Why Eating Vegan Doesn't Mean Eating Healthy 100% of the Time?

There are a fairly important belief and association made between eating vegan (or vegetarian) and eating healthy 100% of the time. Many people think that when we become vegetarian or vegan, we eat mainly salad and suddenly we become "THE" quintessential healthy person.

The consequences of this belief? We receive many negative comments or looks if we eat poutine, hamburger, cake, or others, in a vegan version. We can be left feeling that we are not enough and we can even start to feel guilt or pressure for not being on point.

The reality is

# 1 Each person invites veganism into their life for different reasons. Some people do it for health reasons, while other people will switch to veganism for the animals or the planet. It's perfect this way. There is not one reason better than any other. Remember, this is not a competition. We should never compare ourselves to anyone.

# 2 It’s impossible to eat healthy 100% of the time. You can't maintain perfection for a lifetime. Also, here's a secret; There is no such thing as perfection. Nowhere. We are humans, not robots: perfection is beyond our reach. Life is much lighter when we accept it.

It is also important to keep in mind that we live in a society that values ​​performance a lot. We then tend to aim for an extreme rather than simply a balance. This also means that, unfortunately, orthorexia can be introduced into eating habits and be difficult to spot.

What is orthorexia? It is an eating disorder that is characterized by an "obsession" with eating healthy and systematically avoiding foods that are considered unhealthy. I strongly invite you to read on the subject and to consult a professional if you recognize yourself in this situation.

All this to say: eating vegetarian or vegan does not mean eating healthily all the time. Each person has and should have a different reality and one should never judge it. Neither should we judge ourselves (we are often very good at doing it, unfortunately).

Let’s not fall into the trap of all or nothing, of perfection and rather aim for balance.

There are also several decadent vegan recipes, that are worth trying!

Here are a few I suggest:

• Protein pancakes with hazelnuts and chocolate
• Vanilla donut holes
• Oatmeal S'mores Cookie bars

Have fun with what you eat and detach yourself from this absolute health association. You'll see, it's just going to do you good.