How to Follow a Plant-Based Diet and Lose Weight

A plant-based diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. It's also known as a vegan or vegetarian diet, as it doesn't include meat or dairy products. However, a plant-based diet may or may not be vegan or vegetarian, as many include eggs.

Advocates of a plant-based diet claim various health benefits, including lower inflammation, improved blood pressure, weight loss, and improved insulin sensitivity. Many of these claims are supported by evidence-based research.

Pat Macauley, an advocate for ethical and plant-based companies, claims that this diet has changed his lifestyle and improved his health. The green Mediterranean diet is a diet based on plant-based foods.

Health Benefits of Plant-Based Diet

This diet provides all the dietary fiber foods to add to your diet. This diet might also be beneficial for gut health, as it includes probiotic-rich foods.

A diet full of plant-based foods can also decrease the chances of lifestyle diseases. Studies have indicated that a plant-based diet helps in reducing bad LDL cholesterol.

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has concluded that a plant-based diet can reduce risk of coronary heart disease. The study was conducted by the Department of Nutrition and the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Additional research suggests that a diet rich in plant-based foods may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, associated a plant-based diet with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

You can read about the health benefits of a vegan diet.

Whole grains are better than refined carbohydrates when it comes to weight loss. This diet can stabilize insulin levels and aid in weight loss.

Check out the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs.

Which Foods to Include in Plant-Based Diet?

Here's a list of foods that can be consumed in a plant-based diet:

Fruits: Berries, oranges, lemons, pears, peaches, pineapple, bananas, etc.
Low-carb vegetables: Spinach, lettuce, leafy greens, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, bell peppers, etc.
Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.
Whole grains: Brown rice, whole oats, rolled oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley, etc.
Natural fats: Avocados, extra virgin olive oil, unsweetened coconut, etc.
Legumes: Peas, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, etc.
Nuts and nut butter: Almonds, cashews, peanuts, almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter, etc.
Seeds: Watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.
Plant-based milks: Coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.
Spices, herbs, and seasonings: Basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, turmeric, black pepper, salt, etc.
Sauces and flavoring agents: Soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, etc.
Plant-based protein: Tofu, tempeh, soy protein isolate, etc.

Foods to Avoid

Animal-based foods are avoided in this diet. However, non-vegans following this type of diet occasionally include some of the items mentioned below, whenever necessary.

Eggs: Duck eggs. quail eggs, etc.
Chicken: Fresh chicken, processed chicken, chicken organs.
Beef and pork: Fresh and processed. Lard and tallow.
Seafood: Salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, sardines, shrimp, prawns, etc.
Dairy: Milk, whey, cheese, butter, etc.

A Sample Meal Plan for Plant-Based Diet

A simple sevne-day meal plan is given below. All plant-based items can be chosen to prepare the meal. Here's the plan:

Monday

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with almond milk, berries, coconut flakes, and walnuts.
Lunch: Fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and lentil soup.
Dinner: Steamed broccoli and grilled asparagus.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Greek yogurt topped with nuts and berries, Roasted watermelon, and pumpkin seeds.
Lunch: One pot meal with vegetables and lentils.
Dinner: Baked sweet potato and grilled avocadoes.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Peanut butter and whole grain bread.
Lunch: Hummus and grilled tofu.
Dinner: Grilled vegetable salad.

Thursday

Breakfast: Oatmeal with zucchini and spices.
Lunch: Quinoa with chickpeas.
Dinner: Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.

Friday

Breakfast: Coconut milk smoothie with nuts, seeds, and fruits.
Lunch: Grilled mushrooms with bell peppers.
Dinner: Cream of vegetable soup.

Saturday

Breakfast: Trail mix with roasted nuts and seeds.
Lunch: Steamed vegetables with a side of hummus.
Dinner: Green salad with grilled tofu.

Sunday

Breakfast: Plain yogurt parfait with seeds and nuts.
Lunch: Roasted vegetables and chickpeas soup.
Dinner: Mashed potatoes with a side of asparagus.

Occasionally, some protein foods can be replaced with eggs and fish. Recently, plant-based meats have gained popularity.

You can read more about vegan meat and its properties.

Takeaway

A diet rich in plants and whole grains can be beneficial to the body. It has to be kept in mind that this diet might not provide enough protein, so protein foods must be included in larger quantities.

Edited by Bhargav