What do the actors Tobey Maguire, Lea Michele, Zooey Deschanel and our very own Ayesha Takia have in common? The answer lies on their plates.
All of these actors (amongst others) have turned to plant-based diets or veganism for a variety of reasons—and recent statistics show that this is not just a fad.
In the US, the number of people who have gone vegan in the last three years has expanded to 600%. In the UK, it has expanded to 350%.
Many people who have gone vegan—completely avoiding meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy— have compelling reasons behind this switch.
Some, like Zooey Deschanel, are ardent animal rights activists. The 500 Days of Summer actress often speaks out against animal-based food industries. For her, a major reason to turn to vegan food is the inhuman way in which animals are raised and killed in slaughterhouses.
For others, the carbon footprint generated by animal-based diets (11 times more than a plant-based diet) serves as an ethical and eco-friendly reason to turn to a vegan diet.
From a personal health perspective, a vegan diet can be beneficial in several ways. Unlike steak and mutton, which are teeming in saturated fat and bad cholesterol, food derived from plants (like vegetables, fruits, grain and nuts) are naturally lower in saturated fat.
By switching to a plant-based diet, you can prevent a host of obesity- and heart- related diseases. Veganism is also very beneficial for those at diabetes-risk, which is a leading health risk in India.
As an added plus, veganism can help maintain the health of your skin and hair as plant-based foods are filled with antioxidants and vitamins.
In Asia, there has been a rising trend towards veganism. In India, it has been quite easy to make this switch as a lot of the dishes available for a vegetarian diet—like grains, vegetables and pulses—also satisfy the requirements of a vegan diet.
However, some non-vegetarians and vegetarians still find it difficult to make this transition because of several myths around veganism.
The predominant myth is that by cutting out dairy products, eggs and meat, one will not be able to meet the dietary requirements for protein and calcium.
However, once you read this list of vegan food ingredients, with each food meeting at least one of the five nutrient requirements, you will be convinced that veganism is the right dietary choice to make.
Soy Milk for Calcium
Vitamins B12 and D and calcium are considered essential because they strengthen your bones and muscles. These nutrients are long believed to only be present in milk. In fact, there are a number of foods that are rich in Vitamin D.
In fact, in India, milk is widely consumed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians for this very reason. However, an equally viable vegan alternative for maintaining your bone health is soy milk.
Created by crushing and boiling soybeans, soy milk is the same colour as milk and can be used to similarly in beverages and baking.
One serving of soy milk contains 1-3 g of B-12, 2.5 mg of Vitamin D and 30% of the recommended daily requirement of calcium, making it a great vegan health choice.
With the rise in veganism, soy milk is now easily available in marketplaces. You can also use almond and hemp milk as great alternatives!
Chickpeas for Protein
Besides producing soy milk, soybeans are also a great source of protein. They can be used in the form of tofu, or ground into a flour for chapatis.
But another vegan ingredient (which is a common food present in most Indian households) that is a rich source of protein is chickpeas. You can make excellent recipes adding Chickpeas that contain 12 g of protein per 100 calories.
This means that unlike meat or poultry, it gives you a good amount of protein at a minimal calorie cost.
Besides using it in making curries, you can even experiment by making hummus and falafel using ground chickpeas. Besides chickpeas, a number of lentils and pulses (like kidney beans and moth beans) can also provide you with your daily protein requirement.
Nuts for Unsaturated Fats
You need some fat in your food for a balanced diet.
But wait! Before you use that as a pretext for justifying eating steak, beware: the fat needed is not the unhealthy saturated fat present in large quantities in steak or other meat, but healthy unsaturated fat found in plant-based food.
This fat is essential for your body to absorb nutrients and actually aids in weight-loss.
A great food source for this unsaturated fat and are nuts. Almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts and cashews all contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
They are also a great source of antioxidants and vitamins that will enhance your skin and hair. Eat a handful of nuts daily, or chop them up to use in various dishes.
Leafy Vegetables for Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates as a food group have earned a bad name for itself because of its prevalence in unhealthy processed and junk food.
However, carbohydrates are essential for composite nutrition as they provide energy and strengthens the nervous system.
To derive the maximum benefit of carbohydrates, it is recommended that one eats leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, lettuce and cabbage, which are the primary source of the beneficial complex carbohydrates.
Unlike animal-based products, they contain little to no sugar. An added plus? They are a great source of fibre! There are some great recipes you can use these vegetables in.
You can make kebabs using spinach and chickpeas, or use these veggies to make colourful Buddha bowls.
Mushrooms for Minerals
If you are switching from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegan lifestyle, it is initially difficult adjusting to the food textures of vegetables and pulses only.
A good way of making this transition is by incorporating mushrooms, tofu and soya bean in your diet. Mushrooms, in particular, contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins B, C, D and minerals like iron, phosphorus, and selenium.
You can choose a variety of mushrooms, from button to shiitake, to stir fry, make into a soup, or add to pasta.
Vegan Lifestyle besides Green Diet
Veganism is the way forward because it is a healthy and ethical way of living our lives.
Most people switch to veganism not because of an alluring plant based flavor, rather it owes to environmental concerns, and its impact, that is felt by all.
A vegan life is certainly dominated by food and diet but being a vegan, is a complete makeover and acceptance of vegan ethics. It involves –
- Not promoting and depending on acts of animal exploitation.
- Abstinence from dairy products and animal derivatives.
- Using animals for leisure, personal and commercial motives
- Using products of daily use that are made of suede, leather, silk etc.
Final Words –
In its current form, Veganism might just be a matter of personal choice but the growing impact it has on environment and ecology, people might be left with no option very soon.
And I fear by then, it will be too late!
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Jenny Travens –
Jenny is a creative blog writer who has many passions and interests. Health and wellness is one area where she likes to contribute as much as she can. She is currently contributing to – MeddenSafety & FoxxLifeSciences.
Twitter – https://twitter.com/jennytravens
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