Gain weight if you eat a vegetarian diet

Video: Vegetarian diet plan to gain weight - Ms. Sushma Jaiswal

Content

To step
Method 1 of 2: gain weight if you eat vegan
Method 2 of 2: gain weight with dairy and eggs
Warnings
Necessities

Vegetarians generally eat vegetables, fruits and grain products, while certain vegetarians also eat dairy products and eggs. If you cut meat and perhaps other animal products from your menu, you may lose a few pounds in the beginning. For some vegetarians, that's an added benefit, but it can become a problem for others. Fortunately, by taking a smart approach, you can ensure that you stay healthy through a carefully chosen diet. So you can also gain weight as a vegetarian if you want, if you choose carefully what you eat.

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Method 1 of 2: gain weight if you eat vegan

Make sure you know the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan. All vegans are vegetarians, but not all vegetarians are vegans. A vegetarian does not eat animals, that is, no meat or cold cuts, no poultry such as chicken or turkey, and no fish or shellfish. A vegan, on the other hand, not only removes the animals themselves from the menu, but also all products that come from animals. This means that a vegan does not use dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, butter and cheese) and does not eat eggs. The diet of a vegan is therefore based on grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, soy products, fruit, vegetables and oils.
- There are more restrictions on a vegan diet, which makes it more difficult for vegans to get all the necessary nutrients (but it is of course not impossible). Gaining weight can therefore be quite a challenge for vegans who are underweight.
Calculate the number of calories you need per day. A calorie is an amount of energy in our food that, when you eat that food, is either used as fuel for the activities your body performs or is stored as fat. If you are trying to lose weight, you will need to make sure you have a shortage calories, in other words, that you burn more calories through the activities you perform compared to the number of calories you take in through food and drink. To gain weight arrive you will have to do the opposite: make sure that what you eat gives you more calories than you burn during the day. A vegetarian diet offers many options that can help you increase your calorie intake without cutting back on the amount of exercise and activities you normally do to stay healthy and fit.
- 500 grams of fat weighs as much as 3,500 calories. For every 3,500 calories that you take in without burning them again, you will therefore gain half a kilo in weight.
- The amount of calories you need depends on your age, gender and height. With the help of a special calorie calculator on the internet you can find out how many calories you should be consuming every day.
- Since you're trying to gain weight, try to get in just a little more than that amount each day - but take it easy! Eat about 500 extra calories per day, so that you will have about 3,500 extra calories by the end of the week. That way you will gain almost half a kilo per week.
Continue to eat healthy calories. The most obvious way to gain weight is to eat unhealthy and fatty vegan foods such as chips or sweets. But that's generally not what someone who is underweight really needs. Although such foods contain a large amount of fat and calories, they do not contain useful nutrients such as protein, fiber and other important things that you need to keep your body healthy.
- In between meals, eat snacks that contain “good fats”, such as avocado, legumes, nuts, seeds, peanut butter or almond butter, and hummus.
- Drink your calories! Instead of just drinking water, drink juices, protein drinks and smoothies. That way you get more calories without losing your appetite.
- Eat easy calories in the form of toppings. For example, add olive oil, nuts, seeds and fresh or dried fruit to salads.
To build muscle mass, eat foods rich in protein. Protein deficiency is usually the biggest problem faced by vegans and vegetarians. Anyone who eats vegan or vegetarian must therefore continuously ensure that they get enough protein. Complete proteins, such as those derived from animal sources, as well as the proteins in soybeans and quinoa, are necessary for your body because they contain all the essential amino acids. On the other hand, to get protein, vegetarians and vegans can also choose different possible protein sources that complement each other (these are called complementary proteins) to form a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids. An example of this is eating brown rice and beans.
- Beans are an excellent meatless source of protein, as well as a great source of calories! You should actually eat at least 500 grams of beans or legumes per week, but more is certainly also allowed without any risk to your health.
- Nuts and seeds are also rich in protein, but certain types can cause you to consume too much cholesterol. Look for pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios and walnuts, but avoid macedonia and Brazil nuts.
Try different soy-based products. Soy protein is your best friend if you are a vegan and is even thought to help lower too high a level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol in your blood. Tofu and tempeh are quite bland on their own, but they absorb the flavor of all the ingredients you prepare them with and increase the protein intake. Some people don't like the soft texture of tofu, so you can add soy chunks made TVP aka Textured Vegetable Protein to dishes that need extra protein in the form of something that has the texture of meat like Mexican taco. s, pasta sauces, etc.
- Add calories to your meals by enriching them with soy products as well. Nowadays you can find soy cheese, soy milk and even soy sour cream in most supermarkets. You can use these products to add calories to salads, jacket potatoes, tacos or muesli, without getting saturated too quickly.
Increase your carbohydrates. You may have heard that people trying to lose weight often cut carbohydrates from their menus. However, research has shown that a low-carb diet mainly works because it ends up taking in fewer calories. Foods rich in carbohydrates can ensure that you take in a good amount of calories in one sitting, while you are less likely to become saturated with them than if you eat the same amount of vegetables or beans. To gain weight, it is therefore a good idea to include rice, pasta, quinoa and wholemeal bread in your diet.
Eat six smaller meals throughout the day. If you feel full quickly, you may find it difficult as a vegan to get enough calories by eating the traditional number of three large meals a day. In that case, it is better to eat six smaller meals spread over the day. You don't have to eat until you are completely full, but eating smaller meals regularly will help you consume more calories throughout the day.
Eat a lot of snacks. Even in between small meals, you can get calories by eating small snacks that are rich in nutrients designed to energize your body. A tablespoon of peanut butter, a muesli bar, a bowl of cruesli, or a handful of banana chips or chips made from kale or other vegetables will not make you feel full, but will help you gain weight.

Method 2 of 2: gain weight with dairy and eggs

Follow the vegan guidelines to gain weight. A vegan and a vegetarian diet are very similar, but if you choose to eat vegetarian you have a little more freedom of movement. If you want to gain weight as a vegetarian, it is therefore best to follow all the above-mentioned advice for vegans and also follow the suggestions below for adding dairy products to your daily diet.
- Try to eat 3,500 calories more per week than you need to maintain your weight. That way you should gain half a kilo in weight per week.
- To replace the meat's role in your diet, eat foods rich in calories and proteins such as legumes, nuts, peanut butter, nut butters, soy products, and so on.
- Eat several small meals a day to get enough calories to gain weight, and eat plenty of snacks.
Get more protein from eggs. If you consume dairy products and eggs, take advantage of the calories and protein these products contain. Eggs may be rich in protein, but eating too many yolks can make your cholesterol levels dangerously high. Egg yolk is healthy when consumed in moderation, but you shouldn't have more than one yolk per day. The white of an egg, on the other hand, is very healthy and rich in protein and you can eat as much of it as you want. Simply remove the yolks from the eggs or buy liquid egg whites from the supermarket to infuse egg dishes with protein, energy and nutrients.
- For example, fill an omelette made of egg whites with beans, cheese, shredded tomato, onion and bell pepper and garnish with sour cream, Mexican salsa and avocado.
Supplement your meals with dairy products. As with a vegan diet, you can add extra energy to your meals by adding nuts, fresh or dried fruit and other high-calorie toppings to your salads and other dishes. But if you also eat and drink dairy, you can also choose to take regular sour cream and cheese instead of the soy varieties that vegans use. Cheese, sour cream, butter and other dairy products are rich in saturated fats, so you should use them in moderation. Too many such products can lead to heart problems over time.
- On the other hand, with no more than 30 grams of grated cheese you can quickly add 100 calories to an omelet, baked potato or salad!
- With two tablespoons of sour cream, you'll add an extra 60 calories to a bowl of vegetarian chili con carne.
- By smearing a little butter on your toasted sandwich in the morning, you will quickly consume 36 extra calories.
- Supplementing your meals with dairy makes it easier to get your 500 extra calories per day without getting saturated too quickly.
Eat dairy products as a snack. If you choose cheese as a snack, be a little careful. Cheese has been linked to obesity and heart disease, but it is also one of the most important parts of the incredibly healthy Mediterranean diet. The key to gaining weight with the help of cheese is choosing the right types of cheese. Avoid very salty and fatty cheeses like cheddar and Swiss cheeses like Gruyere and look for healthier alternatives like goat cheese, feta and mozzarella. The latter types are lower in calories and can be eaten as a light snack for a quick dose of calories. You can eat cottage cheese as a sandwich filling, but also very good in between. It adds a good amount of protein to your diet without risk to your health.
- Yogurt is also a suitable snack, but avoid yogurt with flavors to which a lot of sugar has been added. Instead, opt for regular or Greek yogurt that you flavor yourself with, for example, fresh fruit.
Consider including fish in your diet. Many vegetarians who choose not to eat meat do eat fish. This is also called “pescotarianism” and can be a good alternative for those who want to gain some weight. Fish, like chicken, is a lean type of "meat" that allows you to add extra calories and protein to your meals. The human body cannot produce the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish itself, while those fatty acids help you to build muscle mass and gain weight without producing unsightly fat rolls. The Dutch Heart Foundation recommends eating fish at least twice a week, especially the following types:
- Mackerel
- Salmon trout
- Herring
- Sardines
- Albacore or albacore tuna
- salmon

Warnings

Candy, chips and soda may be high in calories and mostly vegetarian, but you should avoid eating such products to gain weight. It contains a lot of sugar and fat and very few beneficial nutrients.
Before making any changes to your diet or trying to gain weight, always seek advice from your doctor or dietician.