It goes without saying that veganism is growing in popularity. Many sportspeople, athletes, artists and influential people appear publicly as vegan on social networks and in various media; proud to carry the values associated with this great movement: Ecology, Animal protection and of course, Health.
At the same time, the food marketing of the veggie-solution is in complete turmoil and the increase in the supply of food substitutes “like meat” such as Beyond Meat takes off remarkably. Despite their proven benefits to animal welfare and the planet, the health aspect of some of these products processed to resemble meat is disputed. Are they a balanced solution to consider? How can we ensure that we have a complete diet without animal protein?
In your opinion, is it realistic to be vegetarian and balanced?
Initially, the vegetarianism is qualified by a diet rich in plants such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, protein foods such as tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds. This type of diet is free from animal source products: meats, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and others. So far, it's pretty straightforward.
Then we can distinguish different types of Vegetarianism :
Vegetalism or Veganism : It qualifies by the same diet as vegetarians, but all animal products are excluded. Goodbye honey, gelatin, and for some pure vegans… wine !!! It is important to add that this is also a way of life far beyond diet.
Lacto-vegetarianism : Dairy products are on the menu.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism : Dairy products and eggs on the menu.
Pesco-vegetarianism : Dairy products, eggs and fish on the menu.
Flexitarianism or (as my Nutritionist friend says so well 😊) omnivore : The term flexitarianism has imposed itself in the vocabulary to represent a desire to eat more plant products and eat meat as little as possible. It is all the same an omnivorous diet, but with the desire to tend towards a vegetarian diet as often as possible. #me
The Meat Substitutes Controversy
Basically, the idea of vegetarianism is pretty nice. But reality quickly imposes itself on us when meat has always been on the menu since childhood. To this, the food industry responded with a very attractive offer whose underlying message could look like this: "You want to protect the planet, animal rights And improve your health, but you love the taste of meat." ? Here is meat… without meat! Wow! "
But wow wait a minute? What is it then?
Veggie-meat food products (meatballs, croquettes, veggie meats, etc.) are typically not more beneficial from a health point of view than their meat counterparts. For example, Beyond Meat, which is hitting sales records as a meatball substitute, boasts an impressive ingredient list. Ultra-processed products, whether vegetarian or not, are known to have an adverse effect on health and are associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer risk. These products are in my opinion a kind of "junk food" of vegan because minimally processed foods are at the heart of the vegan diet.
Did you know that a good portion of vegans don't hate the taste of meat at all? A "meatless that tastes like real meat" is sometimes an excellent alternative to stay the course on your convictions.
Want to try a vegetarian burger? I suggest the Marinated Tofu for Hamburger recipe from the book: You don't have to be veggie to love this book! Marinade of 4 ingredients: vegetable oil, tamari, chipotle peppers (or another seasoning to spice it up) and apple cider vinegar. Immerse the tofu in the marinade for 24 hours. Pass on the grill. And There you go!
Why and how to move towards a more vegetarian and balanced diet?
The benefits of a vegetarian diet are well established. However, as we could see earlier, the marketing of veggie solutions can confuse us about the health aspect of their products.
Here are my tips for a more vegetarian and balanced diet:
- Eat the least processed foods possible. An endless list of ingredients is never a good sign.
- Fresh, seasonal foods are a first choice. There are also many frozen products that give excellent results on the plate;
- To avoid excess sodium, rinse canned vegetables and legumes;
- Eat a wide variety of foods! The perfect food does not exist;
- Consume all the macronutrients. Our body is fueled by carbohydrates, proteins and fats and each of them plays an important role in maintaining balance in our body;
- To ensure that you have an adequate intake of protein, it is sufficient to eat normally by replacing the sources of meat with vegetable proteins such as tofu, nuts, seeds, textured soy, etc. The health base remains the same. You have heard of the protein complementarity? No problem, with a varied diet, proteins complement each other without calculation!
- Vitamin B12 is the nutrient to watch out for if you are not consuming a food or product that contains animal-source protein. You can find it in particular in nutritional yeast (Not to be confused with yeast for bread. Nutritional yeast is generally found in the organic aisles of your supermarket). It's a tasty ingredient reminiscent of Parmesan. Adds easily to your sauces, Nutritious and delicious!
Last advice. Enjoy eating, tasting, celebrating whether your dish is vegetarian or not. Appreciating and listening to your body is definitely good for your health!
For more info on vegetarianism:
All about the vegetarian diet (Health Passport)
https://www.extenso.org/au-quotidien/vegetarisme/
Vegetarianism for children (To be born and to grow)
https://nutritionnisteurbain.ca/actualite/beyond-meat-le-burger-de-la-discorde/
Very beautiful text Caroline. Thank you
Thank you very much!
Very well popularized Caroline, congratulations! I have performed in my Défi Entreprise races a few times after adopting this eating style for a few years! I highly recommend it. 🙂
I thought, however, that the definition of vegetarianism included cheese and eggs, basically, while veganism excluded any animal-source product from the diet, while veganism was defined by the animal-friendly lifestyle. (Source: Larousse & Ophélie Véron) What do you think?
Have a good summer 🙂
Hello Alex!
First of all, a big thank you for taking the time to read my article and leave me a comment! It's very appreciated.
I agree with you! I believe that people who define themselves as vegetarians often include milk, cheese and eggs in their diet (in fact, that's lacto-ovo-vegetarianism). The reason I explained it this way was to demonstrate the subcategories.
As for veganism and veganism, I believe that the second follows from the first. For me, these are synonyms. The values are the same.
What do you think?
Thank you for raising the question.
Enjoy!
Hello ! Very good text! Very simple and accessible. However, I agree with Alex: veganism and veganism are different. Veganism refers to food and veganism is a way of life. Behind it all, there are the motivations: vegans often make this choice for health and environmental reasons. Vegans generally put the right of animals not to be exploited, tortured and killed at the heart of their thinking. So, no leather, wool, cosmetics, household cleaning products (yes!), Zoo, or any form of animal exploitation.
Good continuation !
Wow!
Many thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
Thank you for the clarification, I think you nuance very well the difference (s) between veganism (food) and veganism (lifestyle) I imagine that typically vegans are vegans and vice versa.
Looking forward to discussing with you again!