Our Nutrition Philosophy
When we published our first few recipes in 2014, we were relatively new to the vegetarian diet and nutrition ourselves.
However, we were sickened by the industrial animal farming industry and wanted to part of it.
We also wanted to spread the word and help more people transition to the vegetarian diet.
Our first goal was to make vegetarian food quick, easy and tasty. Which we did.
We also developed a bunch of scientifcally-backed meal plans to help aspiring veggies and vegans.
But when you follow a vegetarian lifestyle you’ll inevitably have to look into its nutrition (you can see why that’s particularly important to us here).
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.
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.
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.
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:
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!
Disclaimer
There’s always a disclaimer, right? It’s for legal reasons.
Please note that the content is not a substitute for professional dietary counselling. It is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. Read more on this here.
What, no vegan recipes?
I have been a vegan,,in all senses of the word, for 22 years and tired of companies who deal with the food industry, like yours, will.Not commit to providing vegan menus.
The Vegan Society was formed in 1945. Time enough to realise it is NOT a fab. So wake, please. We are here‼️‼️‼️♀️♀️
We have a free vegan meal plan on the website and loads of vegan recipes. We also have recipes that include dairy and eggs. I know the dairy and egg industry are unacceptable, at the same time it is significantly more difficult to meet nutrition requirements just on a vegan diet. Sure, it’s possible, but you have to supplement. That’s not for everyone. Personally, I’m ok to consume eggs and dairy, mostly organically produced. It’s a trade-off, but one I prefer to veganism + heavier supplementation.
Is this diet comparable to the Keto diet and are there any potential side effects with the amount of protein consumed? I am already vegetarian (ovo/lacto/pescatarian) and recognize the need to increase my protein levels.
Hi Elizabeth. No, I wouldn’t compare this with the Keto diet. Keto by nature restricts carbohydrates, which we don’t do. We include healthy carbohydrates in our plans, such as wholegrain rice, pasta and quinoa.
You can find some more info about this below, including why we do that:
How we create our recipes
How we create our meal plans
With regard to protein levels, there’s no issue here unless you have a specific reason or diagnosis that means you should be careful, such as Chronic Kidney Disease. If not, the level we suggest is completely safe, and within the limits suggested by current research
Hope that helps!
Hello, I am a vegetarian aged 80 my weight is near 160 pounds (height 6ft ) and am not looking to lose weight as keep fit running Marathons( 26.2 miles) – my 167th most recently yesterday + also do yoga and gym exercises.
My weight is pretty constant, and I do regularly have fruit , veg and nuts + tofu products and rice and various beans –
Am looking for easily prepared ‘ Natural ‘ meals – to a large degree unprocessed to continue to maintain my good health naturally ( have started recently to cut down on processed foods , because of recent adverse publicity about their additives potentially causing health problems – your website seems appropriate for these aims – look forward to trying some of your recipes (can hopefully freeze some for use later ? ).
Hi Rodney! Great to read from you and what an inspiration! 167 marathons is incredible . I’m glad to hear the veggie lifestyle is also meshing well with staying fit and healthy.
Yes, we tend to stay away from overly processed foods indeed (though we definitely like tinned and frozen goods, they’re just so convenient and have many plus points). I hope you enjoy our recipes. Absolutely, many of them are suitable for freezing, that’s important to us.
Thanks again for writing and feel free to leave any questions or comments on a recipe!
I have been enjoying the diversity of the recipes as well as their simplicity. I haven’t cooked this much in a long, long time nor have I used this many spices. The ingredients married make interesting enjoyable tastes. Each week I look forward to the next set of recipes; kind of like getting a weekly present!
Hi Janet, thanks so much for this comment, it made our day! We’re very pleased you enjoy the plans and recipes.