Thinking about going vegan/ vegitarian?!
Thinking about going vegan/ vegitarian?
After my last question i discovered that going vegan can be a healthy diet and now i'm considering the transition. My only other question is this. Is it possible to be vegan without eating a lot of heavily processed foods. This is probably my number one concern because right now i eat a very well balanced diet and i avoid foods with lots of preservatives or that are heavily processed and i'm not a fan of supplements either. Is it possible to be healthy and vegan while still staying true to my beleifs in reguards to these things?
Answers:
It's certainly possible to be a vegan with no nutrition problems. And you don't have to eat any of those "meat analogues" made of texturized vegetable protein and artificial flavors.
Since you already eat a balanced diet of whole foods, you might naturally take care of all your needs, but educating yourself is a good idea.
First, a vegan especially needs to pay attention to proteins. The only foods that provide all of the amino acids (proteins) that a human needs are meat and egg and dairy, and as a vegan you'll eat none of those. So you have to get a variety of foods that are rich in different types of amino acids. Beans, seeds, legumes, and nuts each provide a slightly different amino acid profile, and together they cover everything you need. The old standard "Diet for a Small Planet" explains this in detail (be aware that the book's assertion that you must combine the amino acid sources at one sitting to benefit is wrong--you can do fine if you eat one source at one meal, and another later).
Another sticking point nutritionally is folic acid--many vegans don't get enough, and it can lead to nerve disorders. For a natural-foods vegan, this essential nutrient comes from leafy greens (spinach, turnip greens), chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and a few other sources.
Some other nutrients like iron can be tricky, but if you're getting your folic acid from whole foods you probably also are taking in enough iron so that problem's covered.
And, of course, you're assured of being properly supplied with some nutrients--like vitamin C--that are often lacking in the Big-Mac-and-fries diet that too many Americans embrace.