Vegetarianism has gained popularity in recent tomes. In fact, the studies have been going on since mid 1980’s which suggest that vegetarians and vegans weigh less than meat eaters. There is, however, a razor thin difference between vegetarians, vegans and Ovo lacto vegetarians and has been discussed in detail later. Nonetheless, for vegetarians of any type it doesn’t matter how much diet they consume, they are always less likely to come under the category of obese people and always weigh 10 to 20 lbs less than meat eaters.

So, why are vegetarians slimmer than non vegetarians?

There are many contributing factors to explain this, few of which are listed below:

  • Animal based proteins are high in nutrients and carbohydrates. But excess proteins, fats and calories in them as compared to plant based proteins are worth noticing.
  • Vegetables and fruits are high fiber foods which are more filling and reduce frequent cravings.
  • Non-vegetarians have high BMI because of their high protein intake thus increasing the chances of getting obese later in life.
  • Animal proteins are more calorie dense than plant based proteins. For instance 4 ounce of garbanzo beans has 130 calories and 3 grams of fat, while 4 ounce of fillet has 230 calories and 10 grams of fat.

 

And, why vegans are even thinner?

Vegans weigh even less and people switching over to vegan diet experience much more dramatic weight loss than vegetarians and non vegetarians. This is because:

  • They curb even dairy products like milk, eggs and cheese from their diet.
  • They eat foods rich in nutrients and fibers, and having no calories and fats.

 Is vegetarian diet nutritionally complete?

If it is well planned vegetarian diet- yes it is simply nutritional!  In fact it is scientifically proven that vegetarian diet never leads to deficiency of any macro and micro nutrients and no supplements are required to combat animal proteins.

When people think of vegetarian diet they mistakenly think of a diet that does not include meat or fish. Its time to get some real facts about vegetarian diet:

  •  Ovo-Vegetarian: This diet allows all the vegetables and excludes meat, poultry and dairy products but allow eggs.
  • Lacto Ovo-vegetarian: Includes dairy products and eggs along with vegetables.
  • Vegan diet: Includes fruits and vegetables but excludes all the animal products like dairy, poultry, meat, eggs and fish.
  • Lacto vegetarian: This diet includes fish and dairy products like cheese and milk. These should be taken in the amounts as prescribed by your health professional.

There is a common myth that plants and its products have fewer proteins but contrary to this belief pulses, nuts, seeds and grains have enough protein value required by a normal human body.

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