Deficient Vegans

Deficient Vegans

The podcast for anyone who’s ever been told vegans can’t get strong, stay fit, or live fully. A mix of science-backed nutrition, exercise advice, vegan food and recipe tips, and just the right amount of chaos to help you thrive on plants and laugh along the way.

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Recent Episodes

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How Not to Die at the Gym
55
June 22, 2026

How Not to Die at the Gym

This week we are talking about something that is often unappreciated, which is gym and lifting safety. We also discuss why honey isn't vegan. New News Netherlands reduces their national meat recommendations by 40% Morningstar Farms voluntarily recalled two products due to possible plastic pieces in the food The U.S. cattle herd is at a 75-year low Chapters 0:02 Podcast Intro and News 4:22 Gym Safety Basics 8:01 Pain or Progress 14:31 Fixing Form Mistakes 21:38 Warm Up Smart 25:10 Solo Lifting Ri
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Are Vegans to Blame for Monocropping?
54
June 15, 2026

Are Vegans to Blame for Monocropping?

This week we talk about mono-cropping, and why the Internet thinks that all the negative consequences of it are because of vegans. We also dive into cold plunging and have a new bite sized coaching segment. Referenced in Episode New News: Sweet potato milk / Rootsii & App State announcement PCRM carnivore/masculinity poll University of Exeter meat study Sources: Land Use Global Land for Agriculture Cold plunges and muscle growth Chapters 0:08 New News and Nonsense 4:09 Carnivore Masculinity Myth
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Vegan vs Plant-Based
53
June 8, 2026

Vegan vs Plant-Based

The episode distinguishes veganism as an ethical philosophy from plant-based as a diet, and notes overlap between vegan and LGBTQ+ communities. Chapters 0:06 Plant-Based Versus Vegan 1:08 Foie Gras Ban Update 2:17 Protein From Air 4:09 Beer Waste Protein 9:19 Main Topic Begins 15:22 Two Movements, Different Roots 20:41 Why Labels Get Mixed 25:13 Veganism Gets Lost 34:12 Animals Disappear from View 41:17 Plant-Based vs Vegan 1:04:20 Pride and Vegan Community 1:15:06 Mean Tweets and Announcements
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Keeping the Memories, Changing the Menu
52
June 1, 2026

Keeping the Memories, Changing the Menu

We talk about how many of our traditions and memories growing up are tied to food, and how that usually means animal products specifically. Then, we offer up some ideas for how to keep the same traditions and bonding opportunities with vegan swaps. We also cover our myth of the week this week, which is that vegans can't get enough Omega-3 fats. Chapters 0:02 Podcast Intro and News 3:56 Oatly’s Pee Fertilizer Project 9:47 Veganizing Sports Traditions 25:17 Hunting, Hiking, and Nature 37:06 Plant-
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Is Vegan Food Highly Processed?
51
May 25, 2026

Is Vegan Food Highly Processed?

The episode discusses whether vegan food is “processed junk,” and addresses the myth that carbs at night cause weight gain. Chapters 0:02 Podcast Kickoff and News 3:39 Processed Food Myth 6:03 Veganism Through the Years 12:36 Vegan Foods Go Mainstream 18:52 Ancient Plant-Based Staples 24:39 Seitan to Tempeh 27:36 TVP and Burger History 34:25 Vegan Cheese Evolution 39:06 Why Vegans Seem Processed 42:36 Why Vegan Foods Seem Processed 55:44 Making Milk at Home 59:40 What Counts as Processed? 1:02:4
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Veganism and Masculinity
50
May 18, 2026

Veganism and Masculinity

Save a cow, ride a soy boy. We get into the weird history of gendered food marketing, what 40+ studies say about soy and testosterone, and why vegan men keep having to justify their existence. Plus New News and a Myth of the Week on complete proteins. References: Real Men Don't Eat (Vegetable) Quiche: Masculinity and the Justification of Meat Consumption Chapters 0:08 Veganism and Masculinity 0:44 In the News 5:56 Masculinity Marketing Origins 15:22 Soy Myths Debunked 20:47 Vegan Athletes Shine
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Recent Blog Posts

The Intersectionality of Veganism and the LGBTQ+ Community
June 23, 2026

The Intersectionality of Veganism and the LGBTQ+ Community

If you've been in vegan spaces, you may have noticed that there is a large LGBTQ+ representation. This Pride Month, we wanted to expand on that topic and also celebrate the LGBTQ+ community for the large role that they play in the vegan movement!&nb…
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Navigating the Holidays as a Vegan
June 17, 2026

Navigating the Holidays as a Vegan

Common QuestionsBeing a vegan during the holidays can come with some social and mental struggles. You will inevitably get some of the cliche questions from friends and family about your diet and lifestyle, especially if you are new to a vegan or…
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Veganism and Monocropping
June 16, 2026

Veganism and Monocropping

If you exist in vegan spaces, you may have seen something about vegans and mono cropping. At a high level, the anti-vegan argument will say that vegans are somewhat responsible for current mono cropping and that a fully vegan world would be impossib…
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About the Hosts

Muscle Deficient Vegan Profile Photo
Muscle Deficient Vegan

I’m a NASM Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT), NASM Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC) and a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach.

I take the things that actually matter for results like training principles, nutrition basics, and evidence-based strategies and turn them into clear, usable guidance.

I care a lot about accuracy and transparency. When it matters, I cite sources, explain tradeoffs, and update content as recommendations change.

Protein Deficient Vegan Profile Photo
Protein Deficient Vegan

I’m a Chemical Engineer by trade, but love cooking in my kitchen and coming up with new recipes! I also like knitting in straight lines (I can only make scarves and blankets lol), listening to music (rock and Taylor Swift), hiking and disc golfing!

I went vegetarian when I was 12 years old after a middle school teacher of mine mentioned that he was vegetarian for a few years when he was in the Peace Corps. Before then, I had never heard of or met a vegetarian and didn’t know I had a choice in whether or not I ate meat. Several years ago, I read the book “Eating Animals” and immediately went vegan after finally realizing the horrific realities of the dairy and egg industries (spreading awareness is hugely important because many people really have no idea).

Reviews

Breaking down myths
Love, love, loved the episode on whether veganism is privileged! This show consistently provides good info and I love the news section.
  • Mangosnax
  • May 5, 2026
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Fantastic Show on Plant Based Food and Fitness
Love the focus on great food, recipes, and strength training ! Bonus is coverage of current events and news, and navigating a plant based lifestyle in the real world . Entertaining, enlightening, and funny too. Thank you for all the hard work in putting this together!
  • gdogrun
  • Feb. 5, 2026
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A New Favorite
This podcast ticks so many boxes for me as I begin my strength-training journey as a vegan. Genuinely helpful advice from two compassionate vegans, covering both training and nutrition. This will be a weekly listen for me. Keep it up!
  • AndrewJH
  • March 22, 2026
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