Fad diets and new eating lifestyles come and go like the seasons: gluten-free, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, the juice cleanse, the grapefruit diet—the list is endless.
Carleton University students might remember when campus was recently covered overnight with chalk drawings meant to encourage a vegan lifestyle, like “fish are friends, not food.” But what exactly is veganism?
Vegans choose to avoid any animal byproducts in their diet and their lifestyle, according to Eat Right Ontario’s website. This includes no consumption of meat, eggs, milk, or honey, and many vegans also choose to avoid buying leather, wool, and products that rely on animal testing.
Other meat-free lifestyles
Words like vegetarian, flexitarian, pescatarian, and vegan can make things a little confusing. Carleton’s Dining Services website explains the differences between the various diets. Here’s the crash course:
Vegetarian: Individuals who follow a vegetarian diet don’t eat meat or fish products, but still choose to consume dairy—this includes eggs, milk, and cheese.
Pescatarian: While they don’t eat beef, chicken, or other types of meat, fish and other seafood are included in this diet.
Flexitarian: People in the middle of transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet often choose this label. If you want to eat less meat, but don’t think you can live without bacon, this might be the lifestyle for you.
Is a vegan diet good for you?
“But how do you get enough protein?” is a refrain often heard by vegans and vegetarians alike.
Dr. Kirsten Blaine, a pediatrician from Stratford, Ont., said protein is traditionally found in meat in the North American diet, so finding other sources of protein can certainly be a concern for vegans.
Eat Right Ontario states that adults over the age of 19 should be consuming 0.8 grams of protein daily for each kilogram of body weight.
But a study by the National Institute of Health, an American biomedical research facility, said that vegans are not generally at risk for protein deficiency because the essential amino acids found in proteins are in plant-based foods as well.
“I think a lot of people are going vegan because they’re realizing ‘I am the change. I’m living in a world where everyone in society is doing things that harm animals.’ And now that I’ve become vegan, my eyes are open.”—Savannah Greene, vice-president of the Carleton Animal Defense League
Blaine said beans, legumes, chickpeas, and lentils are the best protein-rich sources for vegans to add to their diets.
She added that omega-3 fatty acids are another important nutrient—they are vital to brain development and maintenance. Although omega-3s are usually found in oily fish, Blaine said vegans should be sure to consume flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, and soy products.
Vegans also consume calcium at levels below the national dietary recommendations, according to the study from the National Institute of Health.
Even though there are many critics of the vegan lifestyle, Blaine said veganism isn’t necessarily a poor health choice.
“I’ve never seen a vegan diet that’s well thought out and well done go badly,” she said.
Emilie Laramee, a registered dietician in Ottawa, also said ensuring your diet provides you with vital nutrients is key to maintaining health on a vegan diet.
“I think that a healthy vegan diet can meet your needs, but it needs to be well planned,” Laramee said.
If your diet isn’t giving you vital nutrients, Blaine added that taking supplements, like vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin D, are options—even for meat-eaters.
A vegan diet can also be beneficial. Laramee said going vegan can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help prevent certain types of cancer.
While there are benefits, both Laramee and Blaine said it’s important to remember that being a vegan is more than just skipping the Pizza Pizza line and heading to the salad bar instead.
The cost of going vegan
Michaela Van Mourik, a first-year Carleton criminology student, is a vegetarian looking to make the transition to veganism. She said that she spent more money on food when she ate meat.
“I found [being vegan] is only expensive if you buy meat replacements, which I don’t buy as often,” Van Mourik said. “If you stick with things like tofu, beans, rice, and veggies, it’s actually cheaper.”
But being a more adventurous eater or preparing fancy meals can rack up the grocery bills on a vegan diet, according to Varun Joshi, a fourth-year sociology and history student at Carleton. He said he enjoys buying ingredients for curries, homemade vegan burgers, and burritos, but it can be expensive.
Going out to eat can be expensive for any diet, but Joshi said that as a vegan, the price usually depends on what he orders.
“There are places where I’ll get vegan cheese on pizza and it’ll be a bit more, but for the most part I order what I always have but without dairy,” he said.
Sustainable eating beyond veganism
A vegan lifestyle isn’t the only way to eat sustainably and be mindful of animal ethics, according to Geneviève LeGal-Leblanc, the owner of an ecological farm in Gatineau, Que.
Their website said that the farm practices environmentally friendly agriculture, provides cheap local food, and treats animals with the respect they deserve.
LeGal-Leblanc said that she and her husband were vegetarians for years, but came to realize that animals are important to the ecosystem of a farm, and are still mindful of their consumption of meat and dairy products.
She added that it’s harder for large agricultural farms to ethically raise animals, so they have small plots of animals on their farm to make it more sustainable.
“We have less than 100 laying hens, we have one dairy cow, two pigs, our flock of sheep is less than 20,” LeGal-Leblanc said. “So that really permits us to create relationships with our animals and to make choices for them that are really ethical and healthy for them.”
But she said that this doesn’t mean larger farms raise their animals unethically.
Visiting local farms and creating relationships with farmers is important for those concerned about the ethics of raising livestock, but still interested in consuming meat or dairy products, according to LeGal-Leblanc.
“I think that is the only way you can tell if your food is sustainably raised or not,” she said. “Come to the farm and see how the animals are raised.”
She added that for any diet, sustainable eating is all about food accessibility.
“If you did choose a vegan lifestyle, and you are able to find sustainable . . . alternatives to iron and protein from your area, that’s fantastic,” LeGal-Leblanc said. “Even if you eat meat or consume dairy products, it’s all a matter of where you buy your food.”
Veganism in the Ottawa community
The Carleton Animal Defense League is an activist group dedicated to educating the Carleton community on how dietary choices can negatively impact animals. They offer outings to vegan and vegetarian-friendly spots around Ottawa, and a community for vegans, vegetarians, and the “veg-curious” —people who are thinking about becoming vegan or vegetarian.
“A lot of vegans have no friends that are vegan, and their friends refuse to go to vegan restaurants with them, and it can be hard,” said Savannah Greene, the vice-president of the Carleton Animal Defense.
The National Capital Vegetarian Association (NCVA) also promotes plant-based diets, and provides a community for vegans living in Ottawa, according to Carolyn Harris, a first-year Carleton history student and the vice-president of the NCVA.
Harris added that the NCVA website is host to a veg-friendly business directory, with vegan and vegetarian restaurants listed, and has health and fitness resources.
“I found [being vegan] is only expensive if you buy meat replacements, which I don’t buy as often. If you stick with things like tofu, beans, rice, and veggies, it’s actually cheaper.”—Micaela Van Mourik, first-year Carleton criminology student
Greene said the vegan community in Ottawa is growing, so the increase in vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants means all vegans can go out to eat with their non-vegan friends.
“There are new vegan restaurants opening every day,” Greene said.
Greene said she became a vegan after doing some research on animal cruelty in the egg and dairy industry, and she said she hopes the Carleton Animal Defense will have a positive impact here at Carleton.
“I think a lot of people are going vegan because they’re realizing ‘I am the change. I’m living in a world where everyone in society is doing things that harm animals,’ ” she said. “And now that I’ve become vegan, my eyes are open.”
