3 Myths (and one half-truth) about going Vegan
September 18, 2013
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Health
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cgibson
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26% DV of protein in one serving of tempeh!
26% DV of protein in one serving of tempeh!
- It’s expensive
This is a common misconception. I even fall into this mind trap every once in a while. Fruits and vegetables are not very expensive, unless you’re buying an avocado or some type of heavy squash (and you probably aren’t buying those very often). If you scrutinize the prices at the grocery store, you will discover that your staple items are usually the cheapest.
As I sat down to make my weekly meal list on Monday, I felt discouraged. We are attempting to be extra frugal this week, and I felt like all of the recipes we use regularly require too many expensive ingredients. I wrote down a few meal ideas anyway and realized that none of the ingredients cost more than a dollar or two, with the exception of the spaghetti squash for our pasta. Since gardening season is upon us, we can cut costs tremendously by growing our own vegetables and fruits. We also try to save money by finding coupons and shopping around. The produce section at my local grocery store is neither cheap nor fresh, so we go to the next town over for our vegetables. - You miss out on protein
If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me, “where do you get your protein?” I would be a billionaire. To be fair, it is a legitimate question. Growing up, I was always taught that protein meant meat. When I became a vegetarian, I learned that this is not the case. Although I haven’t eaten meat for ten years, I still consume plenty of protein from the following sources: beans, tofu, lentils, peanut butter, tempeh, soy milk, seitan, veggie burgers, and Textured Vegetable Protein. In an article on the Vegetarian Resource Group’s website, they list quinoa, soybeans, and spinach as high quality protein. - It’s not good for you
This myth goes hand in hand with the protein myth above. Eating a vegan diet can help lower bad cholesterol, reduce certain types of cancer, promote weight loss, and lower the risk of diabetes. - It’s too hard
This is the half-truth. I won’t argue with anyone who says that going vegan is hard. However, it isn’t impossible. I believe that you can do anything you want to if you have a good enough reason for it. Why would anyone want to give up meat if they didn’t care about the ethical or health reasons behind a vegan diet? I don’t eat meat because I love animals. I don’t miss meat very much, but things would certainly be more convenient if I at least ate dairy. Sometimes I even want to. If I didn’t disagree with factory farm conditions to the extent that I do, I wouldn’t have to explain my diet before someone invites me over for dinner. Luckily, my beliefs are stronger than my cravings for the cookies and cream bark my husband brought home from work today.
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