Just because a food is vegan does not mean it is healthy. French fries
can be vegan. Doughnuts can be vegan. I’m a little fuzzy on
what exactly Gatorade is made of, but I’m pretty sure it’s vegan.
Knowing an item is vegan is not license to eat vegan junk
food in spades—at least for those who still want to feel good
about their responsible food choices. Heaps of press have been
poured upon the Impossible Burger, for example, a remarkably
beef-like vegan burger that “bleeds.” It’s made primarily of soy
protein concentrate, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and “natural
flavors.” From personal experience, I agree with the masses: It
tastes just as juicy and satisfying as a regular burger. But the
original Impossible Burger, which people ate for years, packed
70 percent of the Daily Value for saturated fat and 25 percent
of the Daily Value for sodium—more than two times as much
saturated fat and seven times as much sodium as a lean beef
burger. The 2019 version was an improvement but still loads on
nearly half the Daily Value for saturated fat.
Many plant-based substitutes are highly processed. The ingredient
lists for many vegan alternatives are not necessarily short or
full of words you can pronounce. The ingredient profile of a
frozen vegan sausage patty, for example, is no angel. Often to
mimic the taste and texture of animal-based counterparts,
manufacturers rely on all kinds of technologies and additives.
So, if you’re going plant-based, think twice before loading up
on soy protein isolate and heme, since there’s a lot we don’t
know yet about their long-term health effects. I prefer to enjoy
vegan dishes featuring whole foods like legumes, produce,
nuts, and whole grains from cuisines around the world where
these foods have been central for centuries. They know a thing
or two about making the flavor of those ingredients really pop.
Can you maintain it? As with most diets, eating only plant-based
foods can, for many people, feel restrictive. For this reason,
60 how to be a Conscious Eater