Is having a vegan diet healthy?

We’ve asked 7 vegan influencers 7 questions about veganism. Each question will be an interesting article with 7 different answers on a subject. This is the third one that will answer the question ‘Is vegan food healthy?’

Do you think vegan food is healthy? and why?

Foodhealthandhappiness

Most people think that as a vegan you eat nothing more than a leaf of lettuce and a carrot …. think again! Of course I try to eat as healthily as possible and I make sure that I eat in a varied way. Nowadays, however, as a vegan you don’t only have to chew on that leaf of lettuce when you go out for dinner, for example! I mean … you see vegan burgers, smoothiebowls, vegan pancakes and avocado-hummus-sandwiches more and more as standard on the menu and this is a nice improvement. The vegan range is also increasing in the supermarket. It is almost standard that a supermarket has a separate vegan shelf or organic corner!

Kim is 40 years old and enjoys yoga and sports and is the founder of

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Julianpiket

I think it’s healthier than a normal diet, but vegan food isn’t necessarily healthy. There are plenty of unhealthy vegan foods which you can consume, but in general you eat more veggies and fruits, which makes it healthier.

Julian is 28 years old and lives in Amsterdam. He mostly post about menswear, his work and his plant based lifestyle.

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Vetjebol

You can still eat a lot of junk food as a vegan (cakes, burger, ice cream, pizza… everything is made vegan). So eating vegan does not necessarily mean that you are eating healthy. That’s the same for any type of diet. With a plant-based diet containing mostly whole foods you can easily get all the nutrients you need and you even reduce the risk of a lot of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and forms of cancer. Tip: read ‘How Not To Die’ from Michael Greger for more information.

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Its about Health

Yes, I do think that vegan food is healthy. I mean: What’s wrong with products that don’t actually need a label? Of course we need to look after our nutrients when eating vegan, but I don’t think that this is a big problem. You can get a lot of proteins by making your own veggieburger for example. This burger (http://www.itsabouthealth.nl/2019/03/15/gezonde-linzenburgers/) is made out of lentils and contains a lot of proteins. This one contains an egg, but as a vegan you can easily replace this with, for example, chia seeds.
Furthermore, there are a lot of supplements which can help you increase your nutrients intake and make sure that you get enough vitamins etc.

Nannique Spiek is 17 years old and owner of food and sport blog www.itsabouthealth.nl

FoodandSpots

We actually think it is, especially if you’re consuming products from Western supermarkets. The meat and dairy sold in supermarkets contain lots of additives that are harmful for your body. You have to be careful with a vegan diet though; You can’t just skip animal products without finding a worthy replacement. But yes, if you’re doing it wisely, we consider plant based food to be more nutritious.

Kirsten & Sophie are two girls from Amsterdam who met in Peru. They both love good food, coffee, going out for dinner, traveling and sustainability. This made them decide to start http://foodandspots.com

Aennacole

Vegan foods are basically plants, so yes they are healthy! I‘m not a nutritionist, but I’d love to share something. Just because someone’s vegan doesn’t mean they’re automatically healthy. You are avoiding antibiotics, hormones and all that horrible stuff which comes in animal products, but you still need to educate yourself about vegan proteins, vegan carbs, fats and supplements. My experience: I AM THE HEALTHIEST I HAVE EVER BEEEN! Don’t drink smoothies all day – nourish your body with all these beautiful VEGAN FOODS!

She is a fulltime student and content creator

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SquatCilla

Cilla Zwarts-Vood, lives in Rotterdam and is the founder of SquatCilla.nl
I don’t just think it, I know that a vegan diet is made for the human body. I would like to emphasize here that I am talking about a fully-fledged, whole-food plant-based diet. You can be vegan and eat junk food, oreos, chips, chocolate and burgers every day. Of course people have to know for themselves, but that is not very healthy. Countless research shows that a healthy, vegan and whole food diet actually contributes to better health and can help prevent certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and forms of cancer.

Plant Ahead

The answer depends on what you eat, just like with any other diet. Eating a whole foods plant-based diet is healthy; Just make sure you eat a lot of veggies and fruit and get the right amount of carbs, protein and fat. Also, research has shown that on average vegans/vegetarians live longer, and that eating meat and other animal products is directly linked to diseases. So yes, plant-based food for me please! My tip (for everyone, not just vegans): Do a blood test every now and then to make sure you get everything you need or consult a dietician if you have any concerns. I made the stupid mistake of not taking Vitamin B12 for a while. Things like that happen to everyone, not just vegans.