Dr Zac Turner on whether a vegan or plant-based diet is healthy

Many vegans believe their diet is healthier than eating meat but Dr Zac Turner says there is a big flaw in how some vegans eat.

Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac talks about vegan alternatives.

Question: Hi Dr Zac, What are your thoughts on vegan alternatives? I have a bet with my vegan daughter that the fake-meat she is eating is far worse for her than real chicken, beef or lamb. Real meat is natural, and from what I gathered these fake-meats are processed crap.

And the same goes for vegan cheeses, ice-cream, meat-pies and all the other crap these tree huggers pretend to enjoy – where the real thing is just as unhealthy for you.

What’s your verdict, doc? – Gareth, QLD

Reader Gareth questions Dr Zac on whether vegan alternatives really are healthy for you. Picture: Supplied

Answer: “ … where the real thing is just as unhealthy for you,” I think you’ve put it perfectly there, Gareth. I couldn’t be happier that more and more people are adopting vegan practices into their diets, however, I am not cheering about people who think their vegan alternative is completely healthy just because it’s plant-based.

Think to yourself the next time you’re in the supermarket aisle holding a vegan alternative in your hand. Is the version with animal products considered unhealthy? Yes? Then the vegan alternative you’re holding most likely is too.

Dr Zac says that vegan alternatives are not necessarily completely healthy just because they are plant-based. Picture: iStock

It may sound silly to think vegan alternatives must be healthy, but studies have indicated 90 per cent of participants believed vegan alternatives are always the most healthy option for themselves and the environment. I’ve stated in my previous column on alternative milks why this may not be the case for our environment, which is the same as your own health environment, your body.

Not all milks are the same so it’s always worth checking the packaging. Picture: Supplied

I will preface before going any further that I highly recommend everyone adopt more plant-based practices into their diet. I myself will try to have three plant based days a week, where I aim to eat natural, local, in season and if possible unprocessed ingredients.

This could look like avocado toast for breakfast, carrots and celery with nuts for snacks, a salad for lunch and some roast veggies with lentils for dinner. I tend to stay away from vegan alternatives that have become a fad, and adopt classic vegan practices.

Dr Zac tries to have three plant based days a week where he tries to eat natural, local, in season and if possible, unprocessed ingredients. Picture: istock

Let’s go through your list of offenders and see if they are truly guilty of unhealthy crimes.

Vegan meat or ‘fake meat’

Not all alternative meats are unhealthy for you, but you still do need to be careful. Studies have found that imitation meat is a great source of fibre, folate and iron and they are lower in saturated fat. They can, however, tend to have less protein, zinc, B12 and high levels of salt. The trick is to read the ingredients list, and nutritional values table. If it looks unhealthy and contains chemicals that don’t sound healthy, then it’s most likely bad for you.

Dr Zac says that if food looks unhealthy and contains chemicals that do not sound healthy, it is likely to be bad for you. Picture: Supplied

Vegan meat pies

Processed = processed. It’s as simple as that. Just because it doesn’t contain animal products doesn’t magically make it healthy for you. This goes for vegan meat pies, sausage rolls, chicken nuggets and other junk-food slapped with the green vegan sticker. Always guilty in my books – be better! You deserve it.

Just because food is stamped with a vegan sticker does not mean it is good for you. Picture: Guy Bailey

Vegan cheese

Just like the real stuff, moderation is key. Vegan cheeses tend to be made from nuts, soy, seeds and root vegetables. Although they are sourced from healthy ingredients, I’d have to put vegan cheeses into the junk-vegan category.

When deciding on your vegan choices you should be avoiding oils, fillers, gums and high sodium levels. These are the pesky ingredients that do more harm than good.

Vegan cheese is in the junk-vegan category, according to Dr Zac. Picture: Supplied

Ice cream

Perhaps the worst offender of them all. This really should not be such a newsflash but ice-cream, regardless if it contains animal products, is still loaded with sugar.

Something I always tell my patients who ask about veganism, is that they need to recognise sugar is plant-based. Don’t for a second think the vegan ice cream you are eating is healthy enough to be a regular addition to your diet.

Over the Moo is dairy free ice cream suitable for people following a dairy, gluten free and vegan diet. Picture: Supplied

Gareth, I recommend you pick up a raw vegan cookbook and try some recipes out with your daughter. Let her experiment with her diet (in a healthy manner) and take part in it! All of us can benefit from including real vegan foods into our diets.

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Dr Zac Turner has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is both a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist along with being a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering.

Originally published as Dr Zac Turner on whether a vegan or plant-based diet is healthy