"Processed" isn't a well-defined term to begin with, but it's strange that you seem to implying that seitan, but not tofu, is highly processed. The steps from s

"Processed" isn't a well-defined term to begin with, but it's strange that you seem to implying that seitan, but not tofu, is highly processed. The steps from soybeans to tofu are: 1) dry soybeans, 2) soak soybeans, 3) puree soybeans, 4) boil soybeans, 5) separate pulp (okara), 6) coagulate with a coagulant compound, 7) press into block. The steps from wheat to seitan are: 1) mill wheat into flour, 2) wash flour to remove starch, 3) knead glutenous dough, 4) boil. That's fewer steps of "processing" for the latter. You can quibble a bit (in particular, if one buys vital wheat gluten powder, rather than making seitan directly from flour, add a drying step and a rehydrating step after step 3), but at the least, they're in the same league. Moreover, tofu production requires a somewhat exotic ingredient (the coagulant), whereas anyone can make seitan at home from a pantry staple. Also, it's a logical leap from "requires large quantities of highly processed food" to "close to impossible". Whether seitan is "highly processed" or not, it's tasty, and eating a lot of it isn't close to impossible.