Looking for a reason to try out some new veggie recipes? According to a new study, vegetarianism could help you to lose weight. The study by Forza Supplements found that meat-eaters who were dieting took twice as long to lose weight than their vegetarian counterparts. The study also found that giving up meat at the start of a diet could help shed weight at a faster rate.

During the first month of the experiment, tthe meat-eaters – who got around 35% of their calories from meat – lost an average of 2lbs compared to the vegetarians who lost an average of 4lbs. Interestingly, those who only gave upmeat at the start of the diet surpassed the other long-term vegetarians and lost 5lbs.

Lee Smith the managing director of Forza, said the results also suggested lifestyle choices by vegetarians supported weight loss. For example, vegetarians who took part in the study were twice as likely to own a gym membership and exercise twice a week, compared to the meat-eaters who on average visited the gym once a week.

In the study of 1,000 people, 87% of people said they found it easier to lose weight after giving up meat.

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