Losing weight with meat substitutes, again: excess damages. Tip of the week 16
Losing weight with meat substitutes, how do you do it? And what are meat substitutes? Meat substitutes are protein-rich products that can potentially replace meat when you want to eat vegetarian food or cannot tolerate meat for other reasons but still need its nutrients (proteins, fats, iron, vitamin B).
Of course, it is not necessary to actually eat these meat substitutes instead of meat. You can just as easily apply them as a supplement to your diet if you do eat meat.
These products are called 'meat substitutes' because they have the same nutritional values as meat.
Consider:
- nuts
- pulses
- eggs
- tofu
- tempe
- ready-made meat substitutes in shops.
Notes: Almonds, in particular, are very high in protein and are great to eat when milk products are not tolerated, for example. Hazelnut spread or nut spread is a good substitute for meat on a sandwich (watch out for the sugars!).
Legumes: Peanut butter is a good substitute for meat in sandwiches. Brown and white beans , peas, lentils or capuchins are also good meat substitutes to include in hot meals.
Eggs: In addition to good nutrients, they also contain a lot of cholesterol. If you don't eat meat, eating four eggs a week will suffice.
Tofu (or Tahoe): Tofu is prepared from soaked soybeans processed into soy milk. To this, nigari is added; a white powder consisting of calcium and magnesium salts. This curdles the liquid and allows it to be pressed into slices. Tofu is great for frying, putting in small pieces unprepared on sandwiches or in salads. Tofu is high in protein, vitamin B1, B2 and minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.
Tempeh: Tempeh, unlike tofu, is made from the whole soybeans. These are soaked, cooked and fermented with a rhizopus culture, a fungus, which causes it to crumble together, making it high in fibre. Tempeh also contains vitamin B, calcium, manganese, iron, lots of unsaturated fatty acids and no cholesterol. Tempeh is good for frying or frying in smaller pieces so that it can be incorporated into various dishes. However, tempeh contains less flavour than tofu, so you have to make it tasty yourself by marinating it well, for instance.
Cheese: Cheese is not a full-fledged meat substitute, although cheese is sometimes used as such. Cheese is low in iron, so additional iron-containing foods to supplement it are recommended. Moreover, cheese contains a lot of (saturated, i.e. 'wrong') fat and salt, which retains moisture in the body.
Losing weight with meat substitutes is fine, as long as you don't eat too much of them again: balance!
This week you may also weigh yourself! Click >HERE for handy weighing and measuring tips.
The above text previously appeared in the Balance book. The book is now sold out, but may still be available to order second-hand via the link below.
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