Vegan Diet – Myths Busted

A person following a vegan diet eats plant based food only. The vegan diet is different from vegetarianism. While most vegetarians avoid meat in any form, they do consume eggs and milk. The vegans, however, prohibits eggs and dairy products too.

The principle behind the vegan diet is to avoid any food derived from animals- be it natural or processed. So eggs and dairy products, including milk that are unprocessed foods from animals are out. The vegan principle also extends to processed foods derived from animal sources such as gelatin or even foods that are made using animal products, but may not contain animal products in the finished process, such as some wines.Vegan Diet Principle

Vegan Diet Myths

The popular misconception is that vegan diet is very restricted, not to mention boring, consisting of only fruits, nuts and vegetables. After all, people feel that when you leave out milk, eggs and meat out of your diet, there is not much left to eat. There is also a concern about the nutrition provided by the vegan diet. The most common concern is whether the vegan receives adequate quantities of protein and calcium

Vegan Diet – The Art of Replacement

Vegans can eat everything, by replacing the animal derived part in food with an appropriate alternative.Vegan diet plan may include bread, cereal, rice or even pasta, that do not contain eggs. They can also dig into eggless pastries, pies and cakes. Replace milk with soya or rice milk that is not derived from animals. Tofu is an excellent choice for meat replacement in the vegan world. Gelatin that is commonly used as a thickening agent can be replaced by agar a sea weed and has the same effect. Basically, you need to look for non animal replacements for the common food ingredients for effectively continuing your veganism. And this does add a sense of adventure to mealtimes.

Vegan Diet and Nutrition Adequacy

The vegan meal provides a fair share of proteins from roots, grains, nuts and tofu. In fact some studies have shown that very high protein levels drain calcium from the bones, creating the risk of osteoporosis. The protein supplied by vegan diet is quite adequate. Calcium requirements of the body are sufficiently met in the vegan diet as there are plenty of plant foods that are rich in calcium such as broccoli, spinach and other greens and vegetables like Chinese cabbage.

Also the body absorbs calcium from these foods more effectively than traditional sources like milk. Various vegan dietary foods like fortified cereal and soy milk contribute to the vitamin B12 stores of the body. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption from food sources. So be sure to include plenty of oranges and citrus fruits in your vegan diet plan to keep conditions like anemia at bay.

The vegan diet is not merely about what to eat. It is more of a lifestyle choice. Obviously, because it focuses more on fresh fruits and vegetables, this diet is very healthy and even helps you lose weight. The vegan dietkeeps you away from synthetic additives that can lead to scores of health problems including cancer.

Today, more and more people are converting to veganism as an ethical choice. There are horror stories of how animals are butchered to make them suitable foods for humans. And animals feel pain just like humans. A vegan diet enables you to contribute just a little bit towards reducing this practice.