Diets rich in protein can help you drop pounds by boosting metabolism and combating appetite. However, you should only follow a high protein diet, which typically has carbohydrate restriction, for a short time to accelerate weight loss in the early stages, as long-term risks are still being studied, notes MayoClinic.com. If you're looking to go low-carb, but want to stick to your vegetarian ideals, there are a number of low-carb, high-protein vegetarian diets for you.
Eco Atkins
The Atkins diet is a very popular low-carb, high-protein diet. However, many of the foods on the Atkins diet -- such as beef and bacon -- aren't appropriate for vegetarians. The Eco Atkins diet is a vegetarian version of the Atkins Diet that replaces many of the meats from the Atkins plan with protein-rich vegetarian options such a soy-based products. According to research published in the June 2008 "Archives of Internal Medicine" the Eco Atkins diet works just as well as the traditional Atkins diet for losing weight. Additionally, the study researchers found that the Eco Atkins promoted heart health better than the typical Atkins Diet.
Ovo-Lacto
An ovo-lacto vegetarian only consumes eggs and dairy products. Eggs are rich in dietary protein and almost completely free of carbohydrates. Dairy is also rich in high-quality protein and is typically low in carbs. If you want lose weight on an ovo-lacto diet, opt for low-carb dairy products such as Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, as these contain lots of protein without the unwanted carbohydrates.
Soy Zone
The Soy Zone diet is a variation of the Zone Diet, developed by nutrition scientist Barry Sears. The Soy Zone diet sticks to the principles of the original Zone Diet -- limiting carbs and consuming slow-digesting carbohydrates -- but adds in soy protein to replace meat. In addition to soy, other protein-rich foods like dairy and eggs are allowed on the diet. Each day, you consume about 50 g of soy protein along with plenty of fresh vegetables and low-fat dairy. A typical Soy Zone diet contains 1,200 calories and a set number of protein grams you need to consume daily.
Vegan
Many vegan diets tend to be rich in carbohydrates as vegans consume the majority of the foods in their diets in the form of low-protein and high-carb foods like grains, fruits and vegetables. However, replacing low-protein grains with protein-rich foods like lentils, black beans, quinoa, soy and tempeh can boost the protein and slash the carbohydrates from vegan diets.
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