1. If you're not eating meat, won't you end up anemic and protein deficient?
No. No no no. First of all, you don't need nearly as much protein as the media has fed you to believe (ie. the meat and dairy corporations). It is extremely rare for someone (especially in this country) to be protein deficient, but many diseases are exacerbated and even caused by excess protein consumption. Having said that, proteins are essential nutrients and must be consumed daily to maintain healthy cellular growth and function in the body. A well-planned vegan diet contains every nutrient that is needed to be healthy. So where do vegans get their protein? Soy, nuts, seeds, peanut butter (and other nut butters), sprouts, beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Yes, vegetables! Not as much as the others, but vegetables, like other living things, contain proteins to grow and live. Might sound boring, but believe me, many delicious meals await the newby vegan!
No. No no no. First of all, you don't need nearly as much protein as the media has fed you to believe (ie. the meat and dairy corporations). It is extremely rare for someone (especially in this country) to be protein deficient, but many diseases are exacerbated and even caused by excess protein consumption. Having said that, proteins are essential nutrients and must be consumed daily to maintain healthy cellular growth and function in the body. A well-planned vegan diet contains every nutrient that is needed to be healthy. So where do vegans get their protein? Soy, nuts, seeds, peanut butter (and other nut butters), sprouts, beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Yes, vegetables! Not as much as the others, but vegetables, like other living things, contain proteins to grow and live. Might sound boring, but believe me, many delicious meals await the newby vegan!
p.s. Oh, and as for Iron, dried beans and dark leafy vegetables are quite high in iron, and many surveys show that iron deficiency is no more prevalent among vegans than in the general population.
