Eating Plant Based Foods To Lose Weight

Eating Plant Based Foods To Lose Weight

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Eating plant based foods to lose weight can be the healthiest way to a more fit and healthy lifestyle. You have arrived at the right destination. A plant based diet will not only help you lose weight but will also give you a healthier body and a healthier lifestyle.

The most important aspect of eating plant based foods to lose weight is to follow the right plan and remain consistent. This diet will not be boring like all of your old ones – instead, it will be easy to follow, delicious, and even effortless because it does not require you to constantly count your calories.

By eating plant based foods to lose weight, you can easily just keep eating the food you like and slowly watch your body transition from bulky to fit. With such a healthy diet, you do not need to worry about a specific weight goal. Instead, your body will automatically adapt to the healthier foods you are giving it. This will allow your body to reach its optimum weight.

 

What Is a Plant Based Diet?

Since you are probably convinced to hop on to a plant based diet now, it is important for you to understand the basics first. Different people may have different opinions about a plant based diet, and that is okay. You only need to focus on what suits your body best.

A majority of people think that plant based foods mean vegan diet. This means that you should avoid only vegetarian foods and remove all animal meat and dairy from your diet.

Another group of people believe that a plant based diet is to avoid processed foods and limit your intake of meat and dairy. Some people even consider a plant based diet to be the same as a vegetarian diet.

In simple words, all of these people are correct. A plant based diet does not have strict rules about what to eat and what to avoid. Instead, there is much flexibility available to customize your own diet.

It is fairly simple to confuse vegetarian, vegan, and plant based diets because they all sound similar. However, the biggest difference between other diets and a plant based diet is the customization and freedom.

A plant based diet will always encourage eating plant based foods to lose weight, and also animal and dairy products occasionally. This diet allows you to substitute animal products with plant based foods that are both delicious and healthy for your body.

Due to the recent popularity of eating plant based foods to lose weight, many grocery stores have reported a 31% increase in sales of plant based foods. This means that the plant based diet is becoming increasingly popular with each passing day!

 

Why Plant-Based?

Before you commit to eating plant based foods to lose weight, you may want to know why. Research suggests that confining yourself to a plant based diet can have many benefits for our health.

 

Improved Heart Health

According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, people who eat plant based foods have a lesser chance of suffering from heart attack, cardiovascular disease, or stroke. However, it is not plainly important to eat plant based foods. What you eat matters too.

People who consumed more fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts had a significantly lower chance of cardiovascular disease compared to people who drank sugary beverages. Both of these people ate plant based diets, but their choices differed.

To have a healthy heart, you need to feed it plant based foods. In case you suffer from any heart diseases, switching to a plant based diet may be even more beneficial to treat your health condition and allow you to lose weight.

 

Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes means that your body is not responding well to your sugar or glucose intake. To make things better for your body, you can easily switch to eating plant based foods to lose weight.

Research had shown that having a plant based diet can allow you to stay away from developing type 2 diabetes in your life. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis of nine studies and concluded that people who ate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, and nuts were at a lower risk of having type 2 diabetes.

If such a simple change of diet could help you avoid lifelong diseases, this plant based diet is surely worth trying.

 

Helps You Lose Weight

Coming to the point of this entire article, eating plant based foods to lose weight can be remarkably simple. Much scientific research has concluded that vegan or vegetarian diets had a connection with lower body mass index and thinner waists.

This claim has been backed by a 2019 research that discovered that a strict plant based diet increases the good bacteria in your gut. As a result, you lose weight and develop a healthier body composition.

However, if you are somebody who enjoys eating animal products once in a while, then fear not. A 2019 report concluded that people who ate a plant based diet (including fruits, vegetables, and some meat) had a lower BMI compared to an average person.

This means that by following a plant based diet, you can shed some pounds without having to give up on meat and dairy entirely.

 

12 Eating Plant Based Foods To Lose Weight

You may be confused about what foods to eat on your plant based diet in order to optimize it for yourself.

The truth is that you will have to experiment with different meals before you can find the perfect meal-plan for yourself. However, there are some foods that you should definitely add to your diet when starting your plant based diet.

If your diet currently revolves around meat, you will have to make some serious compromises. Instead of animal products, all of your meals should now include plant based foods. You are allowed to have some meat and dairy products occasionally but remember to control your portions accordingly.

Whenever you include eggs, meat, seafood, or dairy in your meal, make sure you use it as a side dish. The primary focus of your meal should remain on plant based foods.

But plant based foods do not have to be boring. To make your plant based diet more interesting, you can include the following items in your meals:

 

Fruits

Fruits are an easy way to add color and taste to any plant based meal of yours. Remember to shop for seasonal berries, citrus fruits, and pineapples that can be added as a complement to many meals. For a sweet ending to your meals, you can include fruit smoothies such as banana or fresh berry.

 

Vegetables

The plant based foods in your diet should definitely include some vegetables. Our favorites include spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, carrots, and peppers to spice up our meals.

 

Starchy Vegetables

If you are ever craving fast food, remember that you are allowed to eat some starchy vegetables that could fulfill the craving. Have some baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash.

 

Whole Grains

Your plant based foods list cannot be complete without whole grains. You need to give your body energy for it to work properly. Substitute your normal grains with whole grains such as brown rice instead of white, brown rice pasta, rolled oats, quinoa, and barley. Not only do these items provide good nutrition, but they are also extremely delicious and versatile.

 

Healthy Fats

You have to cook your food in something, right? Well, it is time to switch out your butter for some olive oil or coconut oil as healthy substitutes. You can also add avocados and unsweetened coconut for your diet to have some healthy fat and extra bit of nutrition on your plate. Plant based foods are full of healthy fats.

 

Legumes

Since you are cutting out meat and poultry, you need to have suitable replacements for those items. For that, we have peas, chickpeas, peanuts, black beans, and a wide variety of lentils to keep you full. There are many different ways to cook these legumes and make them look more interesting and appetizing.

 

Seeds and Nuts

These are an important component of any plant based diet. Remember to include almonds, cashews, tahini, and macadamia nuts on your shopping list this month. You can also grab some sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds that have an enormous range of health benefits.

 

Unsweetened Milks

When we talk about plant based foods we cannot ignore plant based drinks. Since we asked you to cut down your dairy intake, you can still have plant based milks that are healthier for your body and can stimulate weight loss. This includes coconut milk, cashew milk, almond milk, etc.

 

Spices and Seasonings

Plant based foods and plant based diet don’t definitely mean boring food. Just because you don’t have meat on your plate does not mean that you have to compromise on flavor. Instead, let us introduce you to the aromatic world of basil, rosemary, turmeric, paprika, and curry powders. Not only will they make your food more tasteful, but also help you enjoy the cooking and tasting process.

 

Condiments

This is similar to the last item on our list. When purchasing your fair share of fruits and vegetables for your plant based foods and diet, remember to pick up some salsa, mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast that makes your meals far more fun.

 

Protein

If you really miss your meat, you can allow yourself to have plant based proteins with no artificial additives. We suggest trying tofu and tempeh.

 

Beverages

Since you need to limit your intake of sodas and sugary beverages, you can easily switch to different ranges of teas, coffees, or sparkling water.

If it is difficult for you to instantly give up on meat, no need to worry. You can add animal products to compliment your plant based foods, too. Be careful about your choices, though. Remember to purchase high quality, organic items or purchase directly from local farms.

 

What Should I Avoid?

The entire point of eating plant based foods is to focus on eating foods that are natural and healthy for your body. By doing so, your body becomes healthier and allows you to lose all the fats you had been carrying.

The basics of the plant based diet include avoiding any processed foods. Whenever you purchase grocery items, keep your focus on the fresh foods aisle and try not to purchase many packaged ingredients that have preservatives.

Apart from this rule, you should avoid the following foods:

Fast Food

Regardless of how much you like that cheeseburger, it is not good for your health and is definitely not helping you lose weight. Oh, and it’s time to say goodbye to the French fries too.

 

Added Sugar

Exclude all types of pastries, candies, and sugary cereals from your diet. Avoid consuming artificial juices as well since they contain a huge amount of added sugars.

 

Refined Grains

While you may like white rice and white bread better than their brown alternatives, refined grains are not good for your health.

 

Packaged Food

We know frozen dinners are very convenient, but they are the reason why you have gained weight. It is time to say goodbye to all chips and crackers as well.

 

Processed Animal Products

Instead of having sausages or beef jerky, it is better to have organic meat directly. Processed meats are far worse for your health than regular meat.

 

The Final Word

Eating plant based foods to lose weight is not only a change in eating habits but a bigger change in lifestyle. Not only does this allow you to lose weight, but it also encourages better health and allows you to avoid the risk of diseases.

The plant based diet is quite simple. It asks you to celebrate and enjoy plant foods in different ways, and to avoid unhealthy foods such as artificial sugars or processed items.

A majority of people who switch to a plant based diet state that they feel much healthier and stronger in their own bodies. This is because a plant based diet provides all the essential nutrition needed for our body to function optimally and also allows us to remain active and strong.

Apart from all these personal benefits, switching to a plant based diet is also beneficial for the planet.

Plant based foods are very healthy. Most of all, losing weight becomes much easier when you are aiming to transform your lifestyle permanently with a plant based diet. After all, losing weight is not the ultimate goal – maintaining your reduced weight and healthy body is.

 

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