Finding a good vegetarian weight loss diet can be challenging for many vegetarians. Many people automatically assume that when you go vegetarian that you will lose weight – however for some the opposite may happen, especially if as a vegetarian you are eating more refined grains and carbs. When you are a vegetarian looking to lose weight, many diets are out of the question because they include meat. Fortunately, the Lose Free Diet can be modified quite easily for vegetarian and meatless meal plans – basically you simply just substitute different protein foods in the place of meat.

Losing weight as a vegetarian is not much different from a regular diet. Basically you will need to do the same things that include balanced healthy meals, reducing sugar, and exercise. Since you will not be eating meat in your vegetarian diet, it is important that for weight loss you make sure that the protein and nutrients found in meat are found in other sources.


Here are some suggestions for things that can substituted in the place of meat:

Eggs: Some vegetarians do not eat eggs while others do, this is up to your own personal preference.
Nuts and nut products: Almonds, Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Walnuts, Pecans, Cashews, and other nut varieties.
Beans: Baked Beans, Black Beans, Navy Beans, Kidney Beans. Many “garden burgers” are made with beans, which can be a delicious way to enjoy them.
Chick Peas: This can be great for making hummus or eaten on their own.
Reduced Fat Dairy: Dairy products such as cheese, milk, yogurt, and others are good sources of protein. It would be okay for the vegetarian to substitute 1 serving of dairy for 1 serving of meat.
Whey Protein Powder shakes & supplements: This is probably one of the easiest ways to get protein, as it is made from milk but is only the concentrated form of the protein. It can be used to make shakes or added into other vegetarian recipes and meals.
Tofu: Tofu can be eaten with just about everything and there are many products available as tofu substitutes.
Soy Milk: Soy milk and other soy products can also be good sources of protein.

To help give you an idea of what you can eat on a vegetarian diet, here is a sample vegetarian weight loss meal plan:

Breakfast:
One Egg OR Whey Protein Shake
Bowl of Whole Grain Cereal
Fresh Fruit


Lunch:
Salad
Gardenburger with cheese on whole wheat bun
Fruit

Dinner:
Tofu Stir Fry with vegetables and tofu
Whole grain “brown” rice

Snacks:
Trail Mix of nuts & dried fruit
Banana with peanut butter
Cheese and Whole Grain crackers
Vegetable Juice (See our juice recipes for weight loss for some tasty ideas.)

Many other diet plans and programs can be just as easily modified for vegetarian weight loss. We just are a little partial to the LoseFree Diet because, well, it’s FREE! And it is also much healthier and safer than most of the fad diets you see. When you combine eating healthy well balanced meals with exercise losing weight as a vegetarian is not nearly as intimidating as it may seem. You just need to be very careful of reducing the amount of refined grains you eat, since refined grains can be a big source for weight gain for many people, and make sure you are getting the right amount of protein for your body based on your age, height, and weight.

Have any additional tips for vegetarian weight loss? Share them in the comments below!