Becoming Vegan: Myth vs. Reality

Do you want to learn more about plant-based diets but worry about the cost? There are a lot of myths out there about being vegan and becoming vegan. Below, we tackle a few of the common myths.

Being Vegan Requires a Drastic Lifestyle Shift

Any lifestyle change takes time! Luckily, you do not have to change your entire diet overnight. There are several small steps you can take towards a vegan lifestyle. Here are a few quick tips to ease the transition.

Start small. Try replacing one food item in your diet. For example, if you typically eat sausage in the morning with breakfast, try a vegan sausage instead.
Is anything you eat vegan? You might be surprised to find your favorite bagel is already vegan. Take note of the foods you currently eat that are already plant-based.
Bring a friend along. Making a lifestyle shift takes time, patience, and accountability. Why not try a new vegan restaurant with a friend?

Vegans Do Not Get Enough Vitamins and Nutrients

This is probably the most common myth I hear people talk about and see on social media. For example, there are a lot of assumptions around protein intake, vitamin B12, calcium, and iron. Fortunately, there are several vegan options for maintaining a healthy diet with all the essential vitamins and nutrients needed. Here are a few ways to get the nutrients you need as a vegan.

Tofu. Tofu is an excellent protein source. One 14oz package of tofu has about 40g of protein!
Vegan meats. A lot of vegan meat alternatives are very high in protein. There are 20g of protein in 1/3 cup of Tofurky Chick'n, making vegan chicken a great option for any meal.
Soy or Oat Milk. Most non-dairy milks are fortified (add-ins) with essential vitamins. For example, Oatly oat milk contains 50% of your B12 in just one cup.
Beans. Beans are a great option for iron. About 1/2 cup of beans gives you 10% of your iron needs.

Vegan Life is Expensive

There are several ways to stay on budget as a vegan. While some items, such as vegan butter and some meat alternatives, may be more pricey, ultimately you can save money by forgoing meat in your grocery shopping. For example, if you're making a tofu stir fry, you would only spend about $10 (i.e., tofu, rice, green pepper, broccoli, onion and soy sauce. You would be able to make several servings as well. Compare that with the cost of chicken or beef and you could easily save $5-$10 a meal.

Traveling as a Vegan is Next to Impossible

In the past few years, some of the larger food companies, such as Taco Bell, Burger King, and Dominos, started integrating plant-based items into their menus. If fast-food is your main go-to while traveling, you can find options such as a bean crunchwrap, or an Impossible Whopper. Personally, I was happy to find that I did not have to eat 3 salads a day when traveling across the country. Here's what I typically ate in a day during my 5 day cross-country trip in 2021.

Breakfast. I opted for either an avocado bagel from Panera or Einstein Bros., or instant oatmeal from a local grocery store. Both options gave me plenty of energy for the first part of the drive.

Lunch. Subway was my go-to for lunch most days. I ordered a 6-inch tomato, lettuce, and cucumber sandwich on Italian bread (one of the vegan bread options). I also added the plain vinegar for dressing as well.

Dinner. Chipotle was a great option for dinner! I loaded up a burrito with lettuce, rice, pico de gallo, avocado, and black beans.

Snack. I generally snacked on chips, protein bars, and bananas. Any of theses were easily available at a Love's Truck Stop or gas station.
Beverages. I could not have made it through the drive without a daily soy chai tea latte from Starbucks!

Being Vegan Means Giving Up Your Favorite Foods

This could not be further from the truth! Instead of giving up your favorite foods, you get the chance to experiment with different ways to "veganize" any of your go-to comfort foods. I love making copycat crunchwraps, and bacon cheeseburgers! There are tons of amazing recipes out there for veganizing peanut butter cups, candy bars, and even KFC chicken bowls.

Vegan Food Does Not Taste as Good as the Non-Vegan Version

Substituting flax eggs for eggs, vegan butter for butter, or oat milk for milk does not mean the quality goes down. I eat vegan pancakes regularly and they are one of my favorite things to eat! I personally do not believe I lose out on high-quality tasting foods a vegan. Everyone's tastes differ, so this is one myth you will need to debunk by trying out a vegan recipe for yourself!