alive Editorial
Vegan and vegetarian diets provide a bunch of health benefits. Studies show that these diets have links with weight loss, lower risk of heart disease, cancer prevention, and overall better health. However, any diet carries risks if it’s not achieving balanced nutrition. Understanding what mistakes many vegans and vegetarians make and then learning how to avoid them will pave the way to a healthier diet and lifestyle.
Thankfully, plenty of vegan sources of calcium exist, a meatless diet just needs to include these foods in higher amounts. Kale, broccoli, collard greens, bok choy, almonds, and figs all contain high levels of calcium.
However, while cheeses do contain a range of nutrients, they lack the variety and quantity that exists in meats. Cheese also tends to have higher calorie counts than meat. As an additional risk, not all cheeses are vegetarian. Some cheese varieties, such as Italian-style hard cheeses, contain animal rennet.
The solution? Pulses! Go easy on the cheese and use chickpeas, lentils, beans, and nuts to replace important amino acids and other nutrients.
Unfortunately, many vegan and vegetarian processed alternatives have lower nutrient amounts or more calories than the meat-eater alternatives, not to mention sodium and artificial ingredients that make them just another questionable processed food. While these products can help smooth the transition away from animal-based products, it’s best not to rely on them and learn to incorporate healthful whole plant foods instead.
This means that vegetarians have a higher risk of iron deficiency anemia, which may first appear as fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness. However, a well-planned diet is more than capable of providing enough iron to meet daily needs. Make sure to eat foods rich in vitamin C alongside iron-rich meals to promote iron absorption.
While plenty of vegan foods are rich in protein, many people fail to properly account for it in their meals and wind up missing their daily protein requirements. Experts recommend adults eat at least 0.8 grams of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight.
Ideal vegan sources of protein include chickpeas, lentils, nuts, nut butters, and tofu.
While vitamin B12 deficiency is not common in most modern countries, vegans and vegetarians are at a higher risk because the vitamin is so widely available in animal products.
Plant-based eaters can choose to get their fill with fortified products like cereals and nutritional yeast, or they can take supplements. A few types of edible algae do contain vitamin B12, but they are not widely available.
A study testing different diet types found that vegans consume fewer calories than any other diet type. Vegetarians had higher counts but still consumed fewer than people who ate both meat and plants. When a person does not meet their daily calorie needs, they can experience fatigue and a slower metabolism. If this continues for a long period, they may experience symptoms of malnutrition.
Vegans and vegetarians might need to increase their portion sizes of whole grains and vegetables to ensure they’re getting the energy their bodies need.
This means that they need to drink more water to help the fiber move through the digestive tract. If a person consumes too much fiber and not enough water, they can experience bloating, gas, and constipation.
Whole grains are an essential part of any diet, but those delicious “white” carbs lose beneficial fiber during production. A high intake of refined carbs has links to diabetes and increased fat storage. Consider replacing refined carbs with quinoa, brown rice, and oats.
Avoiding vitamin and other nutrient supplements in a bid to get all nutrients from whole food sources is an admirable goal, but it’s very difficult and can result in deficiencies. There are many vegan-friendly supplement sources of nutrients that can balance a plant-based diet in a healthful, natural way.