8 Plant-Based Diets Myths You Should Ignore

Plant-based diets have many benefits. But some people aren’t willing to try them because of misinformation. In this article, we’ll tackle the most common myths about plant-based diets and let you decide whether a plant-based diet will work for you or not.

Plant-based proteins aren’t good for building muscles

Plant-based proteins won’t make you lose muscles and become weak. In fact, they are just as effective as animal protein in building muscles.

In this study, researchers found that participants who ate rice protein increased muscle mass after workouts, almost as much as those who ate whey protein, an animal-derived protein.

Whey protein eaters gained slightly more muscle mass because whey contains more protein per gram compared to rice protein—not because animal protein builds more muscles than plant-based protein.

Plant-based diets are high in carbs

Complex carbs aren’t bad. They give us energy and help fuel our organs. Processed carbs are unhealthy since they spike blood sugar and cause weight gain. 

Plant-based diets will give you adequate amounts of complex carbs plus vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Plant-based diets keep you hungry all the time

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Veggies and legumes contain fiber which keeps us full for longer. And they’re also low in calories, so you don’t have to eat small portions to avoid excess calories.

Switching to plant-based diets is one of the best ways to control hunger. Whole foods don’t spike blood sugar and take longer to digest.

You have to combine plant-based proteins to get all nutrients

You don’t have to combine beans with rice in every meal to get all the nutrients. Researchshows that eating different plant-based foods throughout the day will give you all essential amino acids.

This protein combining myth has been debunked in detail in this article.

Plant-based foods take too much time to cook

Cooking whole foods may feel like eternity if you’re used to eating packaged foods. But there are ways to simplify the process. First, you can prep meals for a whole week, or use a slow cooker. Simply, toss everything in a slow cooker, and dinner will be ready when you get home.

Plant-based diets aren’t healthier

Research shows that plant-based diets lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease while high intake of red meat has been linked to cancer and heart disease.

Plant-based diets guarantee weight loss

Some folks assume that switching to a plant-based diet is all it takes to lose weight. This makes sense because plant-based foods are low in calories and very filling. But these benefits won’t mean anything if you continue to consume sugar and processed foods.

In short, a plant-based diet promotes weight loss only when you avoid processed junk food.

Plant-based foods are too expensive

Eating plant-based foods doesn’t have to be expensive. Beans and other legumes are quite affordable. You should also consider buying fruits and veggies from farmer’s market since they’ll probably be cheaper than in the supermarket.