Vegan FAQs

Despite what you may have heard, protein is actually not much of a worry for most vegans.

Not so long ago, conventional wisdom had it that vegans and vegetarians would inevitably develop dangerous protein deficiencies. But over time this myth has largely died out, doubtless due to the fact that have been virtually no instances of vegans dropping dead from lack of protein.

Unfortunately, a harmful counter-myth has arisen within the vegan world: that plant-based foods are so loaded with protein that vegans need never give the topic a thought. That’s an unreasonable belief that has set a lot of vegans up for inadequate protein intake, even if they’ll never be hospitalized for deficiency. Protein is a vital nutrient and falling short of your needs is harmful in a variety of ways. So it’s worth making sure you’re incorporating several rich sources of protein into your everyday diet. Here are some protein-rich vegan foods that will help ensure your needs are met.

• Legumes (alfalfa, clover, beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, lupins, soybeans, peanuts, etc)
• Seitan
• Nuts
• Tofu
• Quinoa
• Tempeh
• Edamame
• Nutritional Yeast
• Hempseed
• Spirulina
• Oats and Oatmeal
• Wild Rice
• Chia Seeds
• Protein-Rich Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts)

Maybe the best approach to making this happen is to make sure that most of your meals include a solid source of protein. That can mean using nuts, seeds, or gomasio as a garnish. It could mean adding sautéed tempeh or vegan meats to your spaghetti sauce. Or it could mean making a side-dish of fried tofu mixed with a little barbecue sauce and a dusting of nutritional yeast. If you construct your diet with protein in mind, you’ll find an abundance of vegan foods to meet your needs. But protein is just the start of nutrients worth paying attention to: also keep an eye on zinc, iron, calcium, and especially Vitamin B-12. For more on these and other nutrients, visit our vegan nutrition page.

While a well-planned vegan diet can provide most essential nutrients, some may require supplementation. Vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, and iodine are nutrients that may need special attention. Vegans should consider fortified foods or supplements to ensure adequate intake of these nutrients.

Calcium-rich plant-based foods include fortified plant milks, tofu, tempeh, fortified orange juice, almonds, tahini, leafy greens (such as kale, collard greens, and bok choy), and fortified cereals. Consuming a variety of these foods can help meet calcium needs on a vegan diet.

Plant-based sources of iron include lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, fortified cereals, spinach, kale, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa. Consuming vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, and broccoli, alongside iron-rich foods can enhance iron absorption.

Yes, a well-planned vegan diet can provide sufficient protein for muscle building. Plant-based protein sources such as beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, seitan, quinoa, nuts, and seeds are excellent options. Consuming an adequate variety and quantity of these foods can help meet protein needs for muscle growth and repair.

To maintain a balanced vegan diet, focus on consuming a variety of whole plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and iodine. Planning meals, reading labels, and consulting with a registered dietitian can help ensure nutritional adequacy.

Yes, it's entirely possible to obtain sufficient protein from plant-based sources. Legumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas are excellent sources of protein. Soy products like tofu and tempeh, as well as seitan (wheat gluten), also provide substantial amounts of protein. Additionally, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and even vegetables contain protein. By including a variety of these plant foods in your diet, you can easily meet your daily protein needs.

While a well-planned vegan diet can offer numerous health benefits, there are some potential risks to be aware of. Certain nutrients that are abundant in animal products, such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, and iodine, may require special attention on a vegan diet. It's important for vegans to include fortified foods or supplements in their diet to ensure they get an adequate intake of these nutrients. Additionally, some individuals may find it challenging to obtain enough calories or certain nutrients on a vegan diet if they don't plan their meals properly.

Research suggests that adopting a vegan diet may aid in weight loss. Vegan diets tend to be lower in calories and higher in fiber compared to omnivorous diets. Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes help promote satiety and reduce overall calorie intake. Furthermore, plant-based diets are associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and a reduced risk of obesity. However, the effectiveness of a vegan diet for weight loss ultimately depends on factors such as food choices, portion sizes, and overall dietary patterns.

Would it be alright to kill and eat people if they’d had a good life? And what do we mean by a ‘good’ life, anyway? In the case of animals, we certainly don’t mean a long one. ‘Meat’ animals are killed as babies in the case of pigs and lambs between 6 - 8 months old - never get to lead any kind of adult life. Animals, of course, want to live just as much as we do. The first instinct every animal has is to survive. By killing them at all, we are taking away from them the most important thing they have; we are denying their intrinsic right to life.

It is also naïve to imagine that any farmed animals lead good lives: the overwhelming majority of them are exploited, neglected and frustrated on factory farms – forced to lead lives of misery by a farming systems which sees them only as ways of producing a profit. They then face a violent, frightening death in the slaughterhouse: despite supposedly humane stunning, millions of animals are still conscious when their throats are cut. Even free range and organic animals suffer on farms and they face the same shocking death at a young age as factory-farmed animals.

This is a very intricate question to answer. Although there are different calculation methods out there, we've come up with a different approach. We've have collected the consumption of animals per region and calculated a weighted average between the animals consumed per year per region and the total population of the world. This numbers came up to be:

Animal save calculator »Animals consumed per region statistics »

Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.

The production of meat and other animal products places a heavy burden on the environment - from crops and water required to feed the animals, to the transport and other processes involved from farm to fork. The vast amount of grain feed required for meat production is a significant contributor to deforestation, habitat loss and species extinction. In Brazil alone, the equivalent of 5.6 million acres of land is used to grow soya beans for animals in Europe. This land contributes to developing world malnutrition by driving impoverished populations to grow cash crops for animal feed, rather than food for themselves. On the other hand, considerably lower quantities of crops and water are required to sustain a vegan diet, making the switch to veganism one of the easiest, most enjoyable and most effective ways to reduce our impact on the environment.

Check out the Vegan Facts page for more information »

There are several common misconceptions about veganism, including the belief that vegans lack essential nutrients or protein, that vegan diets are restrictive or boring, and that veganism is only about food choices. In reality, a well-planned vegan diet can provide all essential nutrients, and there is a wide variety of delicious and diverse plant-based foods available. Veganism extends beyond diet and encompasses a lifestyle that seeks to minimize harm to animals, the environment, and human health.

Yes, it is possible to follow a vegan diet on a budget. Plant-based staples such as grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and tofu are often affordable and can form the basis of inexpensive and nutritious meals. Buying in bulk, shopping seasonally, and utilizing frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can help reduce costs. Additionally, planning meals, minimizing food waste, and cooking at home can further optimize expenses while following a vegan lifestyle.