Do you want to vegetate your diet, but are you afraid of nutritional deficiencies? With recipes, advice and lots of nutritional information, the site Convenient Vegan gently guides you to a more plant-based diet. “A safe and economical food choice at any age,” said François Carnino, responsible for nutrition at L214. Together with Dr. Sébastien Demange, member of the National Plant Food Observatory (ONAV), explains why you can embark on this food transition with your eyes closed without endangering your health, on the contrary… To speak.
All the institutions responsible for health say it: eating too much meat is dangerous for your health† Excess red meat, especially when processed, has negative health effects and can increase the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Cold meat warnings are set from 25 grams per day. When the risks are clearly proven, especially in colon cancer, meat is still seen as a central element in our diet.
However, a century ago we ate five times as many legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.) than what we currently consume. Since the 1950s, our meat consumption has increased fivefold. So there was a cultural shift. Today, even the National Food Safety Agency (Anses) recommends: eat more legumes and less meat† They are considered a food in their own right and no longer as a starch, as was the case until 2017. Until 2020, we had to introduce legumes from the 18th century in France during food diversification. current recommendations are to introduce legumes from the start of diversification (between 4 and 6 months).
As for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by our consumption, a large part is due to the production of animal products, livestock. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this share is 14.5%, equal to the fuel consumption of all transport on Earth. Today we have an immobilistic policy in this regard. Part of European public money is spent on promoting meat consumption. At the same time, global warming is an increasingly urgent topic. It is therefore essential to have a government policy that the reduction of products of animal origin in our food and the re-vegetation of the latterespecially in developed western countries, because we are the biggest consumers of it.
Changing mentality
When we follow a plant-based diet, it has a direct impact on our body. This diet limits cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction, chronic non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, which is increasingly common in the western world, as well as certain cancers. The other good news is thatthere is no age or physical activity limit for adopt a plant-based diet† Today 70% of our protein comes from the animal world and most studies say we should at least do the opposite. We can of course go further by adopting a 100% plant-based diet by eating more legumes that are packed with protein, such as lentils, beans, peas, fava beans, soy and its derivatives (tofu, textured soy protein, tempeh…) .
Because, contrary to popular belief, the biggest risk in adopting a plant-based diet is not a protein deficiency, but vitamin b12, because it is only found in animal products. That is why we believe that from the moment that half of our meals contain no animal products, we must supplement vitamin B12. The advantage is that it is one of the dietary supplements that are risk-free, because there is no threshold from which we perceive negative effects for vitamin B12. In addition, it is a cheap supplement…
Everyone has their own plant transition
With Vegan Practical we want to appeal to as many people as possible by giving tips and advice people who choose to switch to a more plant-based consumption. You will also find recipes to grow your favorite dishes. We are not in an all or nothing approach. For most people, the gradual approach is more effective, such as continuing to eat cheese initially while planning the rest of your diet, or starting to plan just your breakfast.
You can also choose to eat plant-based at home and be more flexible outdoors. The real obstacle to this is social. The important thing is therefore to don’t put pressure on yourself† do not hesitate to to be supervised, especially when your food choices are difficult for your environment to understand. The Végéclic website also provides information to share with your doctor. With Practical Vegan we wanted to show that plant-based food is possible and accessible with hundreds of easy recipes on offer. Many things have also changed in the health field in recent years, most notably with the creation of the National Observatory of Plant Food (ONAV), an association of health professionals who communicate about plant foods. This is a striking point in the French food landscape.
You would want adopt new eating habits † find all L214 nutritional advice and tips secure Convenient Vegan and test your knowledge about plant-based food Because of this special nutrition quiz †