BlubberBusters Tips from Lucy

The Skinny on Going Vegetarian

Will It Help Me Lose Weight???

Many kids and teens stop eating meat and meat products. Some of them do it because they become concerned about animals and animal rights. Other kids and teens decide that eating less meat and more veggies will help them lose weight. Going vegetarian can be healthy. It does NOT guarantee it though!

Sometimes when a person stops eating meat, they do not automatically eat more veggies and fruits. Sometimes people rely on more processed foods like chips, cookies, and pizza to fill them up. Filling up on these foods instead of meats will probably not help a person lose any weight. It may even cause weight gain!

Going vegetarian and staying healthy takes extra planning. If you decide you want to go vegetarian, consider these things before you start:

• Decide what kind of vegetarian you would like to be. Here are the choices: vegan-eat no animal products at all including dairy, eggs, yeast, honey, etc. lacto-vegetarian-eat and drink dairy products
  ova-vegetarian-eat eggs and egg products

Choose lean proteins for each meal. These include beans, soy products, nuts, seeds, dairy, and eggs (if you choose to eat them). Choose ones that are lean. Examples would be black beans, garbanzo beans, dry roasted nuts, egg whites, and skim milk. For other protein ideas, click here.

• Filling up on more veggies and fruits can help you feel full and lose weight. Be cautious of adding too many extras to them like cheese, butter, or sugar. This can add too many calories and keep you from losing weight.

• Keep high calorie snacks like potato chips, cookies, and pastries to one or two times per month. Just like before!

• Consider keeping track of what you eat in a food journal. You maybe able to see if you are getting too little or too much of certain things like calories, carbs, proteins, or fats. Find more help on food journals by clicking here.

Lastly, you may want to consider talking with your doctor or dietitian about making this change. She or he can help make a detailed plan for you. She or he may suggest taking a multivitamin and other supplements based on how you eat. They can also help you get enough of all the nutrients and lose weight!