I don’t know why veganism creates such intense reactions in people. You’ve got your non-vegan folks who insist that vegans are undernourished–what the heck do they do for protein? Then, on the other side of it, you’ve got your so-called chefs who assume that grilled veggies make a sufficiently nutritious vegan meal.
There are those who insist that animals were put on this earth for our use, so we should just eat them. Or that plants have feelings too. Or that domesticated animals don’t have it so bad anyway. See a bunch of these arguments and responses to them here.
But today I want to address one issue and one issue only: is a vegan diet healthy or unhealthy?
That’s really a silly question, akin to asking if food is healthy or unhealthy. Some is, some isn’t. Whether your vegan diet is healthy or unhealthy depends on what you eat.
James Fell’s article, “Are Vegan Diets Healthy?” gives a clue as to what gets people’s backs up. The author objects to “militant” vegans, but admits that only a small minority of vegans are militant. Being vegan, I can attest to this fact. Most of us quite frequently dine quietly alongside, even with, people who are eating food that we think comes from an industry that promotes unnecessary animal suffering.
Then there is the even less political arm of veganism, those who won’t even use the term. They defer instead to the “plant-based” diet. These are the folks most likely to be in your face not about the ethics of animal farming, but about the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet. They’re purists in a different sort of way, moralizing food choices for reasons that have nothing to do with animal ethics.
Obesity researcher, Yoni Freedhoff, is quoted in the article as saying:
There are some vegan organizations that like to tell people that this is the ticket to weight loss, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. You can have plenty of vegan calories as well. Going vegan does not necessitate a healthy weight.
I’ve blogged before about the sad truth that going vegan doesn’t produce a weight-loss miracle. And it doesn’t automatically mean you’re eating healthy foods, either. But it doesn’t mean you’re not.
Lots of people like to say that vegans can’t try properly because they can’t get enough protein. The article about vegan diet and health talks about endurance athletes who have forgone animal products with no negative impact (and sometimes, they say, a positive impact) on their athletic performance
The author goes on to say:
“Veganism is an ethical concept more than a health concept,” said Dr. Garth Davis, a weight loss surgeon in Houston, Texas and an expert in plant-based diets. “I don’t use the term ‘vegan’ with my patients. I prefer ‘plant-based.’”
Dr. Davis told me: “I think most vegans did choose it from an ethical standpoint, but it has changed and grown over time to include those who find they perform better at sports on plant-based diets.” He echoed what Lindsey Miller and Scott Jurek said that many choose it for health reasons because it makes you think more carefully about your food intake.
“You don’t have be vegan in order to be healthy, but being vegan is a very healthy way to live,” he said.
Notice the emphasis on the less political/ethical “plant-based.’ Here, the health benefits take centre stage. Sure, if you focus on whole foods in your plant-based diet, you’ll make healthy choices. That’s probably the reason why so many people slide the two together. But vegan doesn’t mean only whole, low fat foods. I made an amazing vegan spiced pumpkin cake with a chocolate glaze yesterday and I’m glad I took it to an event where I wouldn’t have to contend with leftovers. Despite containing pumpkin and being vegan, it wasn’t the healthiest thing to come out of my kitchen this weekend.
It should come as no surprise that James Fell, author of “Are Vegan Diets Healthy?” concludes:
The takeaway here is that, yes, vegan can be a very healthy diet, as long as you do the work to ensure you do vegan well, and avoid the processed vegan “food.” From a health perspective, going vegan can make it so those who struggle with healthy eating are made to take their nutrition more seriously.
Because cutting out fast food burgers in favor of more plants is a good idea.
I’m the last person to discourage anyone from opting for a vegan diet and lifestyle, but the fact is that cutting out fast food burgers in favour of all sorts of other possibilities is probably a good idea.
And it’s worth saying that as with any approach to eating, you need to do a bit of research. One thing I’ve discovered, for example, is that vegans actually do need to make a point of getting their B12 because it is a necessary vitamin and occurs naturally in only a small range of plant foods. Most non-vegans get their B12 from meat products. For a vegan, plant-based “milks” as well as cereals are usually fortified with B12, and you can also get it from B12 supplements.
That’s just one factor. We’re not born knowing what constitutes a well-rounded diet that meets all of our nutritional needs. Whether you opt to eat a vegan diet or not, the simple fact is that whether your version is healthy or unhealthy depends entirely on the specific choices you make.
I’m vegetarian I find that my diet consists of a variety of foods not just one staple vegetable. I believe that in every diet you can have good and bad days. It’s all about how you look at it! Great post!
Loved this! As a long time vegan I find non-vegans automatically assume I never eat anything “bad” for me. I try to explain to those who think I am some sort of health goddess that I like to indulge in pizza and cookies just like they do, my version is just a bit different though. They just don’t or won’t understand and if I bring treats to share they somehow think that my chocolate chip cookies are magically nutritious and low fat, low calorie. Ha!
I know what you mean. I too can attest that there are plenty of delicious, high fat, vegan options with almost no nutritional value!
I was a “junk food vegan” in college. Mac’n’yeast, deep fried tofu, dark chocolate, and I make the best vegan lemon pound cake…
I think Tia’s college indulgence reveals the indulgence of vegan vs. eating an egg or egg-white dish with veggies. (and no butter in that egg dish. Something that is typical of most traditional Asian dishes. No butter for greasing the pan.)
My first encounter with vegetarian non-Asian meal was at a friend’s place where a lot of cheese was put into a veggie casserole. This was back in the early 1980’s. I ate the dish and wondered to myself privately, “that was completely healthy?” I felt I ate half a block of cheese.
I eat based on the credo of some meat but mostly plant based. Fistful of meat about 2-3 times per month.
I try to eat a lot of plants but I’m not veg*n. My motivation for this is not so much health related as it is the ethics/environmental aspect of using animals for food. Weird that I apparently seem to be approaching this from the opposite angle of many athletes.