World Vegan Day

As World Vegan Day approaches on November 1^st, here at Myprotein we decided to explore some of the most common myths associated with this increasingly popular diet and lifestyle.

There is now an abundance of vegan food products available on the market to cater for the growing demand, yet many people still associate plant based diets with poorer nutrition, primarily in regards to obtaining key nutrients such as Iron and protein which are commonly sourced from animal proteins.

In an effort to de-bunk some of these myths, out team of experts have researched how an entirely plant-based, vegan diet can provide all the vital nutrients required for a healthy lifestyle and more!

TOP 10 VEGAN MYTHS

• All vegans are calcium deficient because they don’t drink milk.

This is incorrect! Green leafy vegetables have a high amount of calcium in them, so vegans can be rest assured that their bone health will not be adversely affected. For example, kale has 135mg of calcium per 100g, 15g more than milk.

• Vegans are less healthy.

This is also incorrect! In fact, if you remain on a plant-based diet, you are less likely to contract heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.

Every three per cent increase in calories from plant protein was found to reduce risk of death by 10 per cent.

• Going vegan means automatic weight loss.

Not everyone consuming a vegan diet will lose weight, especially true for those who continue to eat and drink highly processed junk foods.

Per 100 calories of broccoli you get 11.1g of protein, whereas if you take the same amount of calories in meat you just get 6.4g.

• Being vegan means being hungry all the time.

Providing you are drinking enough water and eating at regular intervals throughout the day, there is absolutely no reason why you should feel any hungrier on a vegan diet than one that includes animal products.

• Being vegan is hard.

It has never been easier to be vegan than now. Almost all supermarkets, restaurants and cafes have Vegan Friendly options.

The first cookery book to include the work ‘vegan’ in its title was Fay K. Henderson’s Vegan Recipes, published in 1946.

• Vegans are weak.

Being vegan doesn’t mean you don’t have the same strength as a meat eater. You can train the same as them and consume the same macronutrients. Famous vegan athletes include: David Carter (300lb NFL star), Peter Siddle (Australian cricketer), and two of the greatest female tennis players ever – Venus and Serena Williams.

• Vegans don’t get enough protein.

Not true. Certain types of greens actually contain more protein per gram than meat, for example Spirulina. However, whether you are vegan or not, most people consume 70% more protein daily than what they need.

Studies have found that eating a plant based diet makes you happier and less stressed.

• Being a vegan is way too expensive.

Maintaining a vegan diet needn’t be a budgetary nightmare. Think pasta, beans, lentils and the like and you’ll soon see that these staples are far cheaper than mean and dairy products, especially as you can buy them in bulk and store them without fear of them going bad.

• Veganism is for hippies.

Vegans come from different backgrounds and styles, for example in European Festivals you can find punks, reggae music lovers, parents, bodybuilders and fashionistas who all enjoy veganism – no need to stereotype here!

• Plants also feel pain.

Wrong! Plants don’t have nerve endings or a brain, which means they cannot feel pain.

If you want to know more about a vegan diet then check out this article onWhat is a Vegan Diet?. Also, discover our range of Vegan Supplements that can complement your vegan diet or help in going vegan for the first time.