Veganism Found to Be the Best Diet for Weight Loss
It used to be for college students, yoga instructors, and people who named their children after planets, but veganism—foregoing every kind of animal product, from beef and milk to eggs and even honey—is the hottest diet trend around, and for good reason: Brand new research says going vegan the absolute best way to lose weight.
Going vegan has worked for Bill Clinton, Jay-Z and Beyonce, and a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine indicates it will work for you, too. The researchers compared results of a dozen diets—including Atkins, the American Diabetes Association diet, and others—and found that those following a vegan diet could lose 5 pounds more in the short-term than those following traditional diet plans. (Vegetarians, who allow themselves eggs and dairy, still fared well, losing slightly more than 3 pounds.)
But giving up eating animals is tricky, and not just because we crave the occasional bacon cheeseburger. Animals products are our primary source of protein and other important nutrients like vitamin D. And plenty of unhealthy foods—from Oreos to Red Bulls to Airheads—could be considered part of a vegan diet.
To join the cool (and slim) kids, try these tricks to make veganism work for you, courtesy of the new book Zero Belly Diet.
Tips When Going Vegan
Don't Expect Vegan Alternatives To Taste Like Meat
If there's one rule of happy veganism, it's this: Don't pretend you're eating cow. No matter how much you manipulate tofu or wheat gluten, it will never taste like a Big Mac. So think about "replacing" your meat—just embrace its absence, stick with a veggie-based protein and a grain, and know that's powering you towards your weight loss goals. You'll discover new flavors that will slim you down, like these four Zero Belly favorite proteins:
- Tempeh: Made from fermented soybeans, this uses whole soybeans to make it more dense. This density makes it a better protein source with 18 grams compared to the 9 for the same amount of tofu (100 grams). Speaking of tofu, try to avoid it if you're dieting. The block of soybean curd is high in naturally occurring chemicals called phytoestrogens, which have the opposite effect of testosterone, and can influence our hormonal balance and lead to weight gain.
- Seitan: Made from wheat gluten, it does a great job of looking like beef, so you'll find it in a lot of vegan stir fry.
- Teff and Quinoa: Even 7/11 carries quinoa bowls—so there's no reason not to benefit from the 24 grams of protein per cup. And dubbed the next big thing in grains, teff has some calling it "the new quinoa," and Lisa Moskovitz, RD, says that label is well deserved. "It's a more complete amino acid-packed protein than quinoa itself," she says. "That makes it great for anyone who wants to keep calories low and protein high." For other fantastic protein sources, check out 30 Best Sources of Vegetarian Protein.
Watch Your Carb Intake
Despite the health halo around vegan restaurants, the bread there is every bit as bad for you as the loaves at the steakhouse next door. Replacing protein and fat with empty carbs is a lousy trade too many vegans make, so limit yourself to one small piece per meal. Don't fall into a dessert trap, either, thinking vegan sweets are healthier. Some vegan desserts may end up with more of it, to make up for the lack of animal fats, according to research in Eat This, Not That! Watch out for soda, too—many vegan varieties are sweetened with agave, which has 60 calories per tablespoon!
Add Plant-Based Protein Powder to Your Diet
You can't eat or drink whey or egg protein powder on a vegan diet—and that may be why you're losing weight. Researchers discovered that people who ingested higher amounts of plant protein were far less susceptible to metabolic syndrome (a combination of obesity, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar), in a 2015 study in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation. A second study in Nutrition Journal found that "plant protein intakes may play a role in preventing obesity."
As for which brand to buy, we've rounded up a guide to The Best and Worst Protein Powders, but here are two Zero Belly favorites:
Sunwarrior Warrior Blend – With 18 grams of protein and 100 calories per serving, it's organic and derived from peas, cranberry and hemp, with no sugars, gluten or artificial sweeteners.
Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein – Hemp protein offers a substantial amount of fiber (here, 8 grams) that's easy to digest, and this one has 15 grams of protein per scoop.
Blend a Vegan Smoothie for Breakfast
Studies show that high-protein, low-fat smoothies are highly effective at rushing nutrients to your muscles, and that blended fruit drinks, which include all the fiber, will keep you fuller longer than fruit juices. To keep it vegan—and to reduce inflammation caused by milk products—make one with a non-dairy base, like unsweetened almond milk.
Stock Up on Vegan Snacks
Scientists aren't the only ones noticing veganism is good for you; so are food marketers, who are flooding the market this year with new products. Take advantage. Here are three we're excited for:
Tío Foods Gazpacho: Available in only about 20 stores since their launch last fall, these organic, vegan, ready-to-eat (or drink!) soups will be available nationwide by the end of 2015. In addition to a classic tomato recipe, Tío Foods also offers gazpacho verde (with kale, spinach, avocado, and mint) and gazpacho del sol (yellow tomato, yellow pepper, and carrot).
Health Warrior Chia Bars: So-called "super snacks," these chia-based bars are gluten-, dairy- and GMO-free, 100% vegan and boast mouth-watering flavors like coffee, acai and apple cinnamon. Each four-bite bar has only 110 calories and as many as 1,100 mg of omega-3s–that's more ounce-per-ounce than is found in a piece of salmon!
Amy's Roasted Vegetable No-Cheese Pizza: We get why you'd be skeptical of a pizza that's not only frozen but also totally dairy-free. However, this pie is worth the dough. Amy's combines tomatoes, onion, garlic, artichokes, roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar to create a flavor-packed pie that trumps the other vegan-friendly options on supermarket shelves.
