World Vegan Day 2022: Nutritionists bust myths about consuming plant-based food

Globally a push towards more sustainable and mindful consumption choices has also sparked growing interest in plantbased diets In September the MET Gala announced that they would be serving an exclusively plantbased menu while renowned chef Daniel Humm recently announced that his New Yorkbased threeMichelinstar restaurant would give up serving meat and seafood in favour of an almost entirely plantbased menu In India ace cricketer Virat Kohli made headlines when he announced that he was turning vegetarian a couple of years agoVenus Williams turned vegan in 2011 PicWiki CommonsMany other Bollywood celebrities have also joined the plantbased brigade including Sonam Kapoor Aamir Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez Despite this seeming widespread enthusiasm conversations about vegan diets are typically met with scepticism in public spaces Veganism is often accused of being elitist exclusionary or even nutritionally deficient This writer for example has lost count of the number of times shersquos been questioned about her protein and Vitamin B12 intake To mark World Vegan Day we invited nutritionists to spill the beans about the most common myths surrounding plantbased dietsNo health benefitsShukto a Bengali vegetarian dish using seasonal produceldquoMindfully planned vegan diets have been found to satisfy nutritional needs and promote numerous health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease colon and lung cancer osteoporosis diabetes kidney disease hypertension obesity and a number of other conditionsrdquo explains nutritionist and lifestyle educator Karishma Chawla She emphasises the importance of planning meals that include a variety of nutrientdense foods Not enough proteinOvernight oats with fresh fruits PicsAnindita PaulWhen it comes to protein Chawla assures that plantbased foods such as lentils chickpeas tofu peas peanut butter almonds and almond milk spinach broccoli and rice are all great sources ldquoEven if you exercise a lot or are building muscle you can achieve your protein requirements from a vegan dietrdquo adds Riddhi Jadhwani a health coach and founder of PostivEats Itrsquos also worth noting that some of the worldrsquos bestperforming athletes including Venus Williams Lewis Hamilton and Kyrie Irving are vegansToo little calciumBean burger using Indian red kidney beans rajmaCalcium which is vital for healthy teeth and bones as well as the health and functioning of nerves and muscle tissue is readily available in green leafy vegetables nuts and tofu says integrative nutritionist Payal Kothari while Jadhwani points out that some plantbased sources of calcium such as kale are better absorbed by the body than dairy milk ldquoDeficiencies of Vitamin B12 can be a concern but this is true of both vegan and nonvegan diets Itrsquos a good idea to include supplementation to meet your bodyrsquos daily requirement of B12rdquo Chawla clarifies Jadhwani mentions that another common misconception is that Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which are vital for brain health are found only in fish ldquoThere are a number of plantbased sources such as various seeds including pumpkin sunflower flax and chia walnuts and seaweedrdquo she saysBusting mythsRiddhi Jadhwani and Karishma ChawlaVegan diets make you weak ldquoIn certain cases people who have recently embarked on their vegan journey report feeling hungry and tired Conversely others have reported elevated energy levels How your body responds to vegan food depends on how quickly it adapts to the change and also how balanced your diet is Just as with any diet a vegan meal plan can be unhealthy and leave you feeling unsatisfied and low on energy if not balancedrdquo Jadhwani explains Vegan food is expensive The notion that vegan food is expensive stems largely from trendy foods such as avocados which are helpful but not essential for balanced vegan meals Kothari says ldquoPlantbased foods are often cheaper than animalsourced products provided you steer clear of packaged and imported foods I am also not a fan of processed mock meatsrdquo she says Instead focusing on local and seasonal produce can ensure that your body receives a good mix of nutrients while avoiding herbicides and pesticidesHow to ace living the greener lifeHaving made the switch roughly two decades ago before veganism was as trendy as it is today this writer discovered certain easy hacks1 Dairy is often the hardest to give up If you enjoy coffee black coffee is easily available and quick to make 2 Almond milk can taste gritty and is the most common reason why nonvegans pull a face when presented with vegan mylks Coconut milk works well in most applications mdash stir it into your cold brew similar to Vietnamese coffee or into your tomatobased pasta sauce to make it creamy3 Oat milk is easy to make at home There are many recipes available online and it is a good substitute for coconut milk in most applications4 Vegan butters work well in buttercreams and on toast5 Meal prep can be a lifesaver as most vegan cafeacutes tend to be expensive and exotic ingredientsfocused Keeping a snack of nuts or fruits handy can go a long way especially since you may need to eat more frequently while on a plantbased diet6 Most Indian vegetarian meals can easily be made vegan if you skip the buttercreamghee Just because somethingrsquos vegan doesnrsquot mean itrsquos healthy Choosing whole over processed foods is always a good bet