As a sign that veganism has shifted permanently into the mainstream, KFC Canada‘s recent test-run of plant-based “popcorn chicken” in Mississauga, Ont., seems as good as any. When meat alternatives are being sold by the bucket, it’s hard to argue they are still the domain of urban elites.
Maintaining that balance can be difficult, however. And when vegans fail, they write, the negative health impact can be significant. Moreover, Leroy and Cohen point to a study of 218,000 subjects from over 50 countries which found that “the consumption of meat and dairy can be associated with less — rather than more — chronic disease.”
Pamela Fergusson, a registered dietitian and devoted vegan in Nelson, B.C., sees the positive impact in her practice. One of her clients, a teacher in his 30s, came to her two years ago obese and concerned by a family history of heart disease. Inspired by the 2011 documentary Forks Over Knives on Netflix, however, he was committed to trying a vegan diet. One year in, he had lost 27 pounds and his blood tests were normal.
“We love chewing and all the sensations that go along with eating, so we want to eat a lot of food,” he says. “But when you compare a steak to a plate of vegetables, you can have the same volume of food but there’s a vast difference in calories.” “I’ve put people on plant-based diets who found they felt full and sufficiently hydrated,” says Jenkins.