Is it possible to be unhealthy as a vegan?

The plethora of health benefits that a vegan lifestyle has to offer have been widely promoted for many years now. Switching to a plant-based diet is said to lower your risk of heart disease and cholesterol levels as well as reduce your risk of developing various types of cancers. But does this mean all vegans are healthy? In short: absolutely not.

Following any type of diet (be it paleo, keto, carnivorous, vegetarian or vegan) incorrectly can lead to health complications. Although there are great nutritional and overall health benefits from eating plant-based, it does not make you automatically a ‘healthy eater’. The positives of veganism being more widely accepted means that there is now an abundance of vegan options that can be found in supermarkets, health food stores and even in fast-food outlets. However, this does make it possible to eat ‘junk food’ as a vegan which can be just as high in saturated fat and sugar as the animal-based alternatives (whilst still simultaneously lacking essential vitamins and nutrients.)

Even vegan ‘meat’ and ‘dairy’ alternatives can be highly processed and often contain additives and flavourings in order to try and recreate the same texture and taste of animal products. Which can be great every once in a while, however it might be best to opt for the wholefood, plant-based alternatives if you are seeking to get all your essential nutrients in. For example, instead of simply swapping a chicken curry for a vegan ‘chicken’ curry, you could make a mixed vegetable curry with chickpeas, sweet potato and spinach (giving you a much more nutrient dense meal).

This leads onto my next point: the wider variety of foods you eat the better! Try and get creative and have some fun experimenting with the amount of veggies you can fit into your diet. Embrace ‘eating the rainbow’ and enjoy all the flavours that plant-based meals have to offer. The wider the range of fruit and vegetables, the more likely you are to be ticking off all your required vitamins throughout the day. This is especially important as researchers at the American Gut Project have found that eating up to 30 types of plant foods a week can significantly improve your gut health, as well as decrease your risk of developing bowel cancer.