Curious about vegetarian proteins for weight loss

Although I’ve been searching for an answer online, I haven’t been able to find the characteristics of Tofu and Seitan. I was wondering whether it should be used in a weight loss diet, as well as if it’s fattier than meat (since seitan is made with wheat, we might put on some weight thanks to it, right?). I don’t know if I should use it or just simply keep on going with white meat instead. Can you clarify this for me, please?

All the best,
Flávia

Vegetarian proteins such as tofu and seitan are healthful additions to any diet, not only a vegetarian plan. If you’re looking for the nutritional information for these products, you can find info on tofu here, info on seitan here, and some comparisons between them here.

Plant based proteins are valuable to a weight loss plan for many of the same reasons as animal proteins: proteins fill you up on fewer calories, increase the thermic effect of food (the small metabolic boost you get after eating) and contribute to preserving lean muscle mass and maintaining blood glucose levels. Although seitan is protein derived from wheat, it does not contribute high-glycemic carbohydrates like bread or pasta. So even if you find that wheat foods tend to keep weight on you, seitan is potentially an exception due to its low carbohydrate content.

Neither of these plant-based proteins are higher in fat than meat, and they also provide fiber and are cholesterol free. Choosing plant-based proteins is also good for the environment (they take less energy to produce than meat) and they are generally less expensive. However, plant proteins are somewhat less complete in terms of amino acid profile, so I recommend taking in a bit of extra protein if you only get it from plant sources, to account for the lower biological value. You can also combine proteins for added completeness (such as grains + legumes or beans).

For a weight loss diet, including a protein sources with each meal and snack can help keep you full and aid your progress. But you don’t have to decide between meat or vegetarian products, why not enjoy both? Mix it up – you can include some lean animal proteins like chicken, turkey, low fat cuts of beef and pork, seafood, eggs and dairy for some meals, and use plant-based proteins for some of your other meals. Variety is the spice of life, and getting bored will surely make your diet hard to stick to long-term.

In addition to tofu and seitan, there are many of other plant-based protein options: look into TVP (also called TSP, I looooove it for versatility), Quorn (made from mushroom protein!), and tempeh (a fermented soybean product, more info here) for starters.

And don’t forget legumes like black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and edamame too! There are so many delicious, healthy proteins out there, don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to just a narrow selection. Hope this helps! – Georgie

The beautiful tofu recipes shown here are from http://www.lauracarmen.com and http://www.phamfatale.com. Check these sites out for many more enticing recipes!