What is a vegetarian diet?
Vegetarian diets eliminate meat, poultry and fish. Unusually people may follow this diet for religious reasons, while others are drawn to its potential health advantages.
The main types of vegetarian diets are:
- Lacto-ovo-vegetarian: Have eggs and dairy but eliminates meat, fish, and poultry.
- Lacto-vegetarian: Have dairy but eliminates eggs, meat, fish, and poultry
- Ovo-vegetarian: Have eggs but eliminates dairy, meat, fish, and poultry
- Vegan: eliminates all animal products, including honey, dairy, and eggs.
Veg diets typically concentrate on whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables and seeds. These foods are loaded with fibre, micronutrients, and useful plant compounds, and manage to be less in calories, fat, and protein as compared to animal foods.
Since this diet features nutrient-rich foods, it’s linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The advantages of vegetarianism mostly depend on the types of meals you eat and your complete dietary habits.
Overeating or choosing too several highly processed foods will give fewer perks than a diet based on unrefined, whole plant foods — and may have many downsides.
Veg diet for weight loss
To support weight loss, try a vegetarian diet that’s loaded with whole, less processed plant foods. Depending on your particular regimen, you may also include dairy or eggs.
The veg ingredient that may aid weight loss include:
- Non-starchy vegetables: Mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant, carrots, broccoli, celery, cucumber, bell pepper, cauliflower and zucchini.
- Starchy vegetables: potatoes, winter squash, corn, and peas.
- Fruits: oranges, apples, bananas, citrus, kiwi, mango, berries and grapes.
- Whole grains: farro, millet, barley, quinoa, bulgur wheat and brown rice.
- Beans and legumes: black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans and lentils.
- Nuts and seeds: Cashews, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and nut butter.
- Lean proteins: beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, nut butter, Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, and soy products like tempeh, edamame and tofu.
- Healthy fats: avocado, olive oil, nut butter, and cheese.
- Water and other healthy beverages: naturally flavoured seltzer, fruit-infused water, and plain coffee or tea.
Meals to skip on a veg diet for weight loss
While most plant-based foods are generally healthy, highly processed vegetarian foods are less healthy than natural food.
You should restrict or skip the following foods if you’re following a veg diet for weight loss:
- Highly processed vegetarian foods: meat replacements, freezer meals, imitation dairy products, frozen desserts and veggie burgers.
- Refined carbs: white pasta, bagels, white bread, and crackers.
- Sugary foods and beverages: sodas, fruit juices, energy drinks, candy, cookies, sweet tea, pastries, and table sugar.
Also, try to skip extra-large parts of any food — particularly those high in sugar and calories.
Tips to lose weight on a veg diet
Various plans can help improve weight loss on a veg diet, including:
- Add half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables: Picking high-fibre veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, leafy greens, and mushrooms, can help you stay full and decrease calorie intake.
- Add rating protein at each meal and snack: High-protein vegetarian foods include seeds, lentils, eggs, beans, nuts, dairy products, and soy foods (such as tempeh, tofu, and edamame).
- Add complex carbs: These fullness-boosting foods add whole grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
- Monitor your portions of high-calorie foods: Seeds, Pair nuts, and good fats with less-calorie foods so that you don’t stuff your stomach.
- Consume whole foods: Unprocessed foods, like fruits and vegetables, do not have any additional ingredients.
- Limit highly processed foods: Skip meat options, frozen meals, and other ultra-processed foods, as they likely host unhealthy additives, excess salt, and extra sugar.
A well-balanced veg diet that features whole plant foods and avoids refined carbs and highly processed food may benefit you to lose weight and other important factors to weight loss, like proper sleep, hydration, and physical activities.
If you want to know about your weight falls under the overweight category or not, then you must read 7 Biggest Nutrition Myths.
