Looking for information on vegan weight loss? In this post I share a big list of evidence-based information about switching to a vegan diet for weight loss. It is now widely known that choosing a vegan weight loss diet is effective for losing weight and keeping it off. If your goal in 2021 is to lose weight and feel great, keep reading.

Note: Before making any changes to your diet using the information in this post, please consult your health care physicians.

Vegan diet for weight loss

Let’s get right into it. Below I’ll share information, links and video about a vegan diet for weight loss. This includes answering what is a vegan diet, what is a weight loss diet, what is a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet, before and after photos, diet tips, and plant-based recipes for weight loss.

Want to plan your meals? Check out the Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ >

What is a vegan diet?

A vegan diet is a diet that does not include animal products, such as meat, eggs, fish, shellfish and dairy. A vegan diet includes any foods that do not contain these foods. Some people choose a vegan diet for weight loss, better health, the environment as well as animal cruelty. A vegan diet has been studied for decades.

The leading organization sharing evidence-based nutrition information on the health benefits of a vegan diet is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. This is a non profit group based in Washington D.C. which includes over 12,000 physicians who all promote a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet for diet related disease prevention and survival.

There are two types of vegan diets:

A vegan junk food diet
A healthy whole food, plant-based diet

> Here’s why I’m vegan and eat a plant-based diet

What is a weight loss diet?

A weight loss diet is one that restricts calories with the goal of weight loss. This is often done for a period of time until the desired weight loss is achieved. Many diets that promote weight loss are promoting a diet that is often temporary and restrictive. The benefit of choosing a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet for weight loss is that once a person has become accustomed to this diet it is easy to maintain for the rest of their life.

Healthline provides a useful calorie counter for weight loss. This tool can be used to calculate your daily calorie needs for weight loss.

What is a vegan junk food diet?

A vegan junk food diet includes any foods, including processed foods, that do not contain animal products. Many people start with this type of vegan diet. However, they usually find out quickly that a vegan junk food diet is not a healthy diet because it includes many unhealthy foods such as:

Fried foods
Foods packed with added oils
Refined flours and sugars
Food colorings and chemicals

Vegan diet supplements recommended by doctors

What is a whole food, plant-based diet?

A healthy whole food, plant-based diet is a vegan healthy weight loss diet that only includes foods made from plants (which are vegan foods). However, the focus of a plant-based diet for weight loss is to focus on only eating foods that are:

Minimally processed
Contain no added oils
Use whole grains
Lots of leafy greens, vegetables, legumes, cruciferous vegetables, herbs and spices
Minimal nuts and seeds (if any at all during weight loss times)

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine promotes a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet for weight loss. Here’s their six ways to naturally boost energy and lose weight.

Plant-based meal planner

I follow the Daily Dozen and use my Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ to plan, prep and track what I eat everyday. This helps ensure I’m eating a balanced, healthy plant-based diet.

Learn more about how to use the Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ to stick to a plant-based diet >

Easy Vegan Meal Planner Template System — Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ Template System.

Here’s a informative video interview with Dr. Neal Barnard (founder of PCRM) and Dr. Michael Greger (founder of NutritionFacts.org and the “Daily Dozen”). They discuss low-fat, whole food, plant-based diets for weight loss and long term health:

What to eat everyday for weight loss

Dr. Michael Greger (in the video above) has narrowed down what to eat everyday in a very easy-to implement system called the “Daily Dozen.” You can learn more about this by visiting his site, NutritionFacts.org and by reading his books available at Walmart.com:

“How Not to Die“
“How Not to Diet“

Here’s what the Daily Dozen recommends eating every day:

Legumes

Legumes are beans, lentils and peas. Legumes are high in plant-based protein, fiber and other important nutrients. It’s recommended to eat 3 or more servings of legumes per day. Examples of these foods include:

Black beans
Pinto beans
Red lentils
Green lentils
Peanuts
Soy beans
Tofu
Tempeh

Whole Grains

Whole grains include a variety of grains that are in their whole form. This is as opposed to refined grains, such as white rice and white flour. Whole grains are packed with fiber and protein. They also help with digestion. It is recommended to eat 3 or more servings of whole grains per day. Examples of these foods include:

Whole wheat flour
Brown rice
Farro
Rolled oats
Whole grain tortillas
Whole grain bread

Fruits

Fruits are recommended as part of a healthy diet. Fruits are packed with powerful antioxidants and are great for satisfying your sweet tooth. I enjoy fruit for breakfast, snack and dessert throughout the day. Dr. Greger recommends eating 3 servings of fruits per day. Examples of fruits include:

Bananas
Apples
Peaches
Mango

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are an important part of a healthy diet. Leafy greens are full of fiber and powerful antioxidants. Not all leafy greens are in this category however. To qualify as a “leafy green” in this category they need to be hearty greens that are thick and fibrous. Dr. Greger recommends eating 2 servings of leafy greens per day. Examples of leafy greens include:

Kale
Collard Greens

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables are delicious and an important part of a healthy diet. These include several very popular vegetables and have been classified in their own category because of their specific health benefits. Dr. Greger recommends consuming 1 serving of cruciferous vegetables per day. Here are several examples:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts

Vegetables

There are a large variety of foods that fall into the vegetable category. Basically, if they aren’t listed in any of the above categories you can assume they fall into the vegetable category. Dr. Greger recommends 2 servings of vegetables per day. Here are some examples:

Garlic
Onions
Sweet Potatoes
Bell Peppers
Carrots
Celery

Berries

Berries are in their own category apart from fruits because they have very specific health benefits. Dr. Greger recommends 1 servings of berries per day. Here are some examples of berries which can be enjoyed fresh or frozen:

Blueberries
Strawberries
Raspberries

Nuts

Nuts are packed with plant-based protein as well as fat. Dr. Greger recommends one serving of nuts per day. If you are trying to actively lose weight, it is recommended to limit intake of nuts. Here are some examples of nuts:

Walnuts
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Pecans
Hazelnuts

Seeds

Seeds are packed with antioxidants, protein and fat. Dr. Greger recommends one serving of seeds per day. If you are trying to actively lose weight, it is recommended to limit intake of seeds. Here are some examples of seeds:

Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Sesame seeds
Tahini sesame butter

Herbs & Spices

Herbs and spices are an important addition to our health as well as flavoring foods. Dr. Greger recommends 1 servings of herbs and spices per day. Here are some examples of these:

Turmeric
Ginger
Cinnamon

Vegan weight loss before and after photos

There are many, many great examples of weight loss on a vegan diet online. Viewing before and after photos of weight loss can be very inspiring. Here’s a list of places to see vegan weight loss before and after photos online:

Weight loss diet tips

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine suggests these vegan diet weight loss tips:

Fill up on fiber

Aim to consume 40 grams of fiber a day from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Fiber prevents cravings and promotes a healthy digestive system and weight loss.

Eat your greens

The benefits of greens include they are low in calories but high in nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and folate.

Water and Weight Loss

Drinking water boosts metabolism and helps digestion.

Get enough sleep

Sleep-deprived people tend to eat more than people who are well-rested.

Plan your meals

Make things easy for yourself. Plan your meals and stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy options.

The Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ follows the Daily Dozen recommendations and is specifically for meal planning a plant-based diet.

I’ve written many articles about transitioning to a whole food, plant-based diet on this site. Here’s links to articles where I share tips for maintaining a healthy vegetarian diet:

Plant-based recipes for weight loss

Oil-free vegan Sloppy Joes recipe with biscuits

I share only whole food, plant-based recipes on this site. I follow the “Daily Dozen” recommendations by Dr. Michael Greger (shown in the video above). Here’s links to a variety of recipes I’ve published on this site. All of these recipes are oil-free, healthy, vegetarian recipes for weight loss:

Browse plant-based recipes by category:

Meal plan for weight loss with the Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ >

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