Vegan Diets

Vegan Diets

It's tough to be a vegan! Vegans do not eat meat of any kind or use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.

"Vegan" is a more extreme version of vegetarian that extends far beyond just food consumption. The reasons why people adopt a vegan lifestyle are varied. Some choose the lifestyle because of ethical concerns. (This is the reason that most vegans cite.) But people also become vegans because of concerns about the environment. Still others become vegans to promote a gentler and more caring world.

For whatever reason a person chooses a vegan lifestyle, they soon find that adhering to the "no animal or animal products" rule is pretty difficult to

maintain. There are animal products in a lot more items than just the 16-ounce T-bone you had for dinner last night, or the tuna sandwich you had for lunch today.

Fast food is automatically excluded from a vegan diet. Most food at restaurants is also excluded, although vegan restaurants are operating in many large cities today. The food that vegans eat is mostly fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, and fruit and vegetables cooked without the use of any animal products.

There are substitutions for meat-based products on the market today that are vegan friendly. Tofu and soy-based products are the most common, and there are even packaged snack foods out there that conform to vegan eating requirements.

Nutrition is a major concern for vegans. Although they consume enough food as far as quantity goes, quality is another matter. We all need protein — a lot of it — and we need it every day. Vegans must be very well aware of their need for protein and take positive steps to be certain that their protein needs are met.

BONUS : Vegetarian Diets

Some people eat a vegetarian diet. There are many reasons why people become vegetarians. Sometimes people switch to a vegetarian diet for health reasons. Sometimes they have health concerns about the safety of meat. Concern about world hunger or the environment can cause people to switch to a vegetarian diet. Some people are vegetarians because of spiritual or moral issues. And, of course, there are those people who simply don't like the taste of meat.

There are different kinds of vegetarian diets. People who eat absolutely no meat, no animal-produced products (eggs, milk, cheese, etc.) and no food that contains any ingredient connected with animals are called vegans. Those called "vegetarians" do not eat meat, but they do eat products associated with animals, such as milk, eggs, cheese, etc.

Then there are what we call "semi-vegetarians." Semi-vegetarians might eat fish and chicken, but no red meat.

The staples of all vegetarian diets are fruit, vegetables, whole-grain products, nuts, and seeds. Vegetarian diets are generally healthier than regular diets in that they are lower in cholesterol and animal fat and high in fiber and antioxidants. However, protein deficiency is a real concern with vegetarian diets. Most of the protein in regular diets comes from meat and meat products.

Those who advocate vegetarian diets claim that it is difficult to become protein deficient when eating a vegetarian diet, but research shows that protein deficiency is common, and conscious steps must be taken to avoid it.

Committing to a vegetarian diet is easy. All you have to do is say, "I'm a vegetarian." Sticking with the program is a bit more difficult, however. There are many more people who are semi-vegetarians than those who are vegetarians, and many more people who are vegetarians than those who are vegans.