These 7 “healthy” vegan foods left me bloated and low-energy—until I swapped them out

Let’s get one thing out of the way: I love being vegan.

But just because something is plant-based doesn’t mean it’s automatically good for your body. I learned this the hard way—dragging myself through foggy afternoons, feeling gassy and sluggish, and wondering why my “healthy” choices were backfiring.

The issue? Some of the foods I thought were fueling me were actually draining me.

Here are seven common culprits that left me bloated, low on energy, and questioning everything—plus what I swapped them for that made a real difference.

1. Coconut yogurt

It’s creamy, it’s dairy-free, and it’s usually sitting in the “health food” fridge section with a $5 price tag and minimal ingredients.

For a while, I was eating coconut yogurt almost daily. I’d add some fruit, a few granola clusters, maybe a drizzle of maple syrup. It tasted great. But an hour later? I was sluggish. Not tired exactly—just slow, like my energy got stuck in first gear.

Eventually, I figured out what was going on. Coconut yogurt is mostly fat. It doesn’t have much protein or fiber, and unless you’re buying a very specific brand, it probably doesn’t have many live cultures either. So it wasn’t giving me the staying power I needed.

The swap? Unsweetened soy yogurt.

Soy gives me a solid hit of protein (usually 6–8 grams per serving), and when I top it with hemp seeds or a spoon of almond butter, I feel full without the post-dairy-style fog. It also keeps my digestion more regular. Which is a bonus you don't appreciate until things start slowing down.

2. Vegan protein bars

I used to stash these in my bag like they were little lifelines. After all, they had “plant protein” slapped on the label and came with ingredients like dates, pea protein, and flaxseed.

But most of them? Sugar bombs in disguise.

Some had 20+ grams of sugar. Others were packed with artificial fibers like inulin or chicory root, which made me bloated and gassy for hours. And the protein sources themselves weren’t always easy to digest. I’d eat one after the gym and end up regretting it by the time I got home.

As Dr. Will Bulsiewicz notes in Fiber Fueled, “Many highly processed plant-based snacks give the illusion of health while disrupting gut balance and spiking blood sugar.”

I wasn’t giving my body clean fuel. I was giving it a chemistry experiment in shrink-wrapped form.

What helped instead? Making my own trail mix. I keep it simple—roasted edamame, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and a few dark chocolate chips. High in protein, low in sugar, and way more satisfying.

And if I really want something bar-shaped, I’ll make my own using oats, nut butter, and chia seeds. Zero bloat, zero crash.

3. Cauliflower everything

Cauliflower rice. Cauliflower pizza crust. Cauliflower wings.

I bought into the hype. It’s low-carb! It’s versatile! It’s the Beyoncé of vegetables!

But for me, it turned out to be more like the villain in disguise. Every time I ate it—especially in large portions or multiple meals in a day—I felt bloated, gassy, and vaguely uncomfortable.

This wasn’t entirely surprising. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage are known to cause bloating because they contain raffinose—a complex sugar that’s tough to break down—and sulfur compounds that produce gas.

I’m not saying cauliflower is bad. I still eat it. But I no longer pretend that cauliflower crust is the same as regular pizza crust, or that I should eat three servings of cauliflower in one day just because it’s “clean.”

The swap? If I’m craving something light, I go for roasted zucchini, spaghetti squash, or a chickpea-based wrap. They’re gentler on digestion and feel more like real food—not just fiber filler.

4. Chickpea pasta

I wanted to love this stuff. High protein! Gluten-free! Dense and chewy!

But here’s the deal: every time I ate chickpea pasta, I’d feel fine for about 30 minutes—then came the bloating, the fatigue, and the sense that my digestive system was waving a tiny white flag.

Chickpeas are awesome in their whole form. But condensed into pasta, the fiber and resistant starch can hit hard—especially if you’re eating a whole bowl of it without enough variety on the plate.

I tried multiple brands, changed sauces, adjusted portion sizes. Same outcome. It felt heavy without giving me sustained energy.

So I started switching things up. I now use red lentil pasta when I want a legume-based option. Or I stick with traditional whole wheat pasta in smaller portions and load up the veggies on the side.

And sometimes—controversial opinion here—I just eat rice. Plain, fluffy, easy-to-digest rice with tofu or beans. My body is grateful.

5. Green smoothies

Smoothies were my breakfast for months. They were easy, Instagram-worthy, and made me feel like I had my life together.

My go-to? Frozen banana, almond milk, kale, spinach, chia seeds, peanut butter, flaxseeds, protein powder. Basically, a blended garden with a scoop of dessert.

And that was the problem. Too much fiber, too many raw greens, too fast.

I’d feel bloated, chilled (even in summer), and weirdly unsatisfied. Like I wanted to chew something but had already filled my stomach with a cold sludge of nutrition.

Turns out, layering raw fiber, seeds, and protein powders into a single drink isn’t always digestively friendly—especially if your gut needs warmth and grounding, not a blender’s greatest hits.

Now I simplify: one banana, a handful of frozen berries, unsweetened soy milk, and hemp seeds. If I’m still hungry later, I eat something warm. Like toast or oatmeal. The difference in my digestion is night and day.

6. Vegan cheese

Let’s talk about store-bought vegan cheese.

You’d think that by now, with all our food tech and innovation, we’d have cracked the code. But most of the options are still pretty disappointing—either in flavor, ingredients, or how your stomach reacts afterward.

Many of them are made with coconut oil, starch, and gums. They melt weird, sit heavy, and leave me feeling puffy and tired. Even some of the cashew-based ones don’t sit well with me when I have too much.

As Dr. Angie Sadeghi, a gastroenterologist, has noted: “Many vegan cheeses are ultra-processed and offer little nutritional value—often with added oils and thickeners that can irritate the gut.”

When I want something creamy now, I use avocado slices, a homemade hummus drizzle, or a spread made from soaked sunflower seeds and lemon juice. They’re satisfying without the gut backlash.

And on pizza nights? I either go cheese-free or sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast and call it a day.

7. Store-bought vegan soups

You’d think soup would be the gentlest, most gut-friendly meal. And it can be.

But I made the mistake of relying too heavily on store-bought vegan soups—especially lentil, split pea, or black bean varieties. Some were shelf-stable. Others came in those “fresh” cartons. All of them made me bloated and weirdly thirsty afterward.

Why? For starters, sodium. Some had over 900mg per serving. That’s a lot when you’re trying to stay balanced.

Also, the fiber from canned legumes can be hard on the digestive system if they haven’t been soaked properly or cooked long enough. And a lot of the ready-made soups are low in protein and high in filler.

These days, I batch-make my own. One favorite: red lentils, carrots, cumin, garlic, and a splash of coconut milk. I simmer it until creamy, then freeze half for later. Cheap, easy, and no bloating.

The bottom line

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s right for your body.

It took some trial and error, but once I got curious instead of dogmatic about food, everything changed. I started noticing how I felt after I ate—not just how I thought I should feel.

If you’ve been feeling off, low-energy, or like your stomach is constantly rebelling, it might be worth taking a closer look at your “healthy” habits.

Sometimes the swaps don’t need to be dramatic. Just thoughtful.

And honestly? Feeling lighter, clearer, and more energized is worth it.