Vegetarianism and weight loss
Vegetarian diets are predominantly based on minimally processed plant foods such as grains, pulses (beans, peas and lentils) fruits, and vegetables. Plant foods are usually packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and other health-giving nutrients such as antioxidants and phytochemicals. By making plant foods the foundation of your diet, there is a great potential to cut back on kilojoules and lose body fat.
The research
A review of the scientific literature on the impact of vegetarian diets on body weight published in Nutrition, found a vegetarian diet is very effective for weight control. Of the 40 studies analysed, 29 found that vegetarians weighed significantly less than non-vegetarians, while nine reported a non-significantly lower weight among vegetarians. These weight loss benefits were seen across both genders, and in all ages and race groups.
According to the researchers, vegetarian diets are beneficial for weight control because the diet is higher in fibre, lower in kilojoules and cholesterol, and has a healthier ratio of good to bad fats compared to non-vegetarian diets. In regards to kilojoules, they found the energy intake of vegans and vegetarians ranged from 5% to 22% lower than that of non-vegetarians.
Practical tips
The following tips offer a guide on how to follow a vegetarian or partial vegetarian diet by eating more plant based foods:
- Aim to include 2-4 healthy vegetarian dinners each week, which is a sure fire way to reduce your kilojoule intake at night (and may be beneficial for weight control).
- Eat a wide variety of plant foods. The different colours and textures make your diet more interesting, and increases your exposure to different nutrients.
- When it comes to vegetables, aim for 5 (women) to 6 (men) servings a day, focusing more on the fibrous variety (red capsicum, bok choy), and less on starchy varieties (white potato, corn). As a guide to portions, one serving is equivalent to approximately 80 grams, or about half a cup of cooked vegetables.
- Be aware that minimal cooking time (and minimal exposure to water) helps to maximise the nutrient and antioxidant content of vegetables. Some healthy cooking methods include leaving it raw, steaming, sautéing, microwaving, stir-frying, grilling, baking or barbequing.
- Look to include legumes in your diet at least four to five times a week, including lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, baked beans, soybeans and white beans.
- Eat fruit whole (not juiced) to maximise the nutrient and antioxidant content of your diet, aiming for 2-3 servings per day.
- Aim to include 2-4 servings of whole grain foods each day, such as oats, wild rice, barley and cracked wheat. Choose the least processed grain foods, which have the highest content of fibre, protein, B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Frozen vegetables and canned legumes can help save time on food preparation, and retain a very high percentage of their nutrient content.
References available upon request
