MYTH BUSTING

Plant-based nutritionist TJ Waterfall dispels three common myths around veganism

1. VEGANS CAN’T GET ENOUGH PROTEIN

You certainly don’t need meat, fish or animal products to get your protein fix. There’s a surprisingly high amount of protein in most plant-based foods. Pulses (including beans, chickpeas and lentils) contain around 15-20g of protein per cup, and other high-protein foods such as tofu, tempeh and seitan contain around 20-25g per serving (equivalent to four or five eggs).

2. IT’S DIFFICULT TO GET THE FULL RANGE OF AMINO ACIDS

While it’s true that meats contain all the essential amino acids, whereas plant foods are often low in at least one amino acid, a varied and balanced vegan diet – consisting of a variety of whole plant foods – will contain all the amino acids necessary for muscle growth. Also, your body can draw from its ‘free amino acid pool’, which is available because there is a constant turnover of protein in the body. So, if for any reason a certain meal you eat is low in a particular amino acid, your body can draw from this pool to balance things out. That’s why there’s no need to combine protein sources at each meal, as long as a variety of plant protein sources are eaten throughout the day.

3. VEGAN ATHLETES DON’T PERFORM AS WELL

There is a large and fast-growing number of vegan athletes, across a wide variety of sports/disciplines, who are consistently surpassing their competitors. From ultra-distance triathletes to boxers and bodybuilders, world-class athletes are adopting a plant-based diet to give them the edge. The Tennessee Titans NFL team are a prime example – half the team have gone plant-based to help aid recovery and increase energy levels. These are huge 20+ stone athletes at the top of their game. The same goes for a growing number of NBA players. Then there are world-record-holding strongmen, powerlifters and bodybuilders, all proving that a vegan diet doesn’t hold you back and can, in fact, give you a competitive advantage.