Low Calorie Vegetarian Diets

Eating vegetarian offers you an ideal opportunity to stick to a low calorie diet while still eating enough to feel full. Even better, vegetarian dishes have the potential to be just as satisfying in flavor and texture while sparing you unwanted fat calories.

Standard Vegetarian

Embark upon a vegetarian diet if you would like to avoid animal products and the unhealthy fat, hormones and number of calories they contain. Enjoy the dairy and egg component of the diet in moderation. Dairy products can carry a high calorie and fat content; choose low-fat versions or eat small amounts.

Turn vegetarian, even if you do so for a short period of time, to help focus your lifestyle toward healthier options. Vegetarian diets introduce more fruits and vegetables into your daily routine.

Once a new way of eating becomes a habit, it is easier to maintain. In the beginning, there will be a period of adjustment while you adapt old recipes and try new flavors. Within three weeks, the changes should begin to feel natural. You may find you prefer healthier food choices over former favorites.

Beware: vegetarians can have a diet just as poor in nutrients as any other if they make poor food choices. Apply yourself to the idea of fulfilling the recommended daily intake of each food group; consume a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains; and utilize cooking methods that require less oil or butter (steaming, stir fry).

Vegan

Go vegan for a more extreme version of vegetarian eating. Get the full value from the diet by first educating yourself on the moral reasons to forgo animal products. Even if you do not agree completely with the idea, some of what you learn may make it easier to pass on the next temptation you encounter.

Save yourself from consuming wasted calories by carefully reading labels to check for animal products such as casein, whey, beef fat and gelatin. These ingredients are not considered vegan, which means you avoid eating those abundant candy bars and snack cakes, a number of snack chips and many convenience foods, both fast and frozen.

Replace those empty calories with exotic whole grains such as teff, quinoa, or brown rice. Choose the healthy fats offered by nuts and olive oil. Do not cut out all fat, simply use less and use it wisely. Fat is a necessary component of the diet and bodies need it to rebuild tissue and absorb some vitamins.

Raw Food

Eat a raw vegan diet, excluding all animal products and any foods prepared at a temperature in excess of 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius). Many proponents also exclude any type of processed food or drink, so empty calories, such as soda, are off the menu.

Raw foodists believe that food has more value when consumed as closely as possible to its natural state. They believe raw food retains more of its energy and enzymes. Since foods with added sugar, salt and artificial colorings are not allowed, many of the most fat- and calorie-dense convenience foods will be eliminated from consideration during the time you are on the diet.

Take a multivitamin or look for foods containing supplemental B12 if you choose a vegan diet because these diets contain no source of the vitamin.