The vegan lifestyle cops criticism from those not in the know. We’ve compiled our favourite vegan myths and we’re ready to bust these wide open!
1. Vegans don’t get enough iron
Myth busted! Iron is an essential mineral that we need to function properly. The common misconception is that iron only comes from meat. Wrong! There are so many sources of iron to replace what is lost through cutting out meat. Think lentils, tofu, spinach and beans. There’s so many alternatives to fill this nutritional gap. Vegans not getting enough iron? We don’t think so.
2. Vegans don’t get enough calcium
Absolutely not! There are so many other sources of calcium separate to dairy. Think leafy green vegetables, beans, peas and lentils, soybeans, seeds, seaweed… the list goes on! What people confuse is that we need calcium, not dairy. For more on our favourite sources of calcium, check out our guide here!
3. Changing to being vegan is hard
You would think that making a lifestyle change with your diet would be difficult, but going vegan has never been easier as it is now. It’s difficult to find restaurants these days with absolutely no vegan alternatives. At the supermarket, there is a vegan alternative to just about everything! From chocolate, to mayonnaise, from ice cream to eggs. There really is a vegan alternative to everything and it has never been more accessible. MyLife Bio helps bridge the gap. Quitting regular dairy cheese is hard, we get it! But we’ve made it simple to make the switch. And if you can’t cut out your one vice, that is perfectly ok! We need to normalise ‘imperfect vegans’ and recognise anyone looking to make a positive change.
4. Being vegan is expensive
Not if you know what goes into a wholesome vegan diet! Most new vegans don’t notice that making the change to a vegan diet is actually better for the wallet. Base ingredients such as lentils and beans take the place of traditionally more expensive products such as meat and dairy. Also, vegan products in general don’t expire as quickly as non vegan products. We know certain artisan products such as vegan ice cream are still inflated in cost, but as the world has become more acclimatised to the vegan and plant-based way of life, brands are following suit and making vegan more accessible in the marketplace.
5. Vegan diets make you weak
Absolutely not! Vegan diets aren’t just for movie stars and influencers. Athletes all over the world follow vegan diets. From tennis, to boxing, to weight lifting, to athletics – there is no end to those making a splash in the sporting world who follow vegan diets that enrich their lives. Some big names to remember – Venus Williams, Louis Hamilton, and Australia’s Morgan Mitchell all follow vegan diets.
6. Being vegan doesn’t help anyone
False! You will find that people who follow a vegan diet may do so for a number of reasons, the main three being for their own health, for the health of the planet, and for the health of all living creatures. Australia is currently the fasted growing vegan market in the world, growing at a rate of 9.6% and counting. So what does this mean? It means that all over the world and in our own backyard, people are changing their habits for a good reason. Adopting a vegan diet, whether perfect or imperfect makes a huge difference to the future of our own health, the planet, and all living creatures. What you do matters!
7. Vegan food is boring
We couldn’t bust this myth more if we tried! Vegan food can be creative as you want it to be, the only thing you need is your imagination and an open mind to create incredible vegan dishes packed full of flavour. Veganism is no secret, and there are so many great resources out there from cookbooks to websites to blogs to social media all full of great ideas to delight your tastebuds. You don’t even have to love cooking to eat a balanced vegan diet – there are even ready and microwave meals on the market nowadays that you can chuck in the fridge to grab on the go. We might be biased… but we think BioCheese is a great staple to add cheesy goodness and flavour to any vegan meal plan.
Resources
https://www.fmcg-trends-adapting-to-plant-based-consumer-demand.
https://www.businessinsider.com/vegan-athletes-and-why-they-changed-their-diet
https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-iron-vegans