How to Gain Weight with a Vegetarian Diet

Understand the difference between vegetarians and vegans. Vegans (or vegans) are all vegetarians, but not all vegans are vegans. The vegetarian diet completely cuts out meat products such as beef, poultry, fish, etc., while the vegan diet eliminates all animal meat. and animal products. This means vegans don’t eat dairy products (eg milk, yogurt, butter, cheese) and eggs. Instead, their diet consisted only of nuts, beans, lentils, soybeans, vegetables, and oils. ^[1] Vegetarian diets are more restrictive and therefore also more difficult to achieve adequate nutritional goals (this is of course possible) and for underweight people, also weight gain. will be more difficult.

Calculating calorie needs. Calories are units of energy in food that, when consumed, will be used as energy for body activities or stored as fat. ^[2] When you want to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit , or burn more calories through exercise than you take in through food. On the other hand, to gain weight , you have to do the opposite, i.e. take in more calories than you burn for the day. A vegetarian diet high in calories will help increase your calorie intake without forcing you to cut back on exercise or health-promoting activities.

• 0.5 kg of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Thus, when taking in 3,500 calories and not burning them, you will gain 0.5 kg of weight.
• Calorie needs depend on age, sex, and height. You can use an online calorie calculator to determine your daily calorie needs. ^[3]
• Because you are trying to gain weight, you should eat a little more than usual but do not overeat. Eat an extra 50 calories per day to reach your goal of 3,500 calories per week. At this rate, you will gain 0.5 kg per week.

Continue to eat healthy, high-calorie foods. The most obvious way to gain weight is by consuming unhealthy high-fat foods like chips or cakes. However, this is not what people underweight need because despite being high in fat and calories, these foods are lacking in nutrients such as protein, calcium, fiber and other important nutrients for a healthy body. ^[4]

• Snack throughout the day with foods high in “good fats” like avocados, beans, nuts, peanut or almond butter, and hummus. ^[5]
• Drink calories. Instead of just drinking water, drink fruit juices, protein juices, and high-calorie smoothies without filling your stomach.
• Add calories through decorative foods. For example, use olive oil, nuts and fruit in salads.

Eat protein-rich foods to build muscle. Protein deficiency is the most common problem in vegetarians and vegans. Therefore, they need to constantly replenish protein. Complete proteins such as proteins from animal sources, soy and quinoa are needed because they contain complete amino acid sequences. However, vegans and vegetarians can consume other protein-rich foods, such as brown rice and legumes, that potentially complement each other (known as complementary proteins). to form a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids.

• Beans are a non-meat source of protein and are very high in calories. Ideally, you should eat at least 3 cups of beans a week or more without affecting your health. ^[6]
• Nuts are rich in protein, but some can add too much chpesterp to the diet. It is best to eat pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts and avoid consuming macadamia nuts and seeds.

Explore alternative sources of soy foods. Soy protein is a vegan’s best friend and even helps lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels. Tofu and fermented soybeans have no taste but will absorb the flavors of the food they are prepared with and increase protein consumption. Some people won’t like the smooth texture of tofu, so you can add TVP (textured vegetable protein) to dishes that need protein to feel like ground meat like Tacos, pasta sauce, …

• Add calories to meals through soy-based decorations. You can find soy cheese, soy milk, or soy sour cream at the grocery store. Use these products to add calories to salads, baked potatoes, tacos or breakfast cereals without filling your stomach.

Increase carbohydrate intake. You’ve probably heard that people who want to lose weight often cut carbs (or carbs) out of their diets altogether. However, research shows that low-carb diets work in large part because they reduce calorie intake. ^[7] High-carb foods can increase calorie intake without causing satiety with the same effect as vegetables or beans. To gain weight, you should add carb-rich foods like rice, pasta, quinoa, whole-wheat bread to your diet.

Eat 6 small meals a day. ^[8] If you feel full quickly, you’ll have a hard time getting enough calories through 3 vegetarian meals. In that case, break it up into 6 small meals to eat throughout the day. No need to eat until you feel full. Small, frequent meals will also help increase calorie intake throughout the day.

Eat snacks often. Between small meals, you can load up on calories by snacking on nutrient-dense foods for an energy boost. A tablespoon of peanut butter, a protein bar, a cup of breakfast cereal or a handful of kale chips will help you gain weight without filling your stomach.