Discovery Project
Many people utilize social media to spark a movement, start a conversation, and learn more about certain topics. It is crucial that a news reporter researches what society is talking about on various platforms of social media. This process is also known as social listening. This useful tool led me to discover some very interesting conversations about the vegan diet.
Here’s what people are discussing related to vegan diets:
- Researchers discover that plant-based diets contribute to better health.
- A common misconception is that vegans do not get the proper nutrients they need.
- Meat substitutes are gaining popularity as they enter restaurants.
Vegan diet can improve aspects of health:
Many researchers and nutritionists have documented the health benefits of eating plant-based meals. An important topic seen throughout social media is that the vegan diet can improve diseases related to the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and the brain.
Harvard University informed people about the positive impact plant-based foods have on vascular health in May 2017 on Twitter. Since this data has been released, many places started to include vegan options to encourage the community to choose healthier meals. It’s also important to note that some hospitals on the East Coast will now be required to offer vegan foods:
According to a Doctor of Medicine, Neal Barnard, the state of New York passed this new bill in March 2019. This topic made big news because most hospitals do not offer strictly plant-based options for their patients.
Some other sources online sparked conversations that shunned animal products and encouraged plant-based meals. The Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants used their platform to talk about how animal-free diets keep type 2 diabetes in check:
Overall, the leading discussion related to veganism includes evidence that this diet contributes to better health. Common hashtags across platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are #Vegan, #PlantBased, #VeganFood, #WhatVegansEat, and #CrueltyFree.
Below is a Youtube video from Plant-Based News posted in February 2019. It discusses how plant-based diets can transform health like modern medicines:
The misconception that vegan diets don’t provide enough nutrients:
Since the vegan diet is now beginning to trend and become more popular, people are spreading information on how to keep your vitamins and other essential nutrients where they should be. Since plant-based eaters eliminate animal products that provide calcium, Cathleen Woods, founder of Vegan Nutritionista, shared a photo of vegan items that contain calcium.
The chart above touches on the misconception that vegan foods do not offer the nutrients other animal-based foods do. Whether it be calcium, protein, or other dietary components, the vegan diet can meet the requirement.
Plant-based meat substitutes entering restaurants around the globe:
An interesting trend on social media is the new plant-based mock meat that restaurants are rolling out for their customers. Impossible Foods is a popular company that makes a vegan meat alternative that cooks like meat, tastes like meat, and smells like meat. Below you can find a video from Yahoo Finance posted in March 2019:
Impossible Foods interacts with users if you hashtag #ImpossibleBurger on Twitter. Many people are trying to get this meat substitute from a grocery store to make themselves, but these burgers are not sold in stores just yet.
However, this meatless burger has been offered at many restaurants on the West Coast. A vegan food chain called Plant Power Fast Food offers this burger. Popularity has increased throughout the West Coast, and Plant Power Fast Food is opening a location at San Diego State University later this year. Insider posted a Youtube video which shows the items offered from their menu:
The vegan diet is becoming a big conversation on social media. People voice their opinions and research related to plant-based diets through channels such as Twitter and Youtube. Through the act of social listening, I gained knowledge for my story package about the benefits of eating vegan meals. I want to share the research I discovered and inform others about local restaurants serving these meals.