Veganism and Health
One concern that people have when considering a vegan diet is health. Is a vegan diet enough to live off of? Can I get enough protein from a vegan diet?
The answer is most certainly “yes”. But don’t take our word for it. Consider the joint position of the Dietitians of Canada and the American Dietetic Association:
“Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life-cycle including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.”
- Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian Diets
Note the phrase “well-planned”. As with any diet, you need to be careful about what you eat. Veganism is not automatically healthy or unhealthy. In a meat-based diet, you need to pay attention to how much meat you eat, and complement it with vegetables and grains. Eating nothing but bacon and steaks is unhealthy. Drinking too much milk is unhealthy.
At the same time, a bowl of potato chips and a bottle of cola form a perfectly vegan “meal”, since there are no animal products present. That doesn’t stop it from being unhealthy.
A vegan diet can provide you with everything you need, but just like a meat-based diet, you actually have to eat the foods that will nourish you. Here’s a breakdown of the nutrients that you need to think about when constructing your vegan diet: