Our Nutrition Philosophy

Protein is important for weight loss and longevity

And so, the question ‘… and where do you get your protein???’ is (very) annoying, but it has its place. It really is more difficult to get a decent amount of protein as a vegetarian.

While you can live healthily enough with lower levels of protein, there is enough evidence to show the benefits of higher protein levels are hugely beneficial.

This doesn’t only go for muscle building, but especially when it comes to weight loss and longevity!

Before we jump into explaining how we develop each recipe, let’s briefly talk about the two challenges of the vegetarian diet: The Protein Gap and The Calorie Trap.

The Protein Gap

Whether you’re fully vegetarian (go you) or just eating less meat (go you, too!), it’s important not to fall victim to what we call The Protein Gap.

You see, vegetarian meals are often lacking in one crucial component – protein.

While an omnivore can add meat for protein, vegetarians don’t have that option and often just load up more pasta, bread or potatoes.

The graph of the protein amount comparing average meat and meatless meals — *The average vegetarian meal contains more carbs and fats in relation to protein compared to an average meal with meat. We call this The Protein Gap.*

Protein helps to reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, while it increases the appetite-reducing hormones like cholecystokinin. (1)

Essentially, it makes you feel more full after eating.

As a vegetarian, there’s a good chance you’re not getting enough protein in your day to day meals.

In fact, a major cause of weight gain can be from eating extra to try and fill this ‘Protein Gap’ – even if we don’t notice it at the time. (2)

Which leads to the Calorie Trap.

The Calorie Trap

For example cheese or nuts: yes, they contain a lot of protein. BUT they also contain a high amount of fat and therefore, calories.

The graph of the calorie amount comparing average meat and meatless meals — *Vegetarians can get more protein. But this usually adds more fats and carbs too.*

Even if you end up at the same amount of protein as a meat eater, there’s a strong chance you’ve taken in far more calories to get the same effect – what we call The Calorie Trap.

This is where the Vegetarian Protein Fix comes in.

By making use of a good variety of vegetarian high protein foods and handling fats and carbs in a smart way, we’re able to restore balance.

*Our vegetarian recips maintain the protein while not overdoing carbs and fats.*

This is the core principle of the Vegetarian Protein Fix and the reason why our weight loss program has the same name: We only use recipes in our plans that follow this approach.

It is a simple, yet powerful way to bring harmony back to meal times.

That being said, there is no real ‘secret’ to weight loss. It’s simply a consistent calorie deficit over time which leads to weight loss.

Here’s how our recipes and plans are different from the usual vegetarian fare

The key is getting enough protein without overdoing fats and carbs. It is a simple, yet powerful way to bring nutritional harmony back to meal times.

Getting the protein right first (so you feel more full and less stressed about food) ensures a consistent, natural calorie deficit over time which then leads to weight loss.

Then making it consistent is key, and that’s where most people fail. Here’s where we take over.
Every recipe aims for higher protein and lower fat than usual without sacrificing taste. Here is how are able to up the protein:

Illustration of two different size spoons with oil — *We’ll show you how to cook just as effectively when **using less oil** so we have more room for high-protein ingredients.*

Illustration of two dairy products with different fat content — *Low-fat often used to be bland and boring. But when cooked in the right way, they can be just as tasty as their full-fat counterparts. We’ll show you how.*

Illustration of two types of pasta with different quality of carbohydrates — *We’ll show you that dishes can be just as tasty with these three big recipe changes (and many other minor ones).*

The beauty is that we are able to significantly tip the health and protein levels back into balance. This helps to remove the hunger pangs and cravings which cause yoyo dieting and binge eating.

Focusing on a high-protein diet also means that when you do lose weight, you lose it at a better ratio of fat vs muscle, which looks great from a body composition perspective!

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