Going vegan is usually considered to be a very healthy choice. After all, most people figure you're just eating vegetables once you eliminate animal products. How could that be unhealthy? Unfortunately, it can be.
A friend of mine switched to a vegan lifestyle directly from the Standard American Diet. While she was doing it for the right reasons, she spent a lot of time seeking out alternatives to her regular favorites.
Chicken fried tofu, black bean brownies, vegan wine and chips galore filled her menu. After a few weeks, she mentioned to me that she wasn't losing weight, like she'd expected. "I thought vegan was healthier," she told me.
Sadly, she isn't the only vegan I've known who eats as unhealthily as you can while eliminating animal products. It can be a big issue, particularly for those who are coming from a non-ideal food background.
Junk food can be vegan. You can deep fry vegan food. That doesn't mean you should, though!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with eating your favorite sweets now and then, or enjoying some french fries from time to time. The problem is when those are your staple foods. Then it becomes a problem.
I love recipes that involve fresh ingredients. They're so delicious and often need minimal processing to create soemthign that is truly delicious. I suspect the issue is that our tastebuds are accustomed to unhealthy things.
Vegan food can be very healthy. It can also be very unhealthy. Just because it's vegan doesn't mean you should overindulge. Keep that in mind and you can really experience all the benefits of going vegan.
Voted. Well-observed article, you are so right. I think this is the problem with a lot of people who go vegan, and then complain that their health suffers as a result of it, so go back to an omnivorous diet. The reason they have become less healthy is because of eating too much fatty and stodgy vegan food. Whereas if you eat a lot of fruit, veg, and wholegrains and keep the fries, etc, to a minimum, you should find that your health improves. May I make a suggestion? I was thinking that the title of this article might be better as "Vegan doesn't *always* equal healthy." Otherwise it makes it sound as if you are disparaging a vegan diet as being unhealthy (and our critics do plenty of that anyway!) I don't suppose you can change it now, but just for future reference, in case you submit another version of this article to another website. :-)
Voted. Well-observed article, you are so right. I think this is the problem with a lot of people who go vegan, and then complain that their health suffers as a result of it, so go back to an omnivorous diet. The reason they have become less healthy is because of eating too much fatty and stodgy vegan food. Whereas if you eat a lot of fruit, veg, and wholegrains and keep the fries, etc, to a minimum, you should find that your health improves. May I make a suggestion? I was thinking that the title of this article might be better as "Vegan doesn't *always* equal healthy." Otherwise it makes it sound as if you are disparaging a vegan diet as being unhealthy (and our critics do plenty of that anyway!) I don't suppose you can change it now, but just for future reference, in case you submit another version of this article to another website. :-)
Very good point on the title!
Very true! I certainly do love veggie chips, but I guess they shouldn't stand in for my lunch or breakfast (insert sheepish grin here.)
