Yes I eat mostly vegan but slip up now and again. I think the more substitute foods there are, the better as it helps with transition.
I've gone through a few phases of mostly salads, mostly fruit and now try more balanced with cooked, raw and fruits. There are still many toxic vegan foods to minimise like grains imo. Even so, I crave bread now and again.
It's awesome that you're making an effort! So many don't even try. So, I commend you and appreciate your journey.
I agree the substitutes help a lot of people, and the substitute cheese helped me in the beginning when I went vegan, but eventually got the point where I don't need any of that anymore... I do still eat some substitute stuff sometimes, but I realize it's not healthy compared to whole plant foods.
I've heard a lot of claims about grains being unhealthy, though to me it seems like whole grains aren't so bad? But, I haven't really looked into it deep enough to say for sure.