Turning vegetarian for weight loss will definitely give you results and the most important reason for this is that vegetarian food is rich in Fiber. High fiber food keeps you full and helps in clearing out toxins from the body, whereas animal proteins has no fiber and eating only non vegetarian food will not help in weight loss. Turning vegan for weight loss is a lifestyle change and one should be careful about choosing correct food options. It is important to understand what food provides the essential nutrients like calcium, iron, protein, Vit D etc and eat according to that.
Keep following points in mind while turning vegan:
- Opt for whole wheat cereals like oats , barley, brown rice , jawar etc and avoid white bread, white rice , pasta etc.
- Cut back on sugar intake and sugar products like sweets, chocolates, mithas etc.
- Avoid fruits juices instead have whole foods.
- Eat a lot of green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, collard, broccoli, turnip etc.
- Includes nuts and seeds like almonds, walnut , flaxseeds , sunflower seeds etc
- Include good quality proteins like soy, tofu and pulses.
What are the Health risks that one should keep in mind?
- One should select carbohydrates carefully as eating high carbs foods like potatoes, rice, white bread , pasta etc can lead to weight gain.
- One should Eat balanced vegan meals else it can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
- Vegan diet lacks in Vitamin B 12 so try to have fortified foods like fortified soy milk, breakfast cereals etc to make up.
