Vegan lifestyle is a way of using all plant-based products be it food, cosmetics, or any other life choice. The aim is to adapt to cruelty free living against animals, thereby also enhancing once health and body. Vegan food has been in light for quite sometimes now, but due to the limited awareness around vegan food, there are several myths that need to be understood for developing a better vegan lifestyle. Let us have a look at some of these-

1. Vegan food is protein deficient-It is true that egg and meat are a high source of protein but saying that vegan food does not have enough protein content is a myth. A diet including beans and greens can easily average out your protein intake in a day.

A normal person needs 56 gm of protein in a day that can be easily achieved by consuming a cup of kidney beans also known as rajma, along with some peanut butter or one bowl of dal. You can also add almonds, soy milk, tofu, and green vegetables to complete the protein content in the diet. An average Indian diet contains pulses and greens which are enough quantity of protein for a human body.

2. No milk= weaker bones- One of the most deeply rooted myth in the Indian households is that milk is beneficial for your bones. While milk does contain calcium- approx. 130mg per 100 ml, but just like protein obtained from animals, milk is also likely to acidify the human bodys pH level, which activates a biological correction. As we know calcium is a very efficient acid neutralizer and is available in our bones in huge quantity, the same calcium that our body bones need to stay strong is harnessed to counteract the acidifying impact of milk. Therefore, the body becomes calcium deficit with the consumption of milk.

India is amongst the largest producer of milk and on the contrary it also has over 10 million cases of osteoporosis every year. Calcium can easily be obtained from several plant-based diets like sesame, beans, broccoli, sunflower seeds, almonds, soya milk, green leafy vegetables, and tofu.

3. Vegan diets are unhealthy- That is incorrect! It would rather not be wrong today that vegan diets like no other diets are wholesome and full of all nutrients that provides the body the much-needed nourishment and growth. According to a report by WHO (World Health Organization), it quotes, Households should select predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits, pulses, or legumes, and minimally processed starchy staple foods. The evidence that such diets will prevent or delay a significant proportion of non-communicable chronic diseases is consistent. A predominantly plant-based diet has a low energy density, which may protect against obesity. Hence there is no denying the fact that vegan food adds value and amongst the top 10 lifestyle related ailments in India, eight can be prevented by moving to a plant-based intake. Vegans are less prone to suffer from obesity, heart disease,cancer, cholesterol, blood pressure, and other lifestyle disorders.

4. Eating vegan means expensive food This is one of the most common myths, as people think that replacing meat with vegan food that look fancy is costlier. But that is not true. Eating vegan is much more affordable that eating meat, fish, or dairy. Your grocery bill that contains soy milk and tofu products will be lesser than that of a non-vegetarian or vegetarian on an average.

The basic ingredients in most of the food items remain the same with small changes like the use of sunflower oil instead of ghee or the use of tofu or jackfruit instead of meat. These small changes minimize the amount of your grocery bill. Additionally, you can also make the soy milk or almond milk at home rather than buying the packaged ones.

5. Vegan food only means salads Yes, vegan eats only plants but that does not mean only raw plants. Plant-based diet includes fruits, beans, whole grains, potatoes etc. which are cooked into amazing dishes like Mexican rice,lasagna, pizza,rajma chawal, chole bathure and what not! So vegan food is all fun and scrumptious while also living a cruelty free life.

How to go vegan

There is no ritual of going vegan. It is all about the life choices and of course the food choices you make. To go vegan, consume food products that are completely plant-based. Bust your myths around vegan food and go cruelty free by being a part of a healthy and morally driven community!

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Read more:
Busting the myths around veganism- How to go vegan- what to replace with what? - The Times of India Blog