What makes vegan nutrition so special, though? Why do people do it? Why are they interested in it? Well, for one thing, you don’t really have to starve yourself by being vegan. You are still allowed to eat plenty, as long as it doesn’t include the mentioned food above. It can still help you lose weight and avoid the risks of heart disease because, with vegan nutrition, you’re also lowering your cholesterol level in the process.

There are people, however, who tend to miss the juicy and rich taste of meat. They can drool over a Stock picture of meat! If you’re one of those who are craving for meat but would still like to maintain the vegan diet, then I’ve got good news for you. Restaurants are actually making “meat alternatives” for vegans who would still like a tasty meal while still avoiding meat. These are called “fake meat” by plenty.

Below is a list of some food used as a meat substitute:

• Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan, and TVP
• Potatoes
• Nuts
• Eggplant
• Jackfruit
• Mushrooms
• Lentils
• Cauliflower
• Beans and Legumes
• Beets

What are the advantages of eating fake meat and going on a vegan diet?

Eating plenty of meat could put you in great health risks such as metabolic disorders, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer. But avoiding meat means you could also avoid these health risks.

By not eating meat, you can also avoid constipation and lower your blood sugar. Since you’re deprived of meat, your cholesterol will also lower down, and your body will be more immune to heart diseases. The potassium inside your body will also be increased, since vegan dieting can also be mostly composed of beans, and beans are a great source of potassium.

You contribute a significant help in reducing animal suffering. Well, if you see it in a way, pigs, cows, and chicken are still being sold and bought as food – but when you stop purchasing these animals as food, the lesser the demand for them, and it’ll kind of sort of drag the supply down a bit, too. It’s not that big, and in my opinion, it’s some small difference, but even the tiniest change can be the most significant.

If you do miss the taste of burgers, though, then worry no more! With the trending “fake meat” nowadays, restaurants are able to provide their customers with absolutely meat-free burgers. They use meat substitution for these burgers and capture the taste, texture, and appearance of real burgers remarkably – you won’t even notice a difference with your first bite (or maybe even after you’ve finished eating it)!

What are the risks of eating fake meat and going on a vegan diet?

Eating a lot of vegetables can guarantee you more potassium, sure, but depriving yourself of meat, fish, eggs? Then you’ll find yourself being short on nutrients such as iron and B vitamins. It’s never okay to eat excess amounts of meat, but it’s also not safe to devoid of it. You can maybe observe lessening your meat consumption (instead of not eating it at all) as an alternative.

I’ll give you a heads up, too – just because the “fake meat” inside the burger is meat-free doesn’t mean it’s much healthier than an actual burger. According to registered nutritionist Jenny Rosborough, a regular burger can contain around 0.75 grams of salt. In contrast, the “alternative burger” contains around 0.89 grams of salt – that’s saying a lot about the fake burger’s credibility.

Registered dietitian, who also wrote Training Food, Renee McGregor, shares his concerns and states that a vegan hotdog is no better than a meat one. He wouldn’t recommend a vegan sausage because of the high salt content, additives, and preservatives contained in it.

If you’re someone who slowly wants to quit the “meat life” and start focusing on vegetables instead, it’ll take time for you and your body to adjust to the new lifestyle. Rest assured, a vegan diet and consuming meat substitutes can guarantee benefits for your body. The disadvantages would never disappear, so it will be up to you on how to maintain your body healthy with this kind of lifestyle.

Personally, for me, everything comes down to self-discipline. If you manage to discipline yourself with your food intake, you’ll get the hang of it sooner than you’d expect yourself to. Do you think eating meat substitutes and following vegan nutrition will be a good lifestyle to practice? Leave me your thoughts in the comments below!