[]
Share
Copied
A chef prepares vegan food in the Green Grill section of the Green Vic, which is aiming to be the world's most ethical pub, in Shoreditch, London, Britain July 5, 2019. /VCG Photo
This year, a handful of prominent vegan influencers with vegan clothing lines and recipe books have been caught eating animal products. The reaction was swift and harsh even though several said they had to change their diets for health reasons.
Vegansocial media star Yovana Mendoza known as “Rawvana” was seen with a plate of fish in a video posted by another blogger and friend.
It didn’t go down well in the vegan community.
"She cares only for the money and advertising," said YouTube user. “Fake influencer making money off people,” said another.
“So, the biggest problem here is not that she’s eating something that doesn’t fit in with her dietary restrictions, but she’s lying about what she is eating,” said social media influencer Natalie Zfat.
Mendoza is just one of several vegan influencers who recently admitted to eating animal products for health reasons.
Finnish blogger Virpi Mikkonen said early onset of menopause forced her to incorporate meat in her diet. Actress Anne Hathaway, a former vegan, now also eats fish.
A package of Beyond Meat Inc. plant-based sausage is displayed for a photograph in Tiskilwa, Illinois, U.S., on April 23, 2019. /VCG Photo
“Vegan diets absolutely can be healthy, but they can also be unhealthy," said Dena Champion, a registered dietitian at Ohio State Medical Center.
Champion says vegans should take vitamin B12 supplements and have a diversified protein diet.
“So you’ve got to be thinking about making sure you’re getting plenty of beans and lentils, whole grains even, seeds, nuts that kind of thing to make sure you’re meeting your protein needs,” she said.
Mendoza responded to the scandal with a 33-minute video.
“I know that so many of you, you trust me, you listen to me and you probably feel deceived and lied to,” she said.
Zfat thinks Mendoza, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram, can reinvent herself but she might not want to call herself Rawvana anymore.
“So, I do think there’s an opportunity for her to transition perhaps into wellness or healthy living, but she has to be honest. I think that’s the bottom line here,” said Zfat.
The global vegan food market is estimated to reach around 24 billion U.S. dollars by 2026.