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Healthy Weight Loss Fact Sheet
Healthy Weight Loss Fact Sheet
A whole food, plant-based diet is the healthiest way to reach your Getting Started With a Plant-Based Diet
weight loss goals.
The best way to get started with a plant-based diet is to follow
Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes are high in fiber, which it completely for three weeks. That will give you enough time
helps fill you up without adding extra calories, so you don’t have to adjust to new flavors, experience weight loss, and feel more
to worry about portion sizes. Fiber also feeds good gut bacteria, energetic. It will also help you avoid lapses that can lead to weight
which may improve your body’s ability to turn food into energy.1 gain.
A plant-based diet is also rich in complex carbohydrates that If this sounds too challenging, make a plan to slowly work up to
provide the fiber and nutrients necessary to maintain a healthy a 100% plant-based diet by having two or three vegan meals a
body weight. But it’s important to minimize eating simple week, and increase from there. The support of a friend or family
carbohydrates like white bread and sugary desserts, which are low member is also helpful.
in fiber. Let’s get started! First, choose the day to start the diet. Weigh
Research shows that legumes like beans, peas, and lentils promote yourself before you start and keep track of your weight during the
weight loss in those who eat them daily.2 Beans are also a more three weeks. Also, keep a record of what you are eating. Keeping a
satiating, or filling, source of protein than beef and better for food record and a journal of how you feel while you’re on the diet
weight loss.3 will help you monitor your progress. Below is a comprehensive
People who eat more grains, especially whole grains, also tend to guide to get you started. Good luck!
have lower body weights than people who avoid them.4
Plant-Based Diet Guidelines for Weight Loss
Flavonoids, which are nutrients found in fruits and some
vegetables, may also be helpful for weight maintenance. One Overall Principles: Choose foods from minimally processed plant
study found that those who eat more berries, citrus fruits, and sources. Avoid all animal products, limit saturated fat, and keep
peppers have lower body weights than those who eat the least.5 vegetable oils to a bare minimum.
Plant-based foods may also help increase your metabolism.6 Focus on the Power Plate
Low-Carbohydrate Diets The Power Plate—grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit—
provides all the nutrition you need. To meet your nutrient needs,
Low-carbohydrate diets tend to result in reduced fiber intake and make these foods the center of your plate for each meal. It’s
increased intake of animal protein, cholesterol, and saturated fat. important to vary the foods you choose within the food groups
Diets high in animal protein are linked with heart problems, because this helps you to cover all your nutritional bases.
diabetes, and certain forms of cancer.7-10 One benefit commonly
associated with losing weight is an improvement in insulin
sensitivity, which reduces risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
However, research shows that women who lose weight on a high-
protein diet do not gain this benefit.9 Diets that limit protein and
focus mainly on fat, such as the keto diet, also increase the risk of
heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation.11,12
About three-quarters of daily calories should come from
carbohydrates. Studies show that those who eat the most
carbohydrates—especially those found in beans, grains, fruits,
and vegetables—have a lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and
obesity.
H E A LT H Y W E I G H T LO S S W I T H A P L A N T - B A S E D D I E T
Vegetables
A Word About …
Protein: Plant foods have plenty of protein. An average woman
Vegetables, both raw and cooked, should be eaten in abundance.
needs about 46 grams of protein per day, and the average man
Green vegetables like kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, and
about 56. Most vegetables, legumes, and grains contain this
bok choy are especially nutrient dense and provide high amounts
amount or more. Excellent protein sources include beans or
of iron, B vitamins, calcium, and vitamin C. Other vegetables to
lentils, nuts, seeds, and some grains like quinoa.
include are carrots, sweet potatoes, summer and winter squash,
bell peppers, eggplant, onion, cabbage, etc. Calcium: Plant-based sources of calcium are widely available.
Good sources include broccoli, kale, collard greens, mustard
These should be eaten multiple times a day and should generally
greens, beans, figs, fortified orange juice, fortified cereal, and
take up half your plate.
fortified nondairy milks.
Try snacking on fresh vegetables with hummus.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is made by microorganisms but
A Word on Portion Sizes only found in animal products and fortified foods, such as many
breakfast cereals and nondairy milks. To ensure an adequate
Provided that you are eating from the Power Plate, you should be intake on this diet, it’s recommended to take a B12 supplement of
able to eat until you are full without worrying about serving sizes. at least 25-100 micrograms per day.
Pay attention to your own hunger cues to tell you when to stop
Now that you know what foods to eat and what nutrients to look
eating. Our bodies tend to know how much food we need. Rather
out for, it’s time to figure out how to translate that into actual
than focusing on calories or portion sizes, focus on high-quality,
meals. Below is a listing of meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner,
nutrient-dense meals.
desserts, and snacks so you can start stocking up on healthful
options.
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H E A LT H Y W E I G H T LO S S W I T H A P L A N T - B A S E D D I E T
Breakfast
Often breakfast can be similar to the one you are accustomed to with a few simple
modifications.
• Hot cereals: oatmeal, cream of wheat, creamy rice cereal, grits, or Irish oatmeal with
cinnamon, raisins, and/or applesauce (no dairy milk)
• High-fiber cold cereals: wheat or oat bran cereals with nondairy milk and berries,
peaches, or bananas
• Melons, such as cantaloupe and honeydew, or any other fruit
• Whole-grain or sprouted toast topped with peanut butter or hummus
• Oven-roasted potatoes with roasted mushrooms, peppers, and onions
• Tofu scramble with sauteed vegetables and potatoes/toast
• Breakfast burrito with tofu, beans, salsa, etc.
Lunch
Whether you dine in or out at lunchtime, there are lots of healthy and delicious options
to choose from. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Salads
• Garden salad with lemon juice or a balsamic dressing topped with chickpeas
• Legume-based salads: three-bean, chickpea, lentil, or black bean and corn salads
• Grain-based salads: farro, wheat berries, or quinoa with cranberries, tomatoes, fresh
parsley, pecans, and lentils
Soups
• Vegetable-based soups: potato-leek, carrot-ginger, mixed vegetable, or mush-
room-barley
• Legume-based soups: black bean, vegetarian chili, lentil, minestrone, or split pea
Sandwiches/Wraps
• Hummus on bread or a whole-wheat pita with grated carrots, sprouts, and cucum-
bers
• Barbecue tofu sandwich on whole-grain bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado
• Black bean dip, peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla
• Black bean and sweet potato burrito with corn and tomatoes
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H E A LT H Y W E I G H T LO S S W I T H A P L A N T - B A S E D D I E T
Dinner
The evening meal is a good place to try new items. Start with
a bean dish, some rice or another grain, or a potato dish and
add a couple of vegetables.
Main Dishes
• Pasta marinara: Choose whole-wheat pasta and a vegetari-
an marinara sauce. Leave off the meat and cheese and add
cooked lentils or navy beans for texture and protein.
• Beans and rice: Try black beans with salsa, vegetarian Desserts
baked beans, or refried beans mixed into wild or brown • Fresh fruit
rice.
• Date and nut balls
• Soft tacos or fajitas: Prepare this dish with whole-wheat
• Sorbet
flour or corn tortillas, beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado,
and salsa. • Baked apples with
cinnamon
• Chili: Choose vegetarian premade or homemade versions.
• Banana nice cream
• Veggie lasagna: Choose a lasagna made with whole-wheat
noodles and tofu ricotta, layered with grilled veggies. • Poached pears
• Steamed brown rice and stir-fried vegetables: This meal
Snacks
can be seasoned with soy sauce. Use tofu or edamame
instead of chicken. • Fruit, carrots, cucumber slices, or celery sticks
• Veggie burgers: Make your own lentil/bean burgers or try • Vegetarian instant soup cups (split pea, lentil, etc.)
premade frozen burgers. Choose those with ingredients • Toast with peanut butter and jam
you recognize and/or those with the fewest ingredients. • Baked tortilla chips with salsa or bean dip
• Popcorn without butter
References
7. Barbour MF, Ashraf F, Roberts MB, et al. Association of dietary protein,
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ing factor? Appetite. 2011;56:511-515. postmenopausal women. Abstract presented at: American Heart Associa-
tion, annual meeting; November 13-15, 2016; New Orleans, LA.
2. Kim SJ, de Souza RJ, Choo VL, et al. Effects of dietary pulse consumption
on body weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized 8. Virtanen HEK, Voutilainen S, Koskinen TT, Mursu J, Tuomainen TP,
controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103:1213-1223. Virtanen JK. Intake of different dietary proteins and risk of heart failure
in men: The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Circ Heart
3. Kristensen MD, Bendsen NT, Christensen SM, Astrup A, Raben A. Meals
Fail. 2018;11:e004531-e004543.
based on vegetable protein sources (beans and peas) are more satiating
than meals based on animal protein sources (veal and pork) - a random- 9. Smith GI, Yoshino J, Kelly SC, et al. High-protein intake during weight
ized cross-over meal test study. Food Nutr Res. 2016;60:32634-32643. loss therapy eliminates the weight-loss-induced improvement in insulin
action in obese postmenopausal women. Cell Rep. 2016;17:849-861.
4. Papanikolaou Y, Fulgoni VL. Abstract presented at: American Society for
Nutrition Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 10. Malik VS, Li Y, Tobias DK, Pan A, Hu FB. Dietary protein intake and risk of
2016; April 2-6, 2016; San Diego, CA. type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Am J Epidemiol. 2016;183:715-
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5. Bertoia ML, Rimm EB, Mukamal KJ, Hu FB, Willett WC, Cassidy A. Dietary
flavonoid intake and weight maintenance: Three prospective cohorts 11. Zong G, Li Y, Wanders AJ, et al. Intake of individual saturated fatty acids
of 124 086 US men and women followed for up to 24 years. BMJ. and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women: Two prospec-
2016;352:i17-i24. tive longitudinal cohort studies. BMJ. 2016;355:i5796-i5807.
6. Karlic H, Schuster D, Varga F, et al. Vegetarian diet affects genes of oxi- 12 . Estadella D, da Penha Oller do Nascimento CM, Oyama LM, Ribeiro EB,
dative metabolism and collagen synthesis. Ann Nutr Metab. 2008;53:29- Damaso AR, Piano A. Lipotoxicity: Effects of dietary saturated and trans-
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