Vegetarian Diet Review
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By CANDICE GREY ConsumersCompare.org Update: Jul 11, 2024 |
Whichever way participants on the Vegetarian Diet decide to go, the common theme is no meat whatsoever. As far as replacing those meat calories, there are several sources that can be used to help guide you, but it is essential to have at least some of those calories made up with other foods.
Studies show that vegetarians are at a higher risk of protein, calcium, iron, iodine and vitamin B12 deficiencies. [1] [2] [3]
Healthy Foods To Include In A Vegetarian Diet
Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, melons, pears, peaches
Vegetables: Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots
Grains: Quinoa, barley, buckwheat, rice, oats
Legumes: Lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts
Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia and hemp seeds
Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocados
Proteins: Tempeh, tofu, seitan, natto, nutritional yeast, spirulina, eggs, dairy products
Most vegetarian diets mean that you should avoid meat, poultry and fish. Some vegetarians also restrict eggs, dairy and other animal products.
Do Dieters Lose Weight on the Vegetarian Diet?
Whenever you cut meat totally out of the equation and eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in its place, you are bound to lose at least some weight. However, most of the research available for the Vegetarian Diet shows that dieters tend to have more weight loss success in the short term and less in the long term as it is quite simply a hard diet to follow at all times.
There is also concern as to how healthy, or unhealthy, any weight loss that comes as a result of the Vegetarian Diet can be. A nutritional deficiency in key micro-nutrients can lead to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, anemia, bone loss and thyroid issues. Without the essential vitamins and minerals that many meats provide, weight loss that does come may come with a health risk attached. [4][5]
back to menu ↑Is the Vegetarian Diet Easy to Follow?
The human body was designed by nature to be omnivorous. In other words, it was designed to eat both vegetables and meat. So, by cutting meat out of the equation you are depriving your body of something it was designed to live off of. This leads to cravings and that leads to cheating.
Additionally, the Vegetarian Diet requires a great deal of planning on your part. This is not only planning your daily meals, but also means having to plan what you can and can’t have while out at a restaurant. This can be a tedious task and tends to turn many people off of the diet.
back to menu ↑Conclusion
Even though you get to cut meats out totally, all the good stuff that has to be purchased in order to replace the meat is not going to be cheap. Additionally the Vegetarian Diet is not a diet to be on if you like to be active. Because you will be depriving yourself of energy rich calories, any level of moderate to heavy activity will not be able to be safely tolerated by your body. So, weight loss might come to some degree, but getting toned and tight won’t be so easy to achieve.
