Contemplating veggies vs. meat..

ziggylove

Hello, I just joined today and wanted to get your opinions on veggie-only diets vs. "some meat" diets. Sorry for the lack of proper terminology-- I'm not vegetarian nor vegan, nor even a huge meat-lover but am just trying to figure out the best (healthiest) way to eat, especially if I want to lose weight.

Right now I'm thinking I really need to incorporate way more veggies into my diet. Although I've been avoiding red meats lately and will generally eat only chicken and turkey, I know eating more veggies will help fill me up and basically help me get healthier overall. This may be very ignorant also, but every time I see a self-proclaimed vegetarian or vegan on TV the person is always slim or downright skinny! So.. more vegetables seems the way to go.. Now I just need to get started on learning to cook tasty veggie recipes that eat like main courses..

Anyone have any tips or thoughts?

xMissy6x

personally i think a little bit of everything. If your avoiding red meats, watch your iron intake. Low iron can leave you tired and lethargic.

Jorra

There's never anything wrong with getting more veggies into you! You could transition to vegetarian if you are really interested, but you would have to be careful and watch your protein, iron, and other nutrients that meat provides.

Artemis_Acorn

If you find iron intake challenging with less meat, one serving of Grape Nuts cereal has 90% of the RDA for iron.

sanura

Actually, there are lots of days i have to be careful that my iron isn't too high on a vegan diet. Greens, lentils and beans are all naturally high in iron and many cereals and soy products are fortified.
I highly recommend reducing animal foods in your diet. I've found that I feel more energetic and my digestion has improved greatly. mfp has been a big help with watching my protein, iron and calcium.
there are tons of amazing recipes out there. just keep trying new things to find what you like. I also recommend as much raw food as you can.
you might not see much progress based on my profile, but years ago before i ever heard of mfp I lost 50 pounds and have maintained between 135-145 for 8 years.
best of luck to you, and feel free to message me with more questions about being vegetarian or vegan

veganbaum

More veggies are good for everyone. Of course, being vegan I can be biased and tell you that you should give up animal products, but of course that would be seen as biased regardless of what health benefits there will be. You can't go wrong, though, to at least start with making at least two meals a day 1/2-3/4 veggies. Good nutritionally, and for weight loss - as long as you aren't slathering them in cheese, butter, or oil.

adventuring

Veganism and vegetarianism are fantastic and definitely worth giving a try. If you're looking at health benefits, so are pescetarianism and just plain watching your meat intake. However, if you're sensible about it, you could probably be just as healthy eating meat. It's all a matter of how you do it. Maybe just give it a try for a while and see how it goes.

Though, I'd like to point out there are many ways to get fat on a vegetarian diet. Many, many ways. Same for vegan, though honestly it's probably a little harder just because of the limited scale of food.

mabug01

I've been eating vegan for a couple of months. I like the way I feel with the diet. However, I've been told that, for weight loss, it is important to have meat or egg whites because it keeps you full longer than vegetables and fruits. It is true that I get hungry within 2 hours of eating.

I find it very economical to purchase frozen vegetables and stir fry them in 1 teaspoon of oil in a non stick pan. If you add a few fresh vegetables - like some onion or bell pepper, then all of the vegetables taste fresher. I add some Mrs. Dash and serve the mixed vegetables on top of 1/2 cup of brown rice, and this is a very satisfying meal.

LJCannon

When I first started this Journey, the main change I made was to Add more Vegetables to my Menu. I did not subtract anything--Except Soda. And I did limit White Foods of all kinds, but I didn't eliminate anything.
:flowerforyou: Welcome to MFP!!

dmpizza

People are not herbivores. Herbivores have huge stomachs because it takes a lot of room to store all the bulk so they get enough nutrition.(Cows, horses, elephants, etc....)
People only need to eat a very small amount of meat every day(pack of cards size) to get most of their nutrition.

Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy yourself.

nicothepotato

Unless you have a morality issue or illness caused by eating meat, there's no reason to give it up. I do say that you should always eat less meat. People don't need meat everyday and when we do eat me we should eat much less than a usual serving of meat is.

I feel like I should note that I'm a vegetarian. I would eat meat if it weren't for factory farming and there wouldn't be a need for factory farming if people ate as many veggies as they should and as little meat as they should. /end my humble opinion/

nkziv

I'm a vegan (have been just vegetarian for longer)--This diet is great if you know how to correctly balance carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Carbs are easy. Just make sure to eat lots of whole grains (quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, millet, etc) and lots of beans, lentils and nuts for protein. Olive oil, avocados, nuts, Earth Balance "butter", etc for healthy fats. I like green lentils (great if cooked in vegetable broth, or Trader Joe's also has some great pre-cooked, pre-packaged lentils that are just as good. Toss in some cumin and curry and your favorite sauteed veggies and you've got a complete vegan meal! I also drink coconut milk, which has just the right combination of magnesium, vitamin D, and calcium (to maximize calcium absorption, which is important when you don't eat cheese or drink cow milk). In general, it's really not that hard, and it definitely PREVENTS EATING MANY DESSERTS if you stick to it, which is good for your figure.

adventuring

People are not herbivores. Herbivores have huge stomachs because it takes a lot of room to store all the bulk so they get enough nutrition.(Cows, horses, elephants, etc....)
People only need to eat a very small amount of meat every day(pack of cards size) to get most of their nutrition.

Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy yourself.

Look, with all due respect, I can't stand the arguments about what humans are "meant" to be. I've heard the exact opposite argument, that if human beings were meant to eat meat we'd have a completely different digestive system.

I think it's bollocks either way. Your body will deal with either decision so long as you do it the smart way and make good choices.

SoCalSwimmerDude

I think the OP had no idea what they were getting into....

porffor

I think the OP had no idea what they were getting into....

lol I think you're right but thats something you have to learn as a veggie.
Everyone has an opinion the only one that matters is YOURS.

I would say evaluate what you want to do, research a bit more on here (search) and online and you'll be in the right place whatever you decide.

TK421NotAtPost

A properly set up vegan eating plan will be extremely nutrient dense and will have plenty of iron. The only thing to really be a little worried about is B12 & Vitamin D, which can easily be taken care of by drinking fortified soymilk and spending some time outdoors.

mbb0301

I truly believe in moderation for all things. A healthy balance of all "food groups" is key. Don't deprive yourself of anything, just eat smaller portions, for example; I eat about 4-6 oz meat daily (or at least most days) instead of 8 oz daily recommended and have absolutely no digestion problems. I have increased my fruits and veggies intake along with whole grain bread. I still eat a piece of cheese once in a while and have eggs sometimes.

I think if you take away things that you enjoy (even sometimes / once in a while), you are depriving yourself and your most likely not going to stick with it. Remember moderation - healthy balance

perceptualobfuscator

Everyone has slightly different dietary needs, so the healthiest option for you may be quite different from the healthiest option for the majority of people. However, there are some statistical likelihoods associated with vegetarianism. These may correlate due to the fact that vegetarians are also more likely to be a) more educated and b) of higher socioeconomic status, both of which also have correlations to healthier weights. Vegetarians are also more likely to engage in other healthy lifestyle choices, such as being less likely to smoke or drink excessively and more likely to exercise. So it is difficult to say if the health benefits are due to vegetarianism alone, or a mixture of different factors.

Vegetarians are more likely to be at a healthy weight than meat eaters. They are more likely to have low cholesterol and less likely to have heart disease problems. Vegetarians are less likely to develop Type-2 Diabetes and less likely to have high blood pressure. And lastly, vegetarians are less likely to be obese.

Of course, we all know vegans or vegetarians who are obese or who eat unhealthy diets. But this is statistically speaking not common, especially in comparison to the general population.

If you decide to go vegetarian, do your research. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism doesn't really come with any additional challenges, but veganism has certain dietary issues (such as getting enough vitamin B12) that it pays to be aware of.

There are other good reasons to go vegetarian. It's more environmentally friendly, has less risk of food poisoning and animal waste contamination, and you get to eat healthy without having to kill things to do it. On the other hand, depending on where you live there can be a degree of social stigma to deal with, and you have to learn to avoid 'hidden' meat ingredients like gelatin or anchovy paste, which are in many food items that will likely surprise you.

Health benefits of going veggie: http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/vegetarian_diets_health_benefits.php
Vegetarian health: http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-18.html
Fifteen reasons to go veggie: http://evolvingwellness.com/posts/740/15-reasons-to-go-vegetarian-for-you-the-animals-and-the-planet/

Good luck, whatever decision you make!!