A vegan diet, commonly referred to as veganism, is characterized by the exclusion of all animal-derived products for various ethical, health, and environmental reasons. Once viewed as a niche lifestyle, veganism has gained significant traction, with a remarkable increase of 350% in participants over the last decade, as highlighted by research from the U.K.

Essentially, veganism promotes a lifestyle that aims to minimize all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty to the greatest extent possible. At first glance, transitioning to a vegan diet might appear daunting or overly restrictive. Many individuals considering this shift express concerns about finding suitable plant-based alternatives to their cherished meals. However, most individuals discover that once they grasp a few fundamental concepts, the transition is far more manageable than they initially anticipated. As an advocate for a plant-based lifestyle myself, I've observed an increasing variety of vegan options making their way into supermarkets and restaurant menus over recent years.

Recently, I even encountered a vegan rendition of pastel de nata, which happens to be one of my favorite desserts. In this article, I will delve into the essence of veganism and provide essential information on foods that are encouraged and those that should be avoided on a vegan diet.

Understanding Veganism

The concept of veganism, as defined by the Vegan Society, originated in 1944 when a group of vegetarians split from the Leicester Vegetarian Society in England to establish the Vegan Society. This group not only abstained from meat but also made the conscious decision to eliminate dairy, eggs, and any other products derived from animals. The word 'vegan' was cleverly created by combining the initial and final letters of 'vegetarian,' leading to the first formal definition of veganism in 1949. Over the years, this definition has evolved into what we recognize today.

According to the most recent interpretation from the Vegan Society, veganism encompasses “a philosophy and way of living that strives to exclude, to the greatest extent possible, all forms of exploitation and cruelty towards animals for food, clothing, or any other purposes.” While many people associate the term 'vegan' solely with dietary choices, this definition emphasizes that veganism transcends mere consumption of a plant-based diet.

Individuals who identify as vegans typically aspire to eliminate animal exploitation and cruelty in all facets of their lives. This commitment extends beyond dietary choices to include the clothing they wear, the cosmetics they apply, and the recreational activities they engage in. Consequently, many vegans choose to avoid purchasing items such as woolen coats, leather furniture, or down-filled pillows and comforters. Instead, they may prefer visiting animal sanctuaries over traditional zoos, circuses, or petting farms. Ultimately, veganism embodies a lifestyle that seeks to eschew all animal products and minimize cruelty and exploitation in every possible way.

What Motivates Individuals to Adopt a Vegan Lifestyle?

Individuals often decide to eliminate animal products from their diets due to one or multiple compelling reasons.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical vegans hold a strong conviction that every living being possesses a right to life and freedom. They perceive all animals as sentient beings that, akin to humans, strive to evade pain and suffering. This belief leads ethical vegans to oppose the killing of animals for their meat or the use of their fur or skin. Moreover, they are against the psychological and physical distress that animals may face as a result of contemporary farming methods, such as the cramped pens or cages where animals often spend their entire lives before being slaughtered.

However, for ethical vegans, this belief transcends the cruelty associated with modern farming practices. Vegans object to consuming goods that fundamentally depend on the killing of animals—particularly when alternatives are readily available. This includes the killing of calves deemed surplus in the dairy sector, or the culling of one-day-old male chicks, a common practice in egg production.

Furthermore, ethical vegans tend to believe that products like milk, eggs, honey, silk and wool should not be exploited by humans, irrespective of the living conditions provided to these animals. This is why ethical vegans consistently refrain from consuming milk, eggs, or wool, even from animals that are pasture-fed or allowed to roam freely.

Health Benefits

Many individuals opt for a vegan diet due to its potential health advantages. High consumption of meat, especially red varieties, has been associated with an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Conversely, plant-based diets are linked with a reduced risk of developing or dying prematurely from these health issues.

Reducing animal product consumption in favor of plant-based options may also enhance digestive health and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, a vegan diet can help mitigate side effects associated with the antibiotics and hormones prevalent in modern animal farming. Moreover, vegan diets seem especially effective in assisting individuals with weight loss, as numerous studies correlate vegan eating with a lower likelihood of obesity. However, it’s crucial for those on a vegan diet to be aware that they may consume lower amounts of certain nutrients. This makes meal planning particularly important.

Common nutrients that vegan diets may lack include:

  • vitamin B12
  • vitamin D
  • calcium
  • zinc
  • iodine
  • selenium

Individuals on vegan diets sometimes opt for supplements to fill these nutritional gaps.

Environmental Impact

Some individuals choose to forgo animal products as a means to lessen their environmental footprint. Recent studies indicate that animal agriculture significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs), which drive climate change. It is estimated that meat consumers generate 2 to 2.5 times more GHGEs compared to those following a vegan diet. This estimation is based on self-reported dietary habits from the U.K.

Ruminant animals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, are shown to produce the highest levels of greenhouse gases per gram of protein they provide. Thus, diets that either reduce or eliminate dairy consumption lead to a notable decrease in GHGEs. One study found that a vegetarian diet emits 33% fewer GHGEs than a meat-inclusive standard American diet providing equivalent calories. In fact, a vegan diet has an even lower environmental footprint, producing around 53% fewer GHGEs than a calorie-matched meat-inclusive diet. A significant portion of plant protein currently cultivated is allocated for animal feed rather than human consumption. As a result, the production of an animal-based diet demands greater use of the Earth’s resources compared to a plant-based diet.

For example, generating animal protein requires 6 to 17 times more land than producing an equivalent amount of soybean protein. On average, animal protein also necessitates 2 to 3 times more water, depending on seasonal factors and variations in annual rainfall. Due to all these considerations, experts predict that, without changes, our food systems may surpass our planet's resource limits by the year 2050. Transitioning to a vegan diet could be a viable strategy to postpone this outcome.

Varieties of Veganism

It's crucial to understand that being vegan does not automatically imply healthiness. The nutritional quality of a vegan diet is determined by the specific foods included. Consequently, while some vegan diets can provide numerous health advantages, others may not contribute positively to overall well-being.

In my clinical experience over recent years, I have encountered several subcategories of vegan diets:

  • Dietary vegans: Frequently synonymous with "plant-based eaters," this label applies to those who eliminate animal products from their meals but still utilize them in other items, such as apparel and beauty products.
  • Whole-food vegans: These individuals prioritize a diet abundant in whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts (including akhrot), and seeds.
  • “Junk-food” vegans: Some individuals heavily depend on processed vegan options like vegan meats, fries, frozen meals, and desserts, which may include Oreo cookies and non-dairy ice cream alternatives.
  • Raw-food vegans: This group consumes exclusively raw foods or those cooked at temperatures not exceeding 118°F (48°C).
  • Low-fat raw-food vegans: Often referred to as fruitarians, this subset minimizes the intake of high-fat foods such as nuts, avocados (butter fruit), and coconuts, primarily focusing on fruits. They may occasionally incorporate limited amounts of other plant-based foods.

Whole-food vegan diets are typically associated with significant health benefits. If you are contemplating adopting a vegan lifestyle, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional to identify the most suitable dietary approach for your needs. The different forms of this dietary pattern encompass dietary, whole-food, “junk-food,” raw-food, and low-fat raw-food veganism. The health advantages (or potential drawbacks) of a vegan diet are closely related to the specific foods it contains.

What Do Vegans Eat?

Exploring a vegan diet reveals a plethora of foods that individuals on this diet enjoy while steering clear of animal products.

Foods That Vegans Consume

Choosing to avoid animal-derived foods does not mean being limited to bland salads and tofu. In fact, a vegan lifestyle opens the door to a diverse range of flavorful and satisfying options.

Here are some excellent choices:

  • Legumes: including red, brown, or green lentils; chickpeas (chana); split peas; black-eyed peas; black beans; white beans; and kidney beans
  • Soy Products: such as fortified soy milk, whole soybeans, and various derivatives like tofu, tempeh, and natto
  • Nuts: including peanuts, almonds, cashews, and their respective butters
  • Seeds: such as sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and their butters, along with flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds
  • Whole Grains: including quinoa, whole wheat, whole oats, and brown or wild rice, as well as products derived from these grains like whole grain bread, crackers, and pasta
  • Starchy Vegetables: such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, beets, and turnips
  • Non-Starchy Vegetables: including broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, radishes, and leafy greens; these can be fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or pureed
  • Fruits: such as apples, pears, bananas, berries, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, and tangerines; available in fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or pureed forms
  • Other Plant-Based Foods: including algae, nutritional yeast, fortified plant milks and yogurts, and sweeteners like maple syrup

You might be surprised to learn that many of your favorite dishes are either already vegan or can easily be adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle. For example, consider substituting meat in your main dishes with hearty servings of beans, peas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts, or seeds. Additionally, you can replace dairy products with various plant-based milks, swap scrambled eggs for scrambled tofu, and use plant-derived sweeteners like molasses or maple syrup instead of honey, while flaxseed or chia seeds can substitute for raw eggs. Moreover, the market is expanding with an array of vegan-ready products, including vegan meats, cheeses, and desserts. However, it's essential to be mindful that while these options can add convenience, they are often highly processed and should be consumed in moderation, rather than forming the core of a balanced vegan diet.

Foods That Vegans Avoid

Vegans do not consume any products derived from animals. Key items to avoid include:

  • Meat and Seafood: such as beef, chicken, duck, fish, and shellfish
  • Eggs: including whole eggs as well as foods containing them, like baked goods
  • Dairy Products: such as milk, cheese, butter, and cream, along with any foods made with these ingredients
  • Other Animal-Derived Ingredients: including honey, albumin, casein, carmine, gelatin, pepsin, shellac, isinglass, and whey

The best way to ascertain whether a food contains animal-derived ingredients is by checking the labels. Nowadays, many vegan products are clearly labeled, simplifying the shopping experience.

The Bottom Line

Individuals who adopt a vegan lifestyle often choose to eliminate animal products due to ethical, health, environmental concerns, or a combination of these factors. On a vegan diet, you’ll typically replace meat, eggs, and dairy with a rich variety of plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (dal), nuts, and seeds, along with fortified products derived from these ingredients.

Transitioning to a vegan diet is often less daunting than many assume; however, it does require some additional nutritional understanding. If you’re contemplating this change, it might be beneficial to consult with a registered dietitian who specializes in plant-based diets to ensure you’re covering all your nutritional bases. vegDepending on your current knowledge, financial resources, and cooking skills, you may also want to consider incorporating certain supplements to guarantee that your body receives all necessary nutrients.