Since I was a child, there has been a big misconception about non-meat eaters, whether they are vegetarians or vegans, that once deterred me from ever believing giving up meat was healthy, and then, as an adult, made me want to give up meat even more.
Questions circulating the topic typically involved, “How do you get enough protein?” and “How do you get enough iron?”
It was, for a long time, assumed that the best way to get protein and iron was to eat meat, and that giving meat up meant sacrificing your health. Thankfully, however, a growing movement supporting plant-based eating has since debunked such myths.
You can get plenty of protein from:
Lentils, 18 grams of protein per cup
Chickpeas, 12 grams/cup
Tempeh, 41 grams per cup
Black beans, 15 grams per cup
Nuts and nut butters, varied
Tofu, 11 grams per 4 ounces
Quinoa, 9 grams per cup
Other legumes, varied
Grains, varied
You can get plenty of iron from:
Legumes: lentils, soybeans, tofu, tempeh, lima beans
Grains: quinoa, fortified cereals, brown rice, oatmeal
Nuts and seeds: pumpkin, squash, pine, pistachio, sunflower, cashews, unhulled sesame
Vegetables: tomato sauce, swiss chard, collard greens
Perhaps for a “normal” person this kind of diet might make sense, but what about for a bodybuilder? Is it possible to get strong and have a muscular body on a vegan diet? Yes. And the following bodybuilders’ stories prove it.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/06/01/vegan-bodybuilders-that-will-literally-smash-your-vegan-stereotype/