Vegetarian Diet for Losing Belly Fat
How Caan I Lose Belly Fat as a Vegetarian?
About 5 million Americans or above 2 percent of the population are following a type of vegetarian diet. People’s reasons for becoming vegetarian vary from concern for animal welfare to environmental reasons and love for temporary meat-free meals. Besides, following a balanced Vegetarian diet for losing belly fat remains one of the healthiest decisions to make. You can boost your weight loss by going for vegetarian foods that are rich in vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes as they contain the essential nutrients you need.
In this article, we’ll explore vegetarian foods for losing weight and cutting belly fat.
What is a Vegetarian Diet?
It’s a diet that doesn’t include meat, fish, seafood, poultry, and limits some meat by-products like fats, for example, lard, tallow, broths, or meat stocks. While vegetarianism has several subsets, it generally includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, as well as dairy and eggs.
The Four Major Types of Vegetarian Diets Include:
• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian:
Eats dairy and eggs but no meat, poultry fish, and seafood
• Lacto-vegetarian:
Eats dairy but not eggs, fish, seafood, meat, and poultry
• Ovo-vegetarian:
Eats eggs but not dairy, fish, meat, and poultry
• Vegan:
Excludes every animal product such as dairy, honey, and eggs
Another plant-based diet pattern is the Flexitarian, who eats certain animal foods more or less like a vegetarian. Then, there’s the pescatarian that eats fish but excludes meat diets.
The focus of any vegetarian diet for fat loss is typically on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds legumes, and nuts. These are foods that are rich in micronutrients, fiber, beneficial plant compounds, and much lower in calories, fat, and protein, unlike animal foods.
Vegetarian Diet for Losing Weight and Cutting Belly Fat
There are varieties of vegetarian foods to boost your weight loss and burn those belly fats. Make sure to go for a vegetarian diet that’s made of whole plant foods and not highly-processed options. Protein-rich vegetarian foods should be your go-to choice if you want your weight loss plan to be a success. Besides, protein also prevents muscle loss and hence weight loss. If you’re transitioning to a vegetarian diet, it’s good to know the right type of balanced vegetarian foods to include in your diet, based on your specific regimen.
As non-meat-fish-chicken eaters, vegetarians can also get vegetarian protein-rich foods to help them burn fat and lose weight from the following researched list:
Lentils (Dal)
Dal is rich in protein and consuming a cupful of the cooked lentils, serves you 18 grams of protein. Apart from eating lentils as dal curries, you can toss them in salads and soups. In lentils are found slowly digested carbs. They a great source of fiber and that’s vital in helping you lose weight. In addition, lentils have folate, iron, and manganese, which are fundamental for body health.
Chickpeas (Chana)
Chickpeas, also known as Chana, are high in protein and fall under the legume category. A single cup of cooked Chana contains up to 15 grams of protein and besides, consuming them also adds to your body iron, folate, complex carbs, fiber, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, and a variety of other beneficial plant compounds that are healthy for you.
Almonds
When it comes to a vegetarian diet and weight loss, almonds play a significant role as a natural weight-loss food. Almonds work like pills as consuming just a couple of them daily is enough to help you cut down on your weight and burn those belly fats. In a study that appeared in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, almonds can be great for weight loss if you resort to eating them a few minutes to entering the gym. They are full of amino acid L-arginine, which are great for fat and carb burns during your workouts.
Spinach
Green vegetables like spinach are a great source of protein to help you curb weight. Did you know that the amount of protein in spinach is the same as that in a hard-boiled egg and contains only half of the calories? To maximize the nutritive value of spinach, steam it before enjoying. Steamed spinach is more nutritious than when eaten raw. When steamed, spinach retains vitamins, improves calcium absorption, and eliminates bloating.
Amaranth & Quinoa
Described as gluten-free grains for their ability to keep you full for a long time, these vegetarian grains have loads of proteins. Amaranth and quinoa help to prevent you from cravings and overeating, therefore enhancing your weight loss plan.
Paneer or Cottage Cheese
As a vegetarian on a weight loss journey, foods that are super low in calories are excellent for you, and cottage cheese or paneer is precisely that, plus its high protein content. Besides, Paneer is a great way to get lots of calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, riboflavin, and many other healthy weight-losing nutrients.
Broccoli
You also need vitamin C, protein, and fiber for losing belly fat, and broccoli provides an abundance of it. You only need to steam, boil or bake this super-healthy vegetable, and it’ll become the amazing veggie that it is for your weight loss success.
Eggs: For Ovo-vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians, eating whole eggs is a great vegetarian diet for losing belly fat and weight. Eggs are high in nutrients, and eating them makes you feel full, which reduces cravings and delays hunger. If you can avoid overeating food, you won’t be gaining weight unplanned. Apart from being affordable and protein-rich, among other benefits, eggs make a great mix with other vegetarian foods.
Here is a List of Other Vegetarian Foods That May Help You Lose Weight:
• Non-starchy vegetables: bell pepper, cauliflower, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, celery, eggplant, and cucumber
• Starchy vegetables: corn, potatoes, winter squash, and peas
• Fruits: apples, berries, oranges, citrus, bananas, grapes, mango, and kiwi
• Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, farro, barley, bulgur wheat, and millet
• Beans and legumes: kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, cashews, pistachios, chia seeds, nut butters, and sunflower seeds
• Lean proteins: legumes, nuts, beans, seeds, nut butters, Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, and soy products such as tofu, edamame, and tempeh
• Healthy fats: olive oil, avocado, coconut, seeds, nuts, cheese, and nut butters
• Water & other beverages: fruit-infused water, naturally flavored seltzer, and plain tea or coffee
Make sure when it comes to a vegetarian diet and weight loss, you’ll include these nutritious foods as they are a healthy way to work on your weight and belly fat. However, you may encounter avoidable challenges in losing belly fat on a vegetarian diet if you’re eating a lot of highly processed foods or refined carbs. Besides, incorporate workouts and a fit lifestyle as you follow this diet. You can achieve a sustainable weight-loss success if you don’t combine these two factors ideally.
5-day Sample Meal Plan for a Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian for Weight Loss
Day 1
• Breakfast: Fruit, oatmeal, and flaxseeds
• Lunch: Grilled veggie, hummus, and sweet potato fries
• Dinner: Tofu banh-mi sandwich alongside pickled slaw
Day 2
• Breakfast: Mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes in scrambled eggs
• Lunch: Veggies stuffed in zucchini boats & feta with tomato soup
• Dinner: Chickpea curry plus basmati rice
Day 3
• Breakfast: Chia seeds, Greek yogurt, and berries
• Lunch: Farro salad plus tomatoes, feta, and cucumber plus spiced lentil soup
• Dinner: A side salad plus eggplant parmesan
Day 4
• Breakfast: Tofu scramble, sauteed peppers, spinach and onions
• Lunch: Brown rice, burrito bowl, beans, avocado, veggies, and salsa
• Dinner: A side salad with vegetable paella
Day 5
• Breakfast: Kale Smoothie, nut butter, berries, almond milk, and bananas
• Lunch: Red lentil, veggie burger, and avocado salad
• Dinner: Flatbread, grilled garden veggies and pesto
Getting Started With a Vegetarian Diet
Whether you’re a vegetarian or you’re looking to try a meatless life, switching to a vegetarian diet for losing belly fat doesn’t need to happen overnight. There is no specific number of times you must eat meatless meals or meals without animal by-products per weak in order to lose weight or benefit from a vegetarian diet. The bottom line is to choose plant-based foods more often, and the health impact will be evident in a wide variety of ways.
You might have heard of Meatless Mondays. It’s a movement that with a large following that has introduced a wider audience to this idea. The concept is, to begin with, a vegetarian meal once every week, once every day, and then progress according to how you find it comfortable for you.
You can start by switching from your favorite meal-stuff meals to meat-free ones, like veggie with bean chili, fajitas, and mushrooms rather than pasta sauce or beef with lentils and not ground meat. Look for vegetarian blogs and cookbooks to explore. Just be patient, and eventually, you’ll experience a change in your taste buds.
Foods you should avoid on your vegetarian diet and weight loss journey
There is no doubt that most plant diets are naturally healthy. However, the same doesn’t apply to highly-processed vegetarian foods. Here are the foods you must limit or avoid if you want your vegetarian diet to be healthy and effective:
Highly-processed foods: Such foods include meat replacements, veggie burgers, frozen desserts, imitation dairy products, and freezer meals
Refined carbs: White pasta, white bread, crackers, and bagels
Sugary foods & beverages: Pastries, cookies, candy, fruit juices, table sugar, sodas, sweet tea, and energy drinks
Besides, stay away from any extra-large portions of food and mostly those high in calories and sugar.
The Bottom Line
The vegetarian diet you’re following may help you lose belly fat and weight, but only if most of the snacks and meals you consume come from whole foods. Also, to lose weight, you have to focus more on nutritious plant foods with enough protein while reducing refined carbs, calorie-rich, and highly-processed foods.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegetarian-weight-loss#meal-pla
https://sharonpalmer.com/7-vegan-and-vegetarian-weight-loss-tips/
