10 common mistakes that stop people from going or staying vegan

1) But bacon tho!

Many people won’t even consider going vegan because they think they would miss the favourite foods they grew up eating (and, yes, bacon is usually one of them). That’s fine but those cravings don’t mean you’ll automatically ‘fail’. We’ve all been there! Your taste buds and habits will adjust over time as you sample the growing range of plant-based cheeses, meats and familiar comfort foods and try different recipes, flavours and textures. Even if you include some junk foods as you start off on your vegan journey, don’t worry – you can make healthier choices as you travel the vegan road, increasing your knowledge. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up, just keep going!

2) Vegans just eat junk food

You’ve done it – you’ve gone vegan! It was easy to replace meat and dairy with vegan cheese, nuggets and burgers and the bonus is your diet is now healthier and not linked so closely to heart disease, some cancers and other diseases. However, if your fridge is full of junk food and you are relying on takeaways, a few more switches could take your health up another notch. Swap fatty, salty vegan sausages and burgers for tofu, tempeh or seitan; choose hot dogs made with tofu and make homemade potato wedges or bake a sweet potato instead of chips. If you like pizza, go for a thin sourdough base, loaded with veggies and cashew cheese; in curries, swap vegan ‘chicken’ for chickpeas. This is the route towards a healthier, wholefood vegan diet. You can still have the highly processed stuff but better as an occasional treat only.

3) I need meat for iron don’t I?

Nonsense! A healthy vegan diet based on beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, nuts, seeds and green vegetables is packed with iron. The EPIC Oxford study, one of the largest studies of vegetarian and vegan health, compared iron intakes in different diets and found that vegans had the highest followed by vegetarians then fish-eaters with meat-eaters coming last! Vitamin C boosts iron absorption so pair beans on toast with orange juice; red pepper with tofu in a stir-fry; watercress, dates and pumpkin seed salad with a lemon juice and olive oil dressing or simply add berries to your iron-fortified breakfast cereal.

4) I need oily fish for omega-3s

All the world’s oceans and rivers are contaminated with toxins such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, pesticides, drugs and more and so are nearly all the creatures in them. These toxins build up in the fat in fish so are also found in fish oil – and this is why so many fish carry a government health warning! And yet they still go on pushing oily fish and fish oils. You don’t have to eat carcinogens and neurotoxins simply to get your omega-3s as a healthy vegan diet can provide plenty. All you need to do is take either one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily, or one to two teaspoons of flaxseed oil or a small handful of walnuts. Should you feel the need for an extra boost, buy a vegan EPA and DHA supplement that’s obtained from algae – which is where fish obtain their omega-3s.

5) Milk is essential for calcium, isn’t it?

No it’s not! Just think about it – 70 per cent of people across the world avoid dairy because they are lactose intolerant and cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Their bones are not crumbling away and in fact, some of the countries with the highest dairy intakes also have the highest rates of hip fracture. So, you clearly don’t need dairy for good bone health. There are plenty of plant sources of calcium and they include tofu made with calcium sulphate, calcium-fortified vegan breakfast cereals such as Ready Brek, fortified plant milks, dried figs, kale, sesame seeds and tahini, tempeh, wholemeal bread, pulses (chickpeas, baked beans and kidney beans), nuts (almonds and Brazil nuts), spring greens, watercress and other leafy greens – but not spinach as the calcium it contains isn’t as well absorbed. Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium so make sure you get enough safe sun exposure in the summer – that’s where we all get most of our vitamin D, absorbed through our skin – and consider a supplement in the winter months.

6) Veganism is bad – I read it somewhere

In recent years, the meat and dairy industries have launched endless advertising campaigns trying to lure people back to animal foods, resulting in widespread misinformation which is then often repeated by family, friends and the media. It’s usually about vegans missing out on vital nutrients or that vegan food is expensive and more difficult to cook. A report by the nonprofit Changing Markets Foundation revealed a coordinated backlash against veganism driven by a network of ‘mis-influencers’ working to protect the meat industry’s interests. Be sceptical of anything that rubbishes veganism as the science is on our side but if you do see ‘anti’ claims, check out the genuine research that cites sources and is peer reviewed. It usually tells a different story.

7) Where will I get my protein?

It was once widely claimed that every meal should provide ‘complete protein’, meaning foods that contain all nine essential amino acids – the building blocks of protein. These foods include animal-based foods such as eggs, chicken, fish, beef, milk and dairy and some plant foods such as quinoa, tofu and tempeh. However, we now know that all plant foods contain all the amino acids – including the essential nine – albeit in varying amounts. This means that if you get enough calories from a varied vegan diet, you’ll get the full range of amino acids you need over the day. The best sources of plant protein include pulses (peas, beans, lentils, soya), nuts, seeds and wholegrains (wholemeal bread, oats, wholewheat pasta and brown rice).

8) I won’t get enough calories

Some people find it hard to maintain a healthy weight on a vegan diet but it usually turns out that they have dropped animal foods and not replaced them with other calorie-dense foods. The solution is simple enough as there are plenty to choose from – peas, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, avocados and whole grains. To add an extra boost, try snacking in the mid-morning or afternoon on flapjacks, oatcakes and nut butter or a small handful of nuts.

9) Vegans need loads of supplements

A healthy vegan diet does not need supplementing with handfuls of pills but there is one exception. Vitamin B12 is naturally produced by bacteria found in soil and water and traditionally, we got it by eating food from the ground and well water but today’s highly sanitised food strips it away and means we must ensure a more reliable source. It is now grown industrially for supplements and many factory-farmed animals are given them for the same reason. It makes no sense for the industry to say you need meat and dairy for vitamin B12 – you can bypass animal products and take your own supplement.

10) It’s just a fad and won’t last

People go vegan for many reasons – the animals, the planet, their health. Going vegan means you will help reduce animal suffering on an immense scale. You will actively reduce environmental destruction and take us one step closer to solving world hunger. All the while improving your own health and reducing the chance of newly emerging infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant superbugs – it really is that simple and can no longer be regarded as a fad! Finding new sources of inspiration such as documentaries, books, recipes or connecting with other vegans can help remind you of your motivation and reignite your commitment. Stick with it by reminding yourself what a champion you are!