The reasons that follow are unpopular opinions. I’m probably not ready for the heat, but I’m publishing this article anyway 😆.
Before I get into the three misguided reasons to go vegan (which is a more positive way to say - 5 reasons you shouldn’t go vegan), I need to give you a disclaimer.
Disclaimer: In an ideal world, I’d love everyone to go vegan - for the animals. I’d like the demand for animal products to decrease so much that the businesses that manufacture them are forced to pivot and stop breeding, torturing, and killing animals for food.
However, most people care more about convenience, preferences, social norms, perception, and tradition than animals (and the people whose livelihoods depend on committing acts of violence every day).
The crux of the problem and why I chose the following reasons is that nine times out of ten, when people go vegan to lose weight, because it’s popular, or to be healthy, they don’t stay vegan.
So we don’t save any animals in the long term.
Unless people go vegan and stay vegan or significantly decrease their consumption of animal products, we won’t substantially reduce the demand for animal products.
Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash
Reason 1: Going Vegan Because It's Popular
The worst reason to go vegan is that it’s popular.
You saw a celebrity who says they’re “plant-based.” You keep hearing about more vegan and “plant-based” products, which piqued your curiosity.
In The Vegan Roadmap Digital Workbook, one of the first things I discuss is the importance of a strong WHY. This lifestyle is inconvenient AF. To stick with it, you must have a strong WHY. Otherwise, the inconvenience and frustration will win, and you’ll quit.
Going vegan because it’s popular is not a strong WHY.
Instead, Explore Your Curiosity
Instead of going vegan or saying you’re going vegan and never making a transition plan, explore your curiosity:
Swap one of your condiments or dairy products for a vegan version and see if you like it.
Go to a new restaurant with vegan options and try a new dish.
Add a new vegetable to your cart at the grocery store.
Eat two servings of vegetables with your meal instead of one (or zero). Little bitty salads that can fit in a cereal bowl or on a quarter of your plate don’t count.
Try a new vegan recipe with beans or tofu as the primary ingredient.
Photo by Graphic Node on Unsplash
Reason 2: Going Vegan to Lose Weight
While some people lose weight when they go vegan, there’s no guarantee that you will.
In fact, weight loss is simply a by-product of eating in a calorie deficit.
You don’t have to eliminate entire food groups to create a calorie deficit.
Instead, Reduce Your Calories in Other Ways & Eat More Plants
Identify the high-calorie foods you eat regularly and reduce your portions or adjust the recipes to decrease their calories.
If you love baked goods (like I do), instead of eating them multiple times a week, enjoy them every other week or once a week and savor them.
Eat two servings of vegetables with your meal instead of one (or zero). Little bitty salads that can fit in a cereal bowl or on a quarter of your plate don’t count. (Yes, this is a repeat. It’s so good that it’s worth repeating.)
Replace the meat in your meals with tofu, tempeh, beans, soy curls, or seitan a few times a week.
Increase the ratio of vegetables to meat in stir-fries and pasta.
Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
Reason 3: Going Vegan to Be Healthy
This is the real zinger. It sounds crazy. I know.
Let me explain.
First, let's unpack the word “healthy” because it means something different to everyone.
For the purpose of this article, I’m defining a person who is healthy as someone:
Who does not suffer from any disease or chronic illness
Whose bloodwork indicates that all of the critical markers are in the normal range
Who can move through their day with ease (without getting winded or experiencing pain)
I believe that you can eat animal products and check off all of these boxes.
We know that diet can impact health, specifically the risk of disease.
We also know that some people go vegan and a month later see significant improvements in their key markers, and in some cases, eliminate the need for medication.
While I can’t say for sure, I suspect these individuals were eating the Standard American Diet and switched to a Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet.
That’s a giant swing. A giant swing that’s going to yield meaningful results.
I’m also pretty confident that despite eating everything you think you should be eating and avoiding foods and beverages that you consider “unhealthy,” you could still fall ill.
Eating a whole food plant-based diet does not make someone immune to every disease or ailment.
However, you should eat food that reduces your risk of disease and chronic illness and keeps your bloodwork normal.
Instead, Let Go of All-or-Nothing Thinking
Something about humans makes us think that “All or Nothing” thinking is the only way to achieve a goal and get results. “Go Big or Go Home,” they say.
BJ Fogg, Ph.D., talks about this in his book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything (affiliate link).
“Over the last twenty years, I’ve found that the only consistent, sustainable way to grow big is to start small. ”
“A change myth was holding Amy back—the pervasive idea that you’ve got to go big or go home. We live in an aspiration-driven culture that is rooted in instant gratification. We find it difficult to enact or even accept incremental progress. Which is exactly what you need to cultivate meaningful long-term change. People get frustrated and demoralized when things don’t happen quickly. It’s natural. It’s normal. But it’s another way we’re set up to fail.”
I agree with Dr. Fogg. All-or-nothing thinking rarely leads to long-term change.
And when it comes to your health, the goal is to make changes that you can sustain long-term. The goal is to live a long, disease-free life and experience high levels of vitality and mobility for as long as possible.
That’s my goal anyway.
So, regarding food and “health,” let’s focus on eating more foods that provide tangible benefits.
Instead, Eat More Plants, Less Meat, & Less Dairy
Eat more foods with fiber: Beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Eat more foods with antioxidants and other micronutrients: Various colorful fruits and vegetables.
Decrease the saturated fat in your diet. Common sources of saturated fat include meat, high-fat dairy products (lard, cream, butter, cheese, ice cream), fried foods, and tropical fats (coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil). Source: American Heat Association.
Eat more plant-based proteins: Tofu, tempeh, beans, soy curls, and seitan.
Final Thoughts
I would love everyone to go vegan and stay vegan. But if that’s not for you, just eat more vegan meals, eat more plants, and eat fewer animal products.