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Is a Vegan Diet Healthy?

Is a Vegan Diet Healthy?

As plant-based diets are becoming more mainstream with people cutting out animal products for health, ethical, and environmental reasons, would-be dieters explore vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian options. Whether it's a personal health decision or just a moral decision, PlantX welcome eaters of all types to partake and share in the beauty of plant-based meals. There is, of course, one question that crops up again and again around the subject of plant-based diets like Veganism is, "Is it healthy?"   Today we're going to tackle a little bit about the myths of the vegan diet and whether it is healthy!

So, Is a Vegan Diet Healthy?

Like any other diet, when going vegan, you have to make sure that you are eating a well-rounded, nutrient-rich, and balanced set of meals throughout the day. Just because you have cut out animal products doesn't mean that your body will suddenly spring into good health! You may be surprised to find many storebought vegan snacks and options are highly-processed and can lead to unhealthy eating habits.    It can sometimes be challenging to get certain nutrients into your diet while going plant-based, but it's not impossible. Making sure that you are getting all of your necessary macro and micronutrients is the first step to ensuring that your diet journey is healthy, no matter if it's vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous! Some common nutrients that you may find yourself lacking on a vegan diet are:
  • B12
  • Iron
  • Calcium and Vitamin D
  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Nutrient-Rich Plant Sources

To combat these easy to miss nutrients you should round out your diet with a variety of greeny leafy veggies, fortified soy products, whole grains, nuts, and seeds along with other fruits and vegetables. For those of you looking to find out more about including protein into a plant-based diet, check out our other blog, "Best Plant Protein Sources You May Not Have Thought Of."  
  • Add nuts and seeds like walnuts, cashews, and flaxseed across your meals like in salads, overnight oats, and quinoa bowls to ensure you get plenty of Omega-3s.
  • Need more iron? Foods like beans, lentils, whole grain products, and leafy green veggies can help you get adequate iron levels.
  • Fortified products like juices and cereals can help you get the calcium you need, but they're also available in dark green veggies like kale, broccoli, and collard greens.
  • Most well-known sources of B12 are not vegan. It's essential to take in fortified foods or milk that contain B12 alongside supplements if necessary to make sure that you get the right amount of nutrition in your vegan diet.
  The vegan diet can be incredibly helpful for those seeking help with health or weight loss, but it's essential to understand the entire picture of the diet before committing. Health is not only about what we remove from our diet but also what we include in our diet. Make sure that you have a well-rounded diet, whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian, and you can ensure that your body stays happy and healthy.    To learn more about plant-based dieting, check out our other blog, "Beginner's Guide To a Plant-based Diet."   Live in the Greater Vancouver area and interested in trying delicious plant-based meals but don't know where to start? Try out our plant-based meal delivery service to have healthy meals like our tasty Tikka Masala delivered straight to your door.
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