Weight Loss – Myth Part 6

15) Going vegetarian means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier

Fact:

Vegetarian diets can be healthy because they are often low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber. Choosing a vegetarian diet with a low fat content can be helpful for weight loss. But vegetarian like non-vegetarian can also make poor food choices, like eating large amount junk (nutritionally empty) foods. Candy, chips and other high-fat vegetarian foods should be eaten in small amounts.

Vegetarian diets need to be as carefully planned as non-vegetarian diets to make sure they are nutritious. Vegetarian diets can provide the recommended daily amount of all the key nutrients if you choose food carefully.

Plants especially fruits and vegetables are main sources of nutrients in vegetarian diets. Some type of vegetarian diets (like those that include eggs and dairy foods) contain animal sources, while another type (the vegan diet) has no animal foods. Nutrient normally found in animal products that are not always found in a vegetarian diet are iron, calcium, vitamin B, Vitamin B12 and zinc.

Here are some foods that have these nutrients:

Iron: cashews, tomato juice, rice, tofu and garbanzo bean (chick peas)

Calcium: dairy products, fortified soymilk, fortified orange juice, tofu, kale and broccoli

Vitamin D: fortified milk & soy milk, and fortified cereals (or a small amount of sunlight)

Vitamin B12: eggs, dairy products, and fortified soy milk, cereals, tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans. They are low in calories and fat and high in protein)

Zinc: whole grain (especially the germ and bran of the grain), eggs, dairy products, nuts, tofu, leafs vegetable (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) and root vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery and radishes)

Vegetarian must eat a variety of plant foods over the cause of the day to get enough protein. Those plant foods that have the most protein are lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, miso & peas.

To be continued……………