While vegetarians tend to be slimmer than meat eaters, you may still struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Following a reduced-calorie diet and closely monitoring your intake can help you reach your weight-loss goals. If you are overweight or obese, losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your current weight can improve your health and lifespan.
Diet Guidelines
As a vegetarian, it is important you eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods to make sure you meet all of your nutrient needs. When reducing your calorie intake, it becomes even more important. Your daily calorie needs to lose weight are based on your age, sex, height weight and activity level. Consult with your doctor to determine how many calories you should eat each day to lose weight. Most women can lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week eating 1,500 calories a day, and most men can lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week eating 1,900 calories a day. A balanced diet should include six to seven servings of protein-rich foods, two to three servings of vegetables, two to three servings of fruits, six to eight servings of grains and five servings of fat each day, with men eating the larger portions. Protein foods include tofu, beans, soy milk and nuts.
Breakfast
When following a weight-loss diet, you need to eat regular meals. Eating regularly helps to control hunger to prevent overeating. Your low-calorie vegetarian breakfast meal should include two servings of protein-rich foods, one to two servings of fruit, two servings of grain and two servings of a fat. A sample breakfast meal consists of 3/4 cup of whole-grain, calcium-fortified cereal with 1 cup of soy milk, one slice of whole-wheat toast with 2 tbsp. of peanut butter and 1/2 to 1 cup of 100 percent fruit juice.
Lunch
Your weight-loss lunch should include two servings of protein-rich foods, one serving of vegetables, one serving of fruit, two to three servings of grains and one serving of fat. A sample lunch may consist of two whole-wheat tortillas each filled with 1/4 cup of hummus, served with a 6 oz. container of calcium-fortified soy yogurt, 2 cups of mixed greens with 1 tbsp. of salad dressing and a medium apple. Men can add an additional tortilla to their meal.
Dinner
Your vegetarian dinner should contain two to three servings of protein-rich foods, one to two servings of vegetables, one serving of fruit, 2 to 3 oz. of grains and one serving of fat. A sample meal may include a tofu stir fry made with 1 cup of calcium-fortified tofu stir fried with 1 to 2 cups of mixed vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots and snow peas, low-sodium soy sauce and 1 tsp. of vegetable oil. Serve your stir fry with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of brown rice, and finish your meal with 1 cup of cubed melon. Men can add 1 cup of soy milk.
Member Comments