Weight Loss & Diet Tips for Vegetarians

A Vegetarian Diet is not necessarily healthy or less-fattening

It's true that no one NEEDS to eat meat. But a no-meat diet isn't necessarily healthy or good for weight loss.

So, for best results, please follow these tips:

1. Avoid junk food

2. Don't fry with fat

If you must fry with fat, use a fat-spray.
Otherwise, fry with soy sauce, lemon juice, water, fruit juice, chili sauce.

3. Make sure your daily diet includes a wide variety of foods
Why? Because no single plant food is as nutritious as meat. So if you don't eat meat, you must find a variety of plant alternatives to provide the same healthy level of nutrition.

Nutrients you may be lacking
Nutrients normally found in animal products that are not always found in a vegetarian diet include: iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc and protein.

Here are some vegetarian foods that contain these nutrients:

Iron

Cashews, tomato juice, rice, tofu, lentils, and garbanzo beans (chick peas).

Calcium

Dairy products, fortified soymilk, fortified orange juice, tofu, kale, and broccoli.

Vitamin D

Fortified milk and soymilk, and fortified cereals (or a small amount of sunlight).

Vitamin B12

Eggs, dairy products, and fortified soymilk, cereals, tempeh, and miso. Tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans.

They are low in calories and fat and high in protein.

Zinc

Whole grains (especially the germ and bran of the grain), eggs, dairy products, nuts, tofu, leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cabbage), and root vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, radishes).

Protein

Vegetarians must eat a variety of plant foods over the course of a day to get enough protein. Plant foods that have the most protein are lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, miso, and peas.

4. Get to know your local health-food store

If you are not familiar with some of the above foods, get advice! For example, visit your local health-food store and ask them for advice on cooking and storage. Most stores are extremely helpful and offer all sorts of help.

5. Teach yourself about nutrition

Vegetarian eating is becoming much more common. Libraries and bookshops are full of leaflets and books about healthy eating for non-meat eaters. Take advantage!

6. Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

A balanced vegetarian diet contains all the nutrition you need. However, if (for any reason) your diet is not balanced, or if you feel tired or under the weather, I suggest you ask your doctor whether supplements are appropriate for you. But don't use them as an excuse to be lazy about your eating!