How your health may benefit by taking a vegetarian or vegan meal

Have you ever considered cutting out meat from your diet? There are thousands of vegans and vegetarians that are happy and healthy lives, with more people choosing to opt for a plant-based diet every day.

As a population group, there have been studies conducted that showcase non-meat eaters to be more health conscious than meat eaters. This doesn’t mean that one choice is better than the other, as each individual needs to make a choice based on their own health needs and personal beliefs.

A vegetarian diet restricts the consumption of animals, which means you don’t eat meat, but you may eat other animal products such as eggs or dairy. Vegan meals are the most restrictive of vegetarian styles of eating, with the consumption of no animal products or by-products whatsoever.

What are some health benefits of choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet

Let’s take a look at the benefits of vegetarian meals compared to other diets.

• You may see you have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI)
• You may have a lower waist circumference
• You may become more physically active than meat eaters
• You will likely need to utilise nutritional supplements
• Could have a higher fibre intake
• Could have a higher magnesium intake
• Lower intake of saturated fat, with the average daily intake of saturated fat for a vegan being 21g compared to 54g for omnivores
• Consume more fruit, more vegetables and more whole grains than meat eaters
• Lower cholesterol and saturated fat intake
• Higher polyunsaturated fat intake
• Sodium intake is half that of a meat eater
• A well-planned Vegan diet contains “living foods” such as fermented foods, germinated seeds, and sprouted grains. These foods positively contribute to the gut microbiome and have been shown to lessen risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer.
• Diet can be higher in antioxidants due to a higher intake of fruits and berries.
• Raw vegan diets can improve pain and stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis.
• Studies on vegetarian populations show they smoke less and drink less alcohol than omnivores.
• A vegan diet improves the resting metabolic rate
• Increased thermic effect of food
• When looking at a diet to help weight loss, a vegan diet has significantly greater weight loss than other diets, especially when linked with a support group.
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes as it improves insulin signalling.
• Protective against bowel cancer.
• Lessens the impact on the environment
• Improves animal welfare

Read more:

• How to go vegan on a budget
• These vegan recipes don’t disappoint on flavour
• 6 reasons people turn vegan
• How your health may benefit by taking a vegetarian or vegan meal

You can now select “Vegan” when organising your 28 Day Challenge meal plans

Are you thinking of joining the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and wondering whether there are plenty of vegan options?

With over 450 vegan recipes available to members of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, there’s no need to worry that you won’t have enough choice. All you have to do is opt for vegan meal plans on The Healthy Mummy app.

Lose weight while tucking into delicious vegan recipes with the 28 Day Challenge.