Vegan Diet Cuts Calories Without Cutting Food Intake

A low-fat vegan diet lowers energy density (the number of calories per gram of food), allowing people to cut calories and lose weight without eating less, according to new Physicians Committee research published in JAMA Network Open.¹ The secondary analysis of 223 people who were overweight and who were randomly assigned to a vegan or control group diet showed a 30% reduction in calorie density among the foods eaten by the plant-based group. This means that people feel full while unknowingly eating far fewer calories. Previous research shows that a plant-based diet is associated with lower body mass.²