Some terms from the world of science and sustainability are not so easy to understand. But don’t worry – in our new series “Simply explained”, we break down complex topics and technical terms into understandable words. This makes science accessible, entertaining and exciting for you!
What is veganism?
Veganism is a diet and lifestyle in which all products of animal origin are avoided. Animal products include meat, fish, dairy products, eggs and honey, for example. But vegans also do not use materials such as leather, fur, wool or down. In addition, vegans avoid cleaning products and cosmetics that contain animal ingredients or have been tested on animals.
Vegan diet - everything but animal!
Vegans have many delicious culinary options for their diet. In addition to fruit and vegetables, there is a wide range of foods available to vegans. Legumes, such as lentils or beans, as well as nuts, seeds, mushrooms and grains, form a good basis. Meat substitutes such as tofu, tempeh, seitan made from wheat protein or pea protein are also part of a balanced vegan diet. Plant-based drinks made from oats, almonds, rice, coconut or soy are used as milk alternatives. Vegan spreads, yogurts, cheese alternatives and vegan sweets are now also available in almost every supermarket.
You can tell whether a product is really vegan or not from the list of ingredients, the European “V-Label” and with the help of the “CodeCheck” app. However, even in some labeled vegan products, animal suffering and exploitation can still be hidden in the production process or cultivation. For example, many birds are usually killed during the olive oil harvest and monkeys are often used to harvest coconuts from trees for Thai coconut milk.
Reasons for a vegan diet
According to a 2020 survey in Germany, people are eating a vegan diet in order to cause less animal suffering, live healthier, do less harm to the environment and generally live more sustainably. With a wholesome, vegan diet, people have a lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In addition, a vegan diet has a smaller carbon footprint than an omnivorous diet, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and protects important rainforest areas and moors by not eating meat.
Is vegan always healthy and sustainable?
Even though vegans make a major contribution to environmental protection by avoiding animal products, this does not automatically mean that veganism is always sustainable. This is because industrial vegan convenience foods and foods from other countries in particular can consume a lot of water and energy. A vegan diet is most sustainable when seasonal, regional and less processed foods are preferred. If you want to live a healthy vegan lifestyle, you should also make sure you have a sufficient intake or supplementation of certain nutrients, such as vitamin B12, D, iron and iodine.