Why a vegan diet is not always healthy and how to get it right, according to experts

Nutrition experts give tips on avoiding plant-based pitfalls such as eating too many processed foods and not enough vitamins and minerals

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Meat-free burgers, biscuits and crisps can all be vegan-friendly but are not necessarily healthy. Eating too many processed foods is one of the common ways plant-based diets go wrong. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 6:15pm, 12 Mar 2025

While major institutions such as the American Medical Association and Harvard Medicine agree that a plant-forward diet can improve cardiovascular, physical and overall health, there are ways to be unhealthy while following a vegan diet.

As with other diets, it can be easy to skip whole foods and opt instead for highly processed ones. Some brand-name biscuits, crisps and confectionery may be vegan – containing no animal products such as butter, milk, egg or animal flesh – but are not necessarily healthy.

Here are common ways a vegan diet can be less than healthy.

Too many processed foods

Plant-based meat alternatives are common in supermarkets, but eating these is not necessarily the best path toward healthy eating. Photo: Shutterstock

While a 2023 poll by American statistics company Gallup showed the number of vegans in the United States has not changed much since the early 2000s, the demand for vegan products has.

A trend analysis by the market research group Technavio shows the vegan food market is expected to grow by billions of dollars within the next few years.

Now, you are likely to find a plant-based Beyond or Impossible burger as an option at a burger chain, and you can stock up on non-dairy ice cream, vegan sausage, vegan egg replacement and non-dairy cheese at large American supermarkets and international ones, too.

But replacing animal products with vegan alternatives may not be the best path toward “healthful” eating, say nutritionists.

Just because it’s vegan, doesn’t mean it’s healthy

Will Cole, functional medicine doctor and author