We sat down with Vegie Bar Manager and Co-Owner Mark Price as well as Executive Chef Bryce Edwards to bust vegan myths. Watch the full interview or continue reading below. Myth 1: Eating vegan is not as healthy as eating meat and dairy [Mark] I would bring up the research from the blue zones around the world, where you have members of those communities who are outliving a vast majority of the rest of the world and they have 90 to 95% plant-based elements in their diet. Myth 2: Vegans are low in iron and don’t get enough protein [Bryce] I think the most important thing is having a well-balanced diet and eating a good mixture of pulses, grains and legumes, as well as things like soy and black beans which are very high in protein. [Mark] Totally, then obviously the leafy green vegetables that you can get your iron from. Soy milk has a higher protein count per 100 grams than regular dairy. Myth 3: Vegans need to take supplements to avoid being malnourished [Bryce] I don’t think they do if they have a well-balanced diet. If you eat properly and healthily you can get everything you need. [Mark] I agree, if you eat a broad selection of fruit and vegetables it covers all the nutrient bases, so I don’t believe you need any supplementation. Myth 4: Eating a vegan diet weakens your immune system [Bryce] We all know that everything is about balance, as we have been discussing, and if you get enough of the brassicas, it actually probably boosts your immune system. [Mark] True, and the immune system is 70 to 80% in your gut anyway so it definitely improves your immunity. Myth 5: You can’t exercise as hard if you’re a vegan [Bryce] I think there are plenty of elite sportspeople who follow a vegan diet. [Mark] Lewis Hamilton, you’ve got Kelly Slater who’s still winning world championships into his 40s, Venus Williams, Liz Cambage the basketballer and Morgan Mitchell who is an Australian 400-metre runner. Myth 6: You need animal milk for calcium [Bryce] There are many ways that you can get calcium into your diet, for example, by eating broccoli, cauliflower and kale. [Mark] Plus, all of the nut milk types that are coming onto the market now and they have the same amount of calcium that dairy has. Myth 7: Being vegan is hard and expensive [Bryce] I don’t agree, animal protein has proven to be incredibly expensive these days. You can’t grow it at home like you can with vegetables. You can grow silverbeet from a seed to something edible in a matter of weeks. Myth 8: Vegan food is bland [Bryce] I don’t think they have tried enough of it if that’s what they believe because I think vegan food can be delicious. There are so many different vegan cuisines and we want to showcase that here at Vegie Bar. [Mark] And another example of us wanting to be progressive and relevant is the ready-made meals that we have developed in the last six months. [Bryce] Yes, Vegie Bar @ Home. It took us a good amount of time to tweak those flavours so that we can produce restaurant-quality vegan food in your home, at work or wherever you want to eat it. Shop the Vegie Bar @ Home range on iPantry here and order before 2pm between Monday and Friday for next day delivery.
