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Leave it to Beyoncé to make eating plant-based foods trendy. After confirming that she’ll be headlining the Coachella music festival later this spring, she asked Instagram followers to join her on her44-day return to a vegan diet. Though Queen Bey’s relationship with vegan eating is on-again-off again, many other famous folks like Ellen DeGeneres and Woody Harrelson have taken a more long-term approach for health, environmental and ethical reasons. If you’re thinking of joining Beyoncé for a few a weeks or making the switch for good, here’s what you need to know about going vegan — starting with the myths and facts.
MYTH: Vegans don’t get enough protein
While we all tend to focus on getting enough protein, the truth is, most Americans aren’t under-consuming this nutrient. A proper vegan diet that includes plant proteins from sources like nuts, beans, soy foods, quinoa, and seeds, like pumpkin seeds, can definitely satisfy protein requirements. Even athletes, who have particular protein needs, can meet their quota by choosing a variety of plant protein sources, according to a recent study.
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One more thing: It’s not necessary, as you may have heard, to combine different plant proteins during mealtimes (say, by having beans and rice or peanut butter on whole wheat toast). Though most plant proteins are considered “incomplete” proteins, meaning they don’t have all nine essential amino acids that animal proteins do, as long as you eat a variety of protein sources on a given day, you’ll be covering your bases.
FACT: Vegans never eat meat, fish, dairy or eggs
Strict vegans only eat food from plants. While you may find vegetarians who eat dairy and eggs, people adhering to a vegan diet don’t eat any animal by-products, including honey. Whether it’s animal welfare concerns, environmental reasons, health reasons or weight loss or wellness beliefs, strict vegans only put foods and products made from plants on their plates.
MYTH: Going vegan always leads to weight loss
While you may lose weight on a vegan plan, it’s not a guarantee. Though a review of different diet patterns found that vegan diets can prompt weight loss, you still need to eat well. After all, Oreos and French fries are both animal-free, but they aren’t going to help you slim down.
That said, if your diet consists primarily of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, you’ll be getting a lot of fiber, and a year-long study found that this one dietary change helped people shed about 5 pounds.
FACT: You need to supplement a vegan diet
The biggest concern for vegetarians is vitamin B12, which is critical in cell division and the maintenance of nerve cells. This nutrient is only found in animal products, not plant foods, so if you aren’t eating animal foods, like salmon, tuna, chicken and beef, you could come up short. If you don’t want to pop a vitamin B12 pill (or a multi, which would do the trick), the workaround is a fortified cereal. However, don’t assume that all cereals are fortified. Cheerios, for instance, doesn’t contain vitamin B12, so you’ll need to read labels to make sure you’re covered.
Vegans are at risk for falling short on other nutrients, like calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids so it’s a good idea to meet with a registered dietitian who can either suggest how to meet your needs with foods or recommend a quality vegan supplement.
Focus on animal-free whole food staples, like beans, nuts, whole grains, and fruits and veggies and you’ll be setting yourself up for a nutritious vegan diet.
Focus on animal-free whole food staples, like beans, nuts, whole grains, and fruits and veggies and you’ll be setting yourself up for a nutritious vegan diet.
MYTH: Meat alternatives are healthier than meat
Not so fast here. Many meat impersonators have a lot of sodium, which can increase blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to ideally no more than 1500 mg per day. Some veggie burgers in your grocer’s freezer aisle have 600 mg of sodium per burger.
No matter what food camp you’re in, choosing whole foods over hyper-processed ones is nutrition advice that applies. Focus on animal-free whole food staples, like beans, nuts, whole grains and fruits and veggies and you’ll be setting yourself up for a nutritious vegan diet.
One final word on these packaged meat imposters: Don’t think that all meat impersonators are vegan. Morningstar Farms Bacon Strips list egg whites as the first ingredient, so if you’re a hard-core vegan, you’re going to need to read the fine print.