Vegan diets have grown in popularity in recent years as people have become more aware of animal exploitation and unequal treatment of animals. A vegan diet is primarily composed of plant-based foods and does not include any animal products such as meat, eggs, or milk.
What are the best vegan food options?
- nuts and nut butters
- fruits and vegetables
- tofu
- soy meat products
- hemp, flax and chia seeds
- almond milk, coconut milk and soy milk
- Breads rice and pasta
Links with weight-loss
As we already know, vegan diets are rich in nutrients which will most definitely benefit our bodies in the long-term. A vegan diet has a limited amount of fatty foods available and therefore it will be much easier to control your daily calorie intake. Vegan diets permit you to eat more fiber-rich foods that will keep you full for longer so you do not have to consume folod in excess throughout the day.
When it comes to sweet cravings…
There are dozens of healthy desserts available for vegans as they do not have as much saturated fat which is commonly present in dairy products. These desserts might not give you the same satisfaction as the real deal, but it will definitely help with your uncontrollable desire for sweets. One of the most misconceptions is that honey is vegan although unfortunately this is not the case as it is produced by the labour of bees.
Best alternative vegan-friendly sweeteners:
- maple syrup
- agave nectar
- healhy fruits such as dates and raisins
- artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, dextrose or maltodextrin for people with diabetes
Personal experience with vegan diet
As someone who consumes meat on a regular basis, I have not pursued the idea of a vegan diet in the long term.
I had been a vegetarian for over a year, and it had provided me with the benefits of being able to lose weight much faster as a result of shifting the emphasis to much healthier foods, particularly whole foods, rather than meat all of the time.
A vegan diet is not strictly necessary for most people trying to lose weight, but it will definitely increase your chances of success in the short term by eliminating high calorie foods and many saturated fats.
Another thing I noticed is that having a high protein intake may be much more difficult because the majority of protein rich diets come from meat sources.
Tofu and various legumes such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils are meat substitutes.
Overall, I would say that a vegan diet is definitely worth trying in the long run, though it may take a much longer time to stick to it.
