There are a lot of ways to eat a vegan diet, but one that has gained popularity over the last decade is high-carb, low-fat. While many experts say carbs makes you gain weight (which is why the ultra-low-carb keto diet is so popular), John McDougall, MD, believes that eating whole-food, plant-based carbs can actually help you lose weight. He wrote all about it in his book published in 2013 called The Starch Solution.
The Starch Solution is a high-carb, low-fat vegan diet with an emphasis on eating whole, plant-based foods, no oil, no processed foods, and limited sugars. You don't eat any foods that come from animals, and focus your meals on starchy foods like whole grains, potatoes, veggies, and fruits. Dr. McDougall's book discusses the healthy benefits of a whole-food, plant-based, high-starch diet, which includes satisfying your appetite, giving you energy, and maintaining a healthy weight. The book also discusses how this diet can help prevent chronic conditions like high cholesterol, heart disease, acne, and type 2 diabetes.
What makes the Starch Solution so accessible to anyone especially someone coming from the Standard American Diet (SAD) that's rich in meat, dairy, and highly-processed, nutrient-poor foods is that you can still eat the foods you love that may have been off-limits on other restrictive diets, such as bread, pasta, burritos, pizza, pancakes, and ice cream. You just need to eat healthy, plant-based versions of them. Keep reading to learn what foods you should focus on, which foods are off-plan, which plant-based foods to avoid if you're weight loss has stalled, and what experts think about the Starch Solution.
