Mar 04 2010
Vegetables & Negative Calories: A Dietary Winner
Vegetarian meal plans can definitely help a diet as these dishes are inherently often going to be lower in calories than meals that have meat, and also much lower in fat. In fact, many vegetables have been labeled as \”negative calorie\” because of the benefit they have shown in helping dieters to drop unwanted pounds.
Vegans are the most devout eating no meat or animal by-products (including gelatin). Below them are lacto vegetarians who omit meat but still drink milk and eat dairy. Dairy and egg products are acceptable to lacto-ova vegetarians but meat, fish or poultry are still omitted. Eat no meat products, dairy products or eggs. Lacto-vegetarians omit meat, fish and poultry and eggs from their diet but will still consume dairy products. Semi-vegetarians will occasionally indulge in meat, eggs, or milk.
To ensure proper nutrition dietitians have created the vegetarian food pyramid, suggesting which foods in which quantities provide the best possible diet for most vegetarians. People with questions or concerns are encouraged to speak to their doctor or dietitian.
One of the major parts of having a healthy vegetarian diet is that you will have to learn about substitutes. The body still needs fat, protein, and other minerals that are not commonly found in vegetables. Foods like soy milk, rice milk, tofu, or egg substitute are all examples of vegetarian options to replace more common dietary supplements.
Perhaps the biggest nutritional problem with a vegetarian weight loss diet is that critical B vitamins, especially B-12, is pretty much found only in meat or animal based products. A good B vitamin is a great idea, and as far as food goes, make sure to eat extra beans, nuts, and dark leafy vegetables in order to get more of the hard to get nutrients to remain balanced and healthy.
Whether vegetarian for life or just to aid in weight loss begin the switch with meatless meals you know, such as spaghetti. Stir fry can be made meatless by swapping out beef or chicken with tofu. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will keep your palate happy and help you stick to your diet plan for the long term. The body will need time to adjust to a vegetarian lifestyle so wait to increase your exercise level until after your body has had time to adjust to eating vegetarian to lose weight.
If you would like to learn more about negative calorie food, please feel free to check out this blog all about the many negative calorie fruits and veggies out there.




