Going Vegan

Could you go from being an omnivore to a vegan with the click of your fingers? Well, I did exactly that, all in the name of research. Here’s what I found.

Jemma O'Hanlon Dietitian Nutritionist Pineapple

If you haven’t been exposed to the vegan lifestyle of late then you’ve probably been living under a rock. Veganism, it seems, is the new ‘gluten free’, with more and more people switching to a plant-based diet. Vegans choose to eat foods that don’t come from animals, so there’s no meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy, while vegetarians on the other hand allow dairy and eggs but steer clear of meat. So is going animal-free really better for you nutritionally, and how easy is it to follow, for more than just a Meat-Free Monday? I decided to leap into the veggie patch and become a vegan for an entire month. And boy, did it open my eyes.

The food

I live in Melbourne, and if you’re going to be a vegan, Melbourne is a pretty good place to do it. I had no real issues with eating out, although of course the choices were few and far between. What I did find a little bit uncomfortable was the fact that I couldn’t keep my veganism a secret. My friends had to know as I had to chat to the wait staff about suitable options, and my work colleagues knew because suddenly soy milk had appeared out of nowhere in our work fridge. When dining out, you kind of have to be willing to be ‘that’ person, the perceived difficult one who has a different order to everyone else. You’ve got to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Transitioning onto my plant-based diet at home was simply a matter of stocking my fridge with plenty of fresh fruit, veggies, tofu, tempeh and falafels, and filling my pantry with stacks of nuts, wholegrains, lentils, chickpeas and beans. In terms of milk, I switched to a soy milk fortified with calcium, vitamin D and B12, which is a really good option for vegans as it’s high in protein and it’s enriched with the nutrients that vegans can be more at risk of developing deficiencies in.

A day in my vegan lyfe

Breakfast

Peanut butter on wholegrain toast with a sliced banana + a soy latte

Morning Tea

Peppermint tea

Lunch

A pan fried lentil pattie or tofu steak served with a range of roasted vegetables (carrots, potatoes and pumpkin) + a green leafy salad drizzled with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil

Afternoon Tea

A pink lady apple & handful of mixed nuts

Dinner

Homemade soup (made in a big batch the Sunday before) often with sweet potato, pearl barley, chickpeas and lots of fresh veggies, served with wholemeal flatbread

Dessert

Fresh berries + a soy turmeric latte

The stigma

In an interesting twist of events, it wasn’t the food that was the biggest challenge, it was the stigma and judgement I felt. Even when I told people it was a short term experiment, I could almost hear their body language saying, “Oh god, she’s one of them.” There were so many little digs, comments and jokes that kind of hit me in the face like a giant broccoli flying out of nowhere. I really wasn’t expecting it. Some people even asked me if I was going to start protesting, and was I an antivaxxer too. It became so apparent to me how polarising the word ‘vegan’ is, so I decided to change my language to ‘plant-based’. This seemed to be far more palatable and acceptable. Phew.

Balancing your macros

Prior to the experiment I thought I might have trouble getting enough protein in my diet, but this wasn’t an issue at all. Tofu, tempeh and all types of legumes become your best mates as a vegan and they are super good for you too. One of my friends recently told me he feels he’s a become a ‘carbotarian’ on his vegetarian diet, which is a no doubt a common trap when you cut out meat. Now there’s nothing wrong with eating more carbs, just make sure they are wholegrain and not highly processed like burgers and French fries. And to get your macro balance right, aim for the following proportions on your plate:

The vegan healthy plate

½ plants (colourful non-starchy veggies)

¼ wholegrains (quinoa, oats, brown rice, pearl barley)

¼ plant proteins (lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh)

+ healthy fats (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds)

When it comes to your ‘micros’ (or micronutrients), some important ones to be mindful of are vitamin B12, iron, calcium and vitamin D. If you’re not choosing foods with added B12, you’ll need to take a supplement.

Remember your micros

Iron for Energy

B12 for Brain power

Calcium & Vitamin D for Strong Bones & Muscles

Physical changes

Some people think you’ll automatically lose weight on a vegan diet, but if you’re not careful the opposite could come true. Sure, you’ll probably eat less processed foods as a vegan, but we all still have hunger hormones and tummies to fill, so making good choices does matter. It was interesting doing a comparison of what would happen if I’d switched from my usual high protein low fat Greek yoghurt to a coconut yoghurt. If I made the switch with the same portion size I was having for breakfast, I would have loaded my body up with an additional 1224 kilojoules, lost out on 14g protein and added a whopping 38g of saturated fat. Now that’s scary. In all fairness though, coconut yoghurts are often so thick and creamy that you can’t stomach a lot in one sitting. They are often low in calcium too, so you’ll need to get your calcium from other sources.

Did I gain or lose weight going vegan?

I have no idea, because I don’t weigh myself. I prefer to eat intuitively than focus on a number on the scales. My clothes do feel a touch looser, so maybe I did lose a bit of weight. One interesting observation was that after meals I felt fuller for longer, so much so that some days I didn’t need to snack in between. I’m guessing this was the result of eating more fibre from all the legumes and nuts I was eating, and it felt great to have less fluctuation in my blood sugar levels.

The healthiest way to be a vegan

What was really interesting going vegan was having a closer look at all the new products out there on the supermarket shelves. Now while I applaud the innovation from the developers, the healthiest vegan or plant-based diet includes one with a rainbow of fresh produce. It’s not those foods that are so highly processed your that Grandmother couldn’t decipher the ingredients list. Remember that just because a product is labelled vegan, it doesn’t make it healthier.

Vegan cheese is a great example of this, and there are some awfully processed cheeses out there which taste nothing like cheese nor behave in a cheese-like manner. They actually made me feel ill eating them and I had to throw them out. Most of these coconut oil based cheeses often contain no protein either, just a lot of artery-clogging saturated fat. So whether you’re a vegan or not – quit the processed junk and enjoy whole foods wherever you can.

The final verdict

Overall, I enjoyed this experiment far more than I thought I would. Now, if you’re curious like I was, I can’t stress enough the importance of having a chat with a dietitian first (dietitiansaustralia.org.au). It was quite easy for me, but then again, it’s really easy to do your taxes when you’re an accountant. Chatting to an Accredited Practising Dietitian means you’ll avoid any nasty nutrient deficiencies that could affect your training, or worse, your day to day wellbeing. If you’re a meat eater through and through but want to get healthier, eating more plants is a win for your body and a win for the planet. So whatever way you like to slice and dice your diet, if you’re eating more plants, you’re onto a good thing.

This article was first published in Fitness First Magazine and has been reproduced with permission.