Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation
April 2008
Feature article with senior nutritionist and leading health charity expert, Amanda Woodvine, BSc Nutrition, by Helen Rossiter
Nature’s secret to the body beautiful
I felt the sun on my back for the first time last week, a reminder that summer is peeping its head up from round the seasonal corner, writes Helen Rossiter.
It will soon be time to say goodbye to the comfy protection offered by layers of warm winter wear – bare those pale legs, and any extra inches that have gradually appeared around your waistline. It’s a time many of us dread.
Your heart may sink at the prospect of standing on those scales, counting calories, or having a flash-in-the-pan shot at an old diet plan!
But a leading health charity believes it might just have uncovered nature’s secret to losing pounds for good, while reducing your risk of developing some of the UK’s biggest killer diseases.
Amanda Woodvine is a senior nutritionist with the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation, who has developed the charity’s V-Plan Diet.
Low fat and vegetarian – research has shown it can produce greater weight loss than Atkins, Weight Watchers or the Zone diet (1).
“There are two ways to lose weight – either deliberately limiting the amount of food you eat to cut your calorie intake, or changing your eating habits,” says Amanda.
“Some people prefer the discipline of counting calories and having strict limits on which foods can be eaten each day. The problem is, once you ‘come off’ the diet and go back to your usual eating habits, the weight creeps back on.”
The V-Plan diet offers itself as an antidote to fad diets which don’t work, and instead supports a ‘healthy eating for life’ approach, which is what this plan is all about.
“It means moving away from high-calorie junk foods that are low in good nutrients and embracing foods which are packed with nutrients but relatively low in calories,” adds Amanda. “The kinds of foods we are talking about are fruits and vegetables, the whole range of beans, peas, lentils and other pulses and whole grains.
“Even nuts can be included in your daily diet. Although high in calories, the science shows that they may actually help you lose weight – probably because they satisfy your hunger. Of course foods like these are staples in a veggie diet.”
Although vegetarians eat the same amount of food as meat eaters – about 1,000kg a year – they’re usually slimmer. This means that to lose weight, you needn’t eat less food, simply different foods.
“You don’t have to miss out on your old favourites. Instead of a hamburger and chips, try a veggie burger, salad and oven-baked potato wedges. With chilli con carne, replace the meat with kidney beans and extra veg,” says Amanda.
So what about health? Going veggie seems great if it helps you shape up for the summer, but I asked Amanda about the long-term benefits.
“As well as tackling obesity, choosing a plant-based diet could cut your risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and certain cancers – including breast cancer.
“Vegetarians eat about one third less saturated fat and half the cholesterol of meat eaters. Vegans eat even less of both – half the harmful saturated fat and no cholesterol at all. A healthy veggie diet increases your intake of fibre, antioxidants that shield against disease, and other protective plant nutrients. All these natural substances can help control diabetes,” she adds.
“The V-Plan diet combines a delicious, one week meal plan of healthy veggie recipes with tips to get you more active, which is great for your body and weight control.”
- Vegetarians are on average up to 20 per cent slimmer than meat eaters
- Vegans are leaner than vegetarians
- Vegetarians and vegans eat a healthier diet than meat eaters
- They enjoy remarkably good health: lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and cancer – and live longer
- Most overweight people shed pounds when they switch to a vegetarian diet
- A vegan diet is even more effective
- It’s easier to change your diet, or your whole family’s
The V-Plan Diet One Week Meal Plan is a collection of nutritious breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas, providing an average of 1,500 kcal per day. It is available from the VVF for just £2.50 (inc p&p). Visit www.vegetarian.org.uk/shop, email info@vegetarian.org.uk or call 0117 970 5190 to order.
The VVF has also recently launched a Vegetarian Recipe Club with a vast recipe databank and step-by-step advice for those cooking veggie for the first time. It is available online at www.vegetarianrecipeclub.co.uk, or as a seasonally-updated magazine in a binder for just £15 a year.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
For more information, contact VVF press officer Helen Rossiter on 0117 944 1000, or email press@viva.org.uk or senior nutritionist Amanda Woodvine by calling 0117 970 5190 or emailing info@vegetarian.org.uk
For an electronic version of this article and pictures, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk/mediareleases
It will also be sent to you via email.
Reference (1) Dansinger ML et al, 2003. One year effectiveness of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers and Zone Diets in decreasing body weight and heart disease risk. Presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 12, 2003, Orlando, Florida.
For the full V-Plan Diet One Week Meal Plan visit http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/guides/vplan03.html
Sample meal plan for one day: Monday
Breakfast – Cinnamon-Raisin Porridge
Serves 4. 10-15 minutes
Per serving: Calories (kcal) 275, Fat (g) 4.6
Rolled oats – which look like big squashed flakes – will keep you going longer than porridge oats. However, both are rich in fibre, complex carbohydrates and protein.
Top Tips
• If you’re making just one portion of this, it’s easy – 1 cup water to half a cup oats.
• Get your Five A Day! Add any fruit to this recipe – defrosted frozen berries, fresh or dried fruit. Mix in when porridge is ready to serve.
• For more sweetness try a couple of teaspoons of date, maple or agave (type of cactus) syrup – date syrup is half the price of maple. You’ll find them in supermarkets or health stores.
Ingredients
960ml/34 fl oz/4 cups water
200g/8oz/2 cups rolled or porridge oats
75g/5oz/1⁄2 cup raisins or chopped dried apricots
1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp salt
Soya or rice milk (optional)
Date or maple syrup to taste (optional)
1. Soak oats and water overnight in a bowl if possible.
2. Cover and leave in fridge.
3. In the morning, place all ingredients (except milk and syrup) in a saucepan.
4. Bring to the boil, lower heat and cook for 10 minutes or longer, depending on
how you like it.
5. Stir occasionally.
6. Serve plain or with soya/rice milk and syrup, if desired.
Snack – Organic Dried Fruit & Nuts
Per serving: Calories (kcal) 246, Fat (g) 17.1
Lunch – Hummus, Tomato & Alfafa Sprouts in Pitta Pockets
Serves 1.5 minutes (10 if making hummus)
Per serving: Calories (kcal) 352, Fat (g) 6.4
Keeps 2-3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. You can buy hummus in supermarkets but it is easy and cheap to make your own – and it won’t be so high in salt! Alfalfa sprouts are tiny green shoots full of vibrant vitamins and minerals. They are found in plastic bags in the chill section of health stores or delis.
1-2 dollops of hummus
2 small wholemeal pitta pockets or 1 large wholemeal pitta
1 tomato, sliced
Handful of alfalfa sprouts
1. Lightly toast pitta bread.
2. When warm, slice a little bit from the top if it’s a pocket or slice in half if it’s a large one.
3. Open pitta carefully.
4. Spread inside of pitta with hummus.
5. Add alfalfa sprouts and tomato.
6. Serve.
Hummus
Serves 4. 5 minutes
If you have leftover chickpeas, use them in a salad, soup or stew. They also freeze well.
1 tin chickpeas
1 tbsp tahini
1⁄2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic depending on taste
Juice 1⁄2-1 lemon depending on juiciness
Juice from chickpea tin
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1. Drain chickpeas, retaining juice.
2. Blend first five ingredients.
3. Add some juice from tin if necessary –
traditional hummus is quite runny.
4. Season and serve.
Dinner – Stir-Fried Vegetables, Rice & Tofu with Mustard Peanut Sauce & Multi Bean Salad
Serves 4. 35-40 minutes
Per serving: Calories (kcal) 652, Fat (g) 23
Gorgeous – a favourite with everyone who’s tried it.
Rice
350g/12oz long grain brown rice
700ml/11⁄4 pints water
2 tsp vegan bouillon powder
Stir Fry
12 spring onions, sliced
200g/7oz baby sweetcorn, halved
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced into thin sticks
200g/7oz oriental greens such as Pak Choi or Chinese leaves, shredded
1 pack medium-firm tofu (eg Cauldron), sliced lengthways into 2 ‘steaks’
2 tsp olive oil
Sauce
60g/4 level tsp/1⁄4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp prepared English mustard
Large handful of parsley (curly or flat-leaf), thick stalks removed
2 tbsp water
1 tsp maple/date syrup
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Pinch salt
Bean Salad
1 tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed
1 stick celery, finely diced
2 tbsp sweetcorn
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp Omega-3 vinaigrette
1. Put rice on to cook with water.
2. Bring to boil and simmer for 25-35 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, chop vegetables for stir-fry and put aside.
4. Fry 2 tofu ‘steaks’ in a little oil in a nonstick pan until golden brown on each side.
5. Add a little shoyu (soy sauce) until the tofu is coated. Drain on kitchen paper and put aside.
6. Make bean salad – place all solid ingredients in a bowl and mix.
7. Add vinaigrette and toss everything so it’s well coated.
8. Make sauce by blending all ingredients together – then warm through gently.
9. Stir-fry the vegetables in the oil.
10. Chop cooled tofu into bite-sized pieces and heat through with vegetables.
11. Place cooked, drained rice on plates, top with the vegetable-tofu mix, then the sauce.
12. Serve bean salad in separate bowls on the side.
Dessert – Banana Fool
Serves 4. 5 minutes plus chilling time
Per serving: Calories (kcal) 121, Fat (g) 3.2
1 pack firm silken tofu (blue package)
1 large ripe banana, mashed
4 tbsp/1⁄4 cup maple, agave or date syrup
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Place everything in blender or food processor.
2. Process for several minutes until the tofu has lost its grainy texture and the whole thing is very creamy.
3. Serve at once or transfer to a covered container and chill.
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