How to Gain Weight As a Vegetarian
Understand the difference between vegetarianism and vegan., Calculate your calorie needs., Continue eating healthy calories., Eat protein-rich food to build muscle mass., Explore soy alternatives., Increase your carbohydrate intake., Eat six...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the difference between vegetarianism and vegan.
Vegans are all vegetarians, but not all vegetarians are vegans.
A vegetarian diet cuts out all meat products — beef, poultry, sometimes fish, and so on — but a vegan diet eliminates all animal and animal-based food products.
This means vegans do not eat dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, butter, cheese) and eggs.
Vegans therefore base their diets around nutrient-rich plants.The diet of a vegan is more restrictive, and therefore more of a challenge to get complete nutrition (although of course it is possible), and for underweight individuals, may make it a bit more difficult to gain weight. -
Step 2: Calculate your calorie needs.
A calorie is a unit of energy in food that, when consumed, is either used to fuel the body’s activities or is stored as fat.When trying to lose weight, you want a calorie deficit, meaning you burn more calories through activity than you take in through food.
To gain weight, you do the opposite: eat more calories than you burn in the course of a day.
A vegetarian diet offers many calorie-rich options that will help you increase caloric intake without having to cut down on the exercise or activity that keeps you healthy.
One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories.
For every 3,500 calories you take in without burning them off, you will gain one pound of weight.
Your calorie needs will depend on your age, sex, and height.
Use an online calorie calculator to find out how many calories you should be consuming on a daily basis.
Since you are trying to gain weight, eat slightly more than that amount every day — but don’t go crazy! Eat about 500 extra calories per day to add up to 3,500 calories by the end of the week.
At this rate, you will gain one pound per week. , The most obvious way to gain weight is to eat unhealthy, fatty vegan options like French fries or sugary pastries.
But this is typically not what a person who is underweight actually needs.
While there is plenty of fat and calories, these foods are lacking in nutrients such as protein, calcium, fiber, and other important needs for a healthy body.
Snack throughout the day on foods that have “good fats,” like avocados, beans, nuts, seeds, peanut or almond butter, and hummus.Drink your calories! Instead of drinking only water, drink juices, protein drinks, and smoothies that will bring in calories without filling you up.
Add easy calories through garnishes.
For example, add olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fruits, to salads. , A lack of protein is typically the main issue seen with vegan and vegetarian diets.
Those following these diets should consistently watch for complete protein.
Complete proteins are necessary due to their complete panel of amino acids.
However, vegans and vegetarians can consume various protein options that complement one another (called complementary proteins) to form a complete protein that has all 9 essential amino acids.
They can also simply consume complete proteins such as garbanzo beans, spirulina, and flax seeds.
An example of combined protein would be brown rice and beans.
Beans are a go-to meatless protein, and also a great source for calories! Ideally, you should eat at least 3 cups of garbanzo beans every week, though you can eat more than that without fear of health repercussions.Nuts and seeds are protein-rich, but some varieties can add too much cholesterol to your diet.
Look for pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, but avoid macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts. , Soy protein is the vegan’s best friend, and is even thought to lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels.However, many vegans do not believe that the consumption of soy is healthy.
Tofu and tempeh don’t have much flavor on their own, but they take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with while increasing your protein intake.
Some people object to tofu's smooth texture, so you might add TVP (textured vegetable protein) to dishes that need protein that feels like ground meat — tacos, pasta sauces, etc.
Add calories to meals through soy garnishes, as well.
You can find soy cheese, soy milk, or soy sour cream at your grocery store.
Use these products to add calories to salads, baked potatoes, tacos, or granola without filling yourself up. , You may have heard that people trying to lose weight often cut carbohydrates out of their diet entirely.
Research suggests, though, that low-carb diets are effective largely because they result in lower calorie consumption.Foods rich in carbohydrates can give you a calorie boost without filling you up as much as an equivalent amount of vegetables or beans.
To gain weight, include carbohydrates like rice, pasta, quinoa, and whole-wheat breads in your diet. , In that case, eat six smaller meals spread evenly throughout the day.
You don't have to eat to the point of feeling stuffed, but small, frequent meals will result in higher calorie consumption throughout the day. , Even between your small meals, you can take in calories by eating small, nutrient-rich snacks designed to fuel the body.
A spoonful of peanut butter, a protein bar, a cup of granola, or a handful of kale chips won’t fill you up, but they’ll help you gain weight. -
Step 3: Continue eating healthy calories.
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Step 4: Eat protein-rich food to build muscle mass.
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Step 5: Explore soy alternatives.
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Step 6: Increase your carbohydrate intake.
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Step 7: Eat six mini-meals throughout the day.If you get full quickly
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Step 8: you might have trouble getting enough calories through three square vegan meals.
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Step 9: Snack often.
Detailed Guide
Vegans are all vegetarians, but not all vegetarians are vegans.
A vegetarian diet cuts out all meat products — beef, poultry, sometimes fish, and so on — but a vegan diet eliminates all animal and animal-based food products.
This means vegans do not eat dairy products (such as milk, yogurt, butter, cheese) and eggs.
Vegans therefore base their diets around nutrient-rich plants.The diet of a vegan is more restrictive, and therefore more of a challenge to get complete nutrition (although of course it is possible), and for underweight individuals, may make it a bit more difficult to gain weight.
A calorie is a unit of energy in food that, when consumed, is either used to fuel the body’s activities or is stored as fat.When trying to lose weight, you want a calorie deficit, meaning you burn more calories through activity than you take in through food.
To gain weight, you do the opposite: eat more calories than you burn in the course of a day.
A vegetarian diet offers many calorie-rich options that will help you increase caloric intake without having to cut down on the exercise or activity that keeps you healthy.
One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories.
For every 3,500 calories you take in without burning them off, you will gain one pound of weight.
Your calorie needs will depend on your age, sex, and height.
Use an online calorie calculator to find out how many calories you should be consuming on a daily basis.
Since you are trying to gain weight, eat slightly more than that amount every day — but don’t go crazy! Eat about 500 extra calories per day to add up to 3,500 calories by the end of the week.
At this rate, you will gain one pound per week. , The most obvious way to gain weight is to eat unhealthy, fatty vegan options like French fries or sugary pastries.
But this is typically not what a person who is underweight actually needs.
While there is plenty of fat and calories, these foods are lacking in nutrients such as protein, calcium, fiber, and other important needs for a healthy body.
Snack throughout the day on foods that have “good fats,” like avocados, beans, nuts, seeds, peanut or almond butter, and hummus.Drink your calories! Instead of drinking only water, drink juices, protein drinks, and smoothies that will bring in calories without filling you up.
Add easy calories through garnishes.
For example, add olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fruits, to salads. , A lack of protein is typically the main issue seen with vegan and vegetarian diets.
Those following these diets should consistently watch for complete protein.
Complete proteins are necessary due to their complete panel of amino acids.
However, vegans and vegetarians can consume various protein options that complement one another (called complementary proteins) to form a complete protein that has all 9 essential amino acids.
They can also simply consume complete proteins such as garbanzo beans, spirulina, and flax seeds.
An example of combined protein would be brown rice and beans.
Beans are a go-to meatless protein, and also a great source for calories! Ideally, you should eat at least 3 cups of garbanzo beans every week, though you can eat more than that without fear of health repercussions.Nuts and seeds are protein-rich, but some varieties can add too much cholesterol to your diet.
Look for pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts, but avoid macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts. , Soy protein is the vegan’s best friend, and is even thought to lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels.However, many vegans do not believe that the consumption of soy is healthy.
Tofu and tempeh don’t have much flavor on their own, but they take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with while increasing your protein intake.
Some people object to tofu's smooth texture, so you might add TVP (textured vegetable protein) to dishes that need protein that feels like ground meat — tacos, pasta sauces, etc.
Add calories to meals through soy garnishes, as well.
You can find soy cheese, soy milk, or soy sour cream at your grocery store.
Use these products to add calories to salads, baked potatoes, tacos, or granola without filling yourself up. , You may have heard that people trying to lose weight often cut carbohydrates out of their diet entirely.
Research suggests, though, that low-carb diets are effective largely because they result in lower calorie consumption.Foods rich in carbohydrates can give you a calorie boost without filling you up as much as an equivalent amount of vegetables or beans.
To gain weight, include carbohydrates like rice, pasta, quinoa, and whole-wheat breads in your diet. , In that case, eat six smaller meals spread evenly throughout the day.
You don't have to eat to the point of feeling stuffed, but small, frequent meals will result in higher calorie consumption throughout the day. , Even between your small meals, you can take in calories by eating small, nutrient-rich snacks designed to fuel the body.
A spoonful of peanut butter, a protein bar, a cup of granola, or a handful of kale chips won’t fill you up, but they’ll help you gain weight.
About the Author
Kenneth Hill
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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