10 Vegan Foods to Lose Weight (+ Free Sample Meal Plan)

This is a collaborative post.

Not all foods are created equal, including vegan foods. Some foods have fewer calories, while others go through different metabolic pathways in the body that could affect the appetite, hormones, and the number of calories consumed.

Vegan diets are known for their amazing health benefits, such as lowering your risk of heart disease, protecting you from certain types of cancer, and helping you effectively lose weight.

Remember that even vegan diets can be unhealthy if you get the wrong foods, like ultra-processed foods, including vegan cheese, sausages, cookies, chips, and more. Instead of eating healthily, you’ll only end up gaining weight.

If your main goal is to promote healthy weight loss or burn fat, you should know which foods should be included and not included in your diet. There are vegan supplements you can try to boost your progress but it’s necessary to consult with your doctor first.

Below are the best ten vegan foods you can eat to start losing weight and fat.

10 Vegan Foods to Lose Weight

Before we go to the list of foods, it’s necessary to know that a vegan diet is different from a plant-based diet. Fitness writers from HealthCanal differentiate the two terms–a vegan diet eliminates all animal products, while a plant-based diet doesn’t necessarily eliminate animal products. Instead, it’s more focused on eating plants, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.

When starting a vegan diet, you must know the plant-based eating patterns, where most foods you eat come from plant sources. So, without further ado, here are the vegan foods to include in weight loss diets:

Beans and legumes

Some beans help promote weight loss, such as black beans, lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans. These foods are plant-based proteins rich in fibre, which helps you lose weight because they provide satiety. Moreover, they make excellent meat substitutes.

Prepare both beans and legumes properly; otherwise, it might be difficult for you to tolerate them in terms of absorption and digestion. 

Whole Grains

Plant-based foods, like whole grains, are beneficial for weight loss, such as oats, brown rice, and quinoa, and are loaded with fibre and a decent amount of proteins. Oats contain beta-glucans, soluble fibres that have been proven to increase satiety and improve metabolic health.

Brown rice and other forms of rice include a significant amount of resistant starch. These starches increase satiety as well. For example, if you eat bread, opt for whole grain bread. They are more beneficial due to their nutritional content than when they are refined.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a healthy way to eat carbohydrates without worrying about weight gain. These plant foods are a great source of calorie-rich foods that are packed with fibres and other nutrients that will help you stay healthy at the same time, making a great diet for weight loss.

However, sweet potatoes can be very addicting. Therefore, you should be careful about how you cook your sweet potatoes; otherwise, it can lead you to gain weight.

Olive oil

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats ( a healthy fat), known for its health-promoting benefits. It is high in antioxidants that prevent oxidative damage to your cells and reduce the risk of chronic disease. 

Since it’s rich in healthy fats, it can reduce blood triglycerides and help improve blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. To incorporate it in food, drizzle it over cooked veggies, salad dressing, or add it to marinades.

Nuts and nut butter

Nuts are a great source of protein, calories, and healthy fats, making them an excellent choice if you’re trying to lose excess weight. A handful of nuts, such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, or pecans, can improve your calorie intake instead of junk food with no nutritional value.

Nut butter is a high-calorie food that is a quick and convenient option, too, if you’re looking for ways to consume calories healthily. Incorporate nuts into snacks, sides, or smoothies to boost protein and calories.

Avocados

Avocados differ from most fruits because these fruits are high in fat, mainly monounsaturated oleic acid, a type of fat abundant in olive oil.

Aside from fat, they are also rich in fibre and water, meaning they are not as calorie-dense as they think of it. They make a great addition to a vegetarian diet for weight loss.

Leafy greens

Leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and collards, have characteristics that make them perfect foods for weight loss. They are very low in calories but also high in fibre. When trying to lose weight, one great strategy is to lose weight.

Since leafy greens are almost calorie-deficit, you’ll eat fewer calories overall. Whole foods like vegetables are nutrient-dense foods rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Hemp seeds and chia seeds

Hemp seeds have incredible health benefits, including weight loss. They are a great source of nutrition that can transform the body for good. In addition, they contain enough protein as they offer nine essential amino acids.

It helps keep the body full, which makes it a great option for vegans and vegetarians to lose weight. Aside from hemp seeds, chia seeds are also high in quality protein. It is rich in protein and fibre, which have been shown to aid weight loss.

Soups

One great way to make vegan soup is by boiling vegetables until they are soft. Then, you can puree them using an immersion blender to obtain a creamy soup. Therefore, instead of drinking fruit juices that are high in fructose and added sugar, eating food that’s turned into a soup can make people more satiated.

When trying to get rid of excess body weight, you must be careful not to add calorie-dense ingredients to the soup.

Smoothies

Vegan smoothies are a quick and convenient way to get a concentrated dose of calories in a single serving. Mix dried or fresh fruits, avocados, almond milk, coconut oil, and seeds to make a vegan smoothie.

Drink it between or after meals instead of as a meal replacement to maximize your calorie consumption and prevent weight gain.

7-Day Sample Vegan Meal Plan for Weight Loss

Since it’s a vegan diet for weight loss, expect that the meal consists mostly of more plant-based foods. This meal plan has been provided by HealthCanal for Just Average Jen readers so any recipes or queries regarding it should be directed there.

Day 1:

Breakfast (296 calories)

• 2 vegan pancakes
• ¼ cup blackberries
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch (245 calories)

• 1 serving of white bean and avocado toast
• 1 cup sliced cucumber

Dinner (499 calories)

• 1 serving of Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Day 2:

Breakfast (262 calories)

• 1 serving peanut butter and chia berry jam English Muffin

Lunch (360 calories)

• 4 cups white bean and veggie salad

Dinner (500 calories)

• 2 cups Black Bean Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Day 3:

Breakfast (266 calories)

• 1 serving peanut butter banana toast

Lunch (325 calories)

• 4 cups serving  Green salad with Edamame & Beets

Dinner (446 calories)

• 1 ½ cups roasted cauliflower and potato curry soup
• ½ small whole-wheat pita, roasted
• ⅓ cup hummus

Day 4 

Breakfast (296 calories)

• ⅓ cup quinoa and chia oatmeal mix cooked with 1 ¼ cups unsweetened soymilk

Lunch (309 calories)

• 1 ½ cups roasted cauliflower and potato curry soup
• ½ small whole-wheat pita, roasted

Dinner (472 calories)

• 1 serving stuffed sweet potato with hummus dressing

Day 5:

Breakfast (296 calories)

• 2 vegan pancakes
• ¼ cup blackberries
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch (325 calories)

• 1 serving veggie and hummus sandwich

Dinner 

• 1 cup chickpea curry
• 1 cup basic quinoa

Day 6:

Breakfast (262 calories)

• 1 serving peanut butter and chia berry jam English muffin

Lunch (308 calories)

• 1 serving Vegan Bistro Lunch Box
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Dinner (525 calories)

• 1 serving of Thai spaghetti squash with peanut sauce
• 1 cup vegan Thai cucumber salad

Day 7:

Breakfast (296 calories)

• 2 vegan pancakes
• ¼ cup blackberries
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch (325 calories)

• 4 cups serving Green salad with Edamame and beetroot

Dinner (434 calories)

• 1 serving rainbow veggie spring roll bowl

Conclusion

Weight loss isn’t all about eating low-calorie foods. The key to losing weight involves a healthy diet, regular exercise, and knowing what foods to avoid, The Peach Kitchen compiled a list of those which you may find useful. Also, don’t forget to perform light-intensity exercise for sustainable weight loss.

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