When it comes to dieting, we can’t seem to keep things simple. Just as we have seen variations in the keto diet, we are now seeing something similar with the vegan diet. There is a healthy diet and the “dirty” or “garbage”. We know that traditional veganism has health benefits, but what exactly is the ultra-processed diet?
What is the ultra-processed vegan diet?
While veganism is easily defined, it is a plant-based diet that lacks all animal products, the ultra-processed vegan diet is not that simple. There are two variations of the term “ultra-processed vegan” that focus on eating a plant-based diet.
The predominant use of the term refers to an unhealthy version of a vegan diet. The diet includes a lot of highly processed vegan adaptations of traditional animal products such as ice cream, hamburgers, pizza, nuggets of “chicken”, etc. This is quite different from a “clean” vegan diet, which focuses on whole, plant-based, and minimally processed foods like beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Another variation of the term “dirty vegan” is used to describe a person, not a diet itself. It’s another name for ” chegan “, a vegan who occasionally goes astray or cheats in his plant-based diet. Cheatmeal food is not necessarily unhealthy in nature, but contains animal products (think of a cheeseburger, meat, pizza, fish, etc.).
What foods can you eat on the dirty vegan diet and what should you avoid?
The ultra-processed vegan diet is completely plant-based, but it also includes a fair amount of highly processed vegan food products.
Food you can eat
- Yogurt, cheese and milk of vegetable origin.
- Vegan meats (hamburgers, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, etc.)
- Junk food based on plants: pizzas, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and wings
- Vegan desserts (ice cream, cookies, brownies and donuts)
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole and refined grains
- Vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
Foods to avoid
The only foods prohibited in veganism are animal products:
- Meats and birds
- Fish and shellfish
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Honey
It is healthy?
No. A balanced vegan diet based on a variety of entirely minimally processed foods can be healthy. One that emphasizes plant-based processed meats and other foods? Not that much.
Being vegan has many health benefits, but it’s not just avoiding animal products that make this diet stand out: the quality of the food you eat also counts, according to a July 2017 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The study looked at the diets of more than 110,000 men and women and found that plant-based eaters who enjoyed a diet focused on whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables had a significantly lower risk of heart disease. On the other hand, plant-based eaters who frequently enjoyed sugary drinks, refined grains, and other highly processed foods, also known as the principles of the ultra-processed vegan diet, were at increased risk for heart disease.
Can ultra-processed veganism help you lose weight?
Not likely. This is basically a plant-based version of a highly processed junk food diet, without any real substantial nutrition. Just because a diet is “vegan” doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Highly processed foods tend to be higher in calories, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium and low in crucial nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
The pros and cons of this type of diet
Following an ultra-processed vegan diet gives you more options when it comes to eating. Still, as you have seen, there are also some serious drawbacks.
Pros
- Offers flexibility for a vegan diet. It’s no secret that interest in plant-based diets has been on the rise, but making the jump to a complete vegan diet can be a difficult transition for some. If your only intention is to eat plant-based, be it for the environment or animals, a dirty vegan diet may be an easier approach for some, depending on where they start. Better yet, if you were on an ultra-processed diet as a transition to a healthy vegan diet, or if you kept the “dirty” part of the vegan diet to a minimum, this would not be an unhealthy diet.
- Better for animals and Mother Earth. Raising animals for consumption puts great pressure on our natural resources and the planet. The amount of water it requires to sustain animal agriculture is astronomical. It also emphasizes our soil and air, too. Apart from this, eating a plant-based diet is a more ethical option for treating animals.
Cons
- It is not healthy. As we discussed, just because a plant-based diet doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The quality of the food you eat plays a role in determining the quality of your health.
- It can be expensive. Most of these overly processed plant-based products are expensive. For example, a can of beans has 2 to 3 servings and costs less than € 1. A package of two plant-based burgers costs around € 7.