What is a Vegan diet? A Vegan diet is one who consumes no food that comes from all animal-based-foods and produce such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy or honey products. Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.
What is Vegetarian?
One who does not eat meat, poultry or fish but does continue to eat animal byproducts like dairy, cheese and eggs, but continue eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, etc.
Where do I specifically get protein, omegas, calcium and other nutrients from, if not from animals on a Vegan diet?
Protein is found in almost 99% of all plant-based foods! It's nearly impossible not to get protein from plants. Plants are the foundation and motherboard of where all nutrients come from!
Vegan Protein sources: tofu, tempeh, seitan, edamame, peas, veggies, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, nutritional yeast, fruits and vegetables.
Omega sources: seeds like pumpkin, chia, flax and hemp seeds, nuts, oils, avocadoes, spirulina, sea vegetables, fruits and vegetables.
Calcium sources: fortified plant milks, vegan yogurt, soy, oranges, figs, almonds, tahini (sesame seeds) and dark leafy greens.
Do we need animal protein? Do animals naturally produce the nutrients we need?
The animals that we consume also get their protein intake from plants! They are fed special and unnatural diets like maze and soy to benefit our nutritional needs. Why not just get your nutrients straight from the source, instead of sucking it out of a living beings dead carcass?
Does a cow need to have a baby to produce milk? Milk is for newly born creatures. Cows are female cattle and just like all other females, the only way milk is made and produced in the body is through the process of having a baby. In order for an industrial cow to produce milk for human consumption, it is forcibly impregnated and artificially inseminated during it's entire life until the mother can no longer produce due to over exhaustion.
Do Vegans get hungry often? People have this idea that vegans are always hungry and starving in a corner with a piece of lettuce in one hand and a carrot in the other with being on the verge of an anorexic disorder. When in actuality, it is not like that at all. It is in fact the complete opposite! We eat the same exact foods that we have always known and loved but we substitute each ingredient with whole plant-based foods! Zero cruelty in the making. It's easier than you think to live a fully Vegan lifestyle!
What about cheeses, milk and yummy burgers? A lot of us are so use to the taste that we've always grown to love. For some it is a gradual and sometimes hard process to let go of meat, dairy, egg and cheese products. We've evolved so much that we can literally create any animal-based foods and make it into a plant-based food, made entirely of plants and it's perfectly delicious, nutritious and healthy! There's now so many substituted vegan meat, fish, dairy and cheese products out there that taste exactly like the real thing.
There are so many different vegan brands and companies out there now that have all created their own unique taste, texture and flavors to choose from. Example: (Gardien, Balanced Nature, Daiya, Chao, So Delicious, Earth Balance, Silk, Beyond Meat and more...) It's a matter of choosing which brand fancies you! In all, this makes it so much easier to transition to an all plant-based diet without longing for that taste, desire and craving what we miss.
We can still have that delicious and amazing flavor, taste and texture but instead, it's made with 100% plants and 0 animals had to be harmed in the process; while also helping to save the environment and expand our health!
Is being on a vegan diet more expensive? Not at all! It sometimes depends on what exactly you're buying or where you're buying from. Vegan staples like rice, lentils, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, legumes and beans are actually the cheapest foods you can buy in the supermarket. When you become vegan you're not only cutting out all meat, fish, dairy & egg products but you're adding in better, healthier and cheaper foods that you can even grow yourself! The only time being vegan may be more expensive than being non-vegan is when all you buy is substitutes/alternatives and go out to eat often. You have to find your balance and even start looking into cooking delicious meals at home!
Buying and selling is all about supply and demand as well. Vegan food is not subsidized by the U.S. government which is why vegan alternatives can be more expensive.
So, the key to a healthy, easy and inexpensive vegan diet is to cook your own meals at home from whole plant-based foods. Cut back on eating out and buying vegan substitutes all the time. That can get pricey. Eat clean and fresh from home!
Shop at places like your local Farmers Markets, Asian/Indian Marts, Walmart, Aldi and do some digging/price comparing finding your grocery shopping sweet spot!
What's the point of going vegan other than for the animals? Not everyone is going to go vegan solely for the pity of animals and that's okay. Sometimes it takes an environmental or health crisis for others to hop on board and make the decision. Whatever it takes for one to make the switch and become more educated is all it takes!
