I'm now working on organizing all the emergency/files/how to info. Then it's on to the large outside stuff. I don't care if my family thinks I've lost my mind - I might have, but it makes me happy.