Why do many vegetarians still gain weight?

Vegetarianism is a trend chosen by many people, however, improper vegetarianism can lead to malnutrition or obesity.

The vegetarian menu is diverse, many dishes have been improved to suit young people's tastes - Photo: Huyen Minh

What is vegetarianism?

According to experts from the National Institute of Nutrition, there are currently many different types of vegetarianism in the world .

In general there are five types of vegetarianism: pure vegetarianism, with this type of vegetarianism you will not eat foods of animal origin.

Dairy vegetarian but no eggs; Egg vegetarian; Dairy vegetarian and eggs. And finally, Parttime vegetarians.

In a vegetarian diet, food is mainly based on grains, vegetables and fruits. Some nutrients (minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids, etc.) are only found in foods of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, shrimp, etc.) and not in foods of plant origin (vegetables, fruits, grains).

Therefore, vegetarians are often deficient in some micronutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12... and are at risk of anemia.

Pure vegetarians can also be calcium deficient because they do not eat calcium-rich foods such as animal milk (cow, goat, sheep), shrimp, crab, fish, etc.

Why does vegetarianism make you gain weight?

To ensure health, experts recommend that vegetarianism must be done properly. Because improper vegetarianism can lead to malnutrition or obesity and diabetes.

Vegetarians eat starchy dishes such as Yangzhou fried rice, crispy fried noodles, stir-fried greens with shiitake mushrooms, pan-fried pho, spring rolls made from wheat flour, Thai sour soup... cooked with a large amount of oil, sugar, coconut milk, MSG, these dishes are very delicious and are popular with many people, but they are a large source of energy (calories), easy to make you fat, and not good for your health.

In addition, because vegetarian food is digested quickly, it makes people feel hungry quickly, having to eat more rice, noodles in the main meal or eat extra snacks (like sweet potatoes, cakes, french fries). This is also a reason why vegetarians gain weight.

When being vegetarian, you need to pay attention to choosing, combining many foods and supplementing vitamins and minerals appropriately to avoid lacking essential amino acids, vitamin B12, energy, zinc, iron, especially for absolute vegetarians.

Many people should be vegetarian, but only vegetarianism should be appropriate to each person's needs.

If you are an adult, in normal health, you should eat vegetarian food a few times a month to keep your digestive system "clean" and it also has many health benefits.

People with heart, liver, and kidney diseases who must be vegetarian to avoid making their illness worse need to change their menu regularly so that vegetarian dishes supplement enough nutrients and should eat a little meat, fish, eggs, and milk to ensure nutrition.

Vegetarians like monks, if they are healthy and know how to vary their food to ensure adequate nutrition, then being vegetarian is not a problem.

People with special nutritional needs, such as growing children, pregnant or nursing mothers, or people who have just recovered from an illness, should not be vegetarians because they will become malnourished.

Doctors also recommend not to be a vegetarian all the time, but only 2-3 days a week. People with infectious diseases, children in the growing period, pregnant women and women in the breastfeeding period… should not be vegetarian.

LINH HAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tai-sao-nhieu-nguoi-an-chay-nhung-van-tang-can-20251104122334114.htm