Melody Schoenfeld is an author, gym owner, nutrition coach, and holds a Master's in Health Psychology. She brings deep expertise, a sharp nonsense detector, and evidence-based nuance to one of the most polarizing topics in nutrition - vegan diets.
In this episode, Melody and Andrew dive into the most persistent vegan myths, bad-faith arguments, and common misunderstandings from both sides of the vegan vs. non-vegan debate.
Melody shares insight on:
• Dispelling the myth - "There’s no such thing as a healthy vegan"
• The most common arguments claiming vegan diets aren’t healthy
• The problem with vegan dogma motives and navigating bad faith actors
• Dispelling the myth - "You can get everything you need from food alone on a vegan diet"
• What supplementation vegans actually need (and why)
• Whether vegans struggle to get enough iron and calcium
• Dispelling the myth - "All proteins are created equal"
• The truth about needing a "complete protein profile" in each meal
• The real story behind soy protein and soy fear-mongering
• Whether veganism is more expensive than omnivorous eating
• The benefits of moving more plant-based even if you don’t go fully vegan
• When vegan diets become too restrictive
• And much more
IG: @5ftoffury1
CHAPTERS
00:16 Catching Up with Melody Schoenfeld
01:50 Debunking Vegan Myths
03:20 Nutritional Considerations for Vegans
09:57 Challenges and Misconceptions of Veganism
16:46 Mental Health and Veganism
22:54 Athletic Performance on a Vegan Diet
25:57 Navigating Vegan Nutrition - Learning What Your Body Needs
26:31 Calcium and Bone Health for Vegans
27:44 Understanding Vegan Protein Sources
32:14 Debunking Soy Myths and Exploring Protein Options
35:43 The Cost and Convenience of Vegan Nutrition
37:30 Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet
42:58 Challenges and Misconceptions of Vegan Diets
45:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
SUPPORT THE SHOW
If this episode helped you, you can help me by:
• Subscribing and checking out more episodes
• Sharing it on your social media (tag me - I'll respond)
• Sending it to a friend who needs this
FOLLOW ANDREW COATES
Instagram: @andrewcoatesfitness
https://www.andrewcoatesfitness.com
PARTNERS AND RESOURCES
RP Strength App (use code COATESRP)
https://www.rpstrength.com/coates
Just Bite Me Meals (use code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS for 10% off)
https://justbitememeals.com/
MacrosFirst - FREE PREMIUM TRIAL
Download MacrosFirst and during setup you’ll be asked “How did you hear about us?”
Type in: ANDREW
KNKG Bags (15% off)
https://www.knkg.com/Andrew59676
Versa Gripps (discount link)
https://www.versagripps.com/andrewcoates
TRAINHEROIC - FREE 90-DAY TRIAL (2 steps)
Reply to the email you receive (or email trials@trainheroic.com) and let them know I sent you