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Become a healthy vegetarian

Many people believe that becoming vegetarian automatically means that they'll lose weight and be healthier. Not necessarily, says Dr Lynn Grieger

Calorie control and lower-fat food choices are important no matter how you eat. In fact, many vegetarians have a high fat intake – eggs, cream, butter, whole-milk products and cheese contain many unnecessary calories. Some vegetarian protein sources, such as nuts and seeds, are also high in fat.

Despite all the hidden fat in a vegetarian diet, you can still reap the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle while trying to lose weight. Follow these simple ideas to follow a vegetarian diet and lose weight:

• If you drink dairy products, choose skimmed milk. If you use soya milk, look for a reduced-fat, fortified varieties to get protein and essential vitamins and minerals without unnecessary fat and calories.
• Use cheese sparingly – cheese from both cow’s milk and soya or rice milk can be high in fat. Use less cheese and choose low-fat versions (no more than 20g fat per 100g) whenever possible.
• Make legumes, tofu and tempeh (an Indonesian product made from fermented soya beans) your primary protein choices. All are fairly low in fat and legumes also add fibre to your diet. Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of protein, but be wary of large portion sizes. If you’re eating more than a handful a day it’s too much.
• Choose fresh fruit or raw vegetables for snacks if you’re really hungry.
• Limit snacks high in fat or sugar.
• Try flavouring foods with salsa, lemon juice or flavoured vinegars instead of mayonnaise, butter, margarine or sour cream.
• As with any diet, avoid fried foods and opt for baked, grilled or steamed instead.
• Try to eat only when you’re hungry. Nibbling even on low-calorie foods when you're not really hungry only causes additional weight gain.
• Get creative with low-fat vegetarian recipes. Try these for size: Veggie main courses, stir fries and spice recipes.

Following a vegetarian eating pattern can help prevent some types of cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease. Just make sure that your vegetarian food choices aren’t overloaded on fat and sugar to really maximise your health (and minimise your waist).

Tell us your vegetarian eating ideas on the Eating for Health message board.

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