When you first go vegan, it can seem miraculous. You can eat so much more than you used to, and yet you don’t seem to gain an ounce. And you don’t feel heavy or sleepy after meals–just content. But if you find yourself losing too much weight or trying to stuff yourself silly in order to maintain your body that you’ve always had, then it’s a concern. Don’t worry though, it’s a fixable issue!
Are you eating enough?
Remember, vegan food is often less calorie dense than nonvegan food. If you’re also striving for a more whole foods approach towards veganism, you may simply not be eating enough. Especially if you expect the same portion size of a lighter food to sustain you just as well as a heavier food would.
Type a normal day’s worth of food into a calorie counter, and see if the number seems reasonable, if you’re a numbers person. But if not, you may want to simply try eating more.
Get into a habit
In general, you want to make consistent eating a habit in your life, but even more so with veganism. If your food is less calorie dense than you’re used to, you have to make sure you’re eating consistently. Especially in the beginning when you may not be confident in your vegan cooking skills, it may seem easier to simply skip a meal here and there. That’s not an approach I’d recommend.
Make sure you’re getting your regular meals (and snacks, if that’s your thing) throughout the day, and not letting yourself go hungry. Remember, everything you eat doesn’t have to be spectacular. Be gentle with yourself about your budding vegan chef alter ego and remember that a lunch with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a side of potato chips is still lunch, and better than if you just skipped a meal.
Prioritizing certain foods
But if you’ve tried eating more and you’re still having trouble gaining or maintaining weight, you can also think about the kind of foods you’re eating. If your new vegan diet is mostly spinach and broccoli, you may be getting some good vitamins and minerals that you didn’t before, but you’re also likely lacking in calories.
Make a conscious effort to add sources of fat and protein to your meals throughout the day. We’re not talking about force-feeding vegan brownies here. But add a handful of nuts or a splash of olive oil to your salad, put some tofu in that stir fry and some beans in that vegetable stew. If you up your fat and protein intake relative to your food, it becomes easier to eat more calories in one sitting. (If you want to find out more about vegan protein, you can read my post about that here.)
Some foods are mostly water
As I mentioned earlier in the case of a vegan diet made up of mostly spinach and broccoli, different foods are going to make it harder or easier to gain or maintain your body weight. And focusing on fat and protein is a good aid in that. But also, you want to remember the other side as well. It’s not that carbs won’t also aid you in weight gain. If you eat enough of them, they will. But a lot of the whole food vegan options that we think of as high in carbs are actually low calorie foods with a high water content. (This applies to most fruits and vegetables, specifically. Also, if you’re getting in a lot of soups, it’s something to be aware of.)
High water content in a food isn’t inherently bad. Actually, it’s a good thing in terms of staying hydrated. But the issue with these foods is that they will make you feel fuller faster. This is great for people who are trying to lose weight, and it’s one of the reasons we recommend people to eat more fruits and vegetables when they’re trying to diet for weight loss. (The other is that fruits and vegetables have more vitamins and minerals in them, which is important if you’re trying to eat healthy, and especially if you’re trying to decrease your food intake. You want to make sure you’re still getting your nutrients in.) But for people who want to gain weight or maintain their weight, suddenly crowding out your diet with fruits and vegetables can have an impact that is not desirable.
You still want to have fruits and vegetables in your diet. (Because, again, nutrients.) But if you’re having undesired weight loss, consider prioritizing the produce that is less water-rich. Like a banana vs an apple, for example. And when you do have water-rich produce (which you still should because it’s good for you), don’t eat a bunch of it and substitute it for a meal. Have some, as a snack or on the side of your meal. Make sure that you’re still getting in the hearty foods that will sustain you.
Don’t overdo “healthy eating”
Remember, that being vegan isn’t about being the healthiest eater that exists. There are vegan sweets and desserts and junk food, some made vegan and others what we call “accidentally vegan”. These things aren’t what you want to base your diet on, sure. But having them in moderation is fine, and in some cases, important for mental health. So go ahead and indulge once in a while.
And try making your own desserts and indulgent comfort foods. For instance, you can still have mashed potatoes and gravy as a vegan, and it’s not any more difficult than making them in a nonvegan way. Delicious, comforting, and certainly calorie-dense enough of a side dish to keep the pounds on.
Get a professional opinion
This is a very simplified explanation of how to gain weight on a vegan diet. I am not a medical professional, just a person on the internet sharing what’s worked for me. If you’re having long-term issues keeping weight on as a vegan or otherwise, you should go see a doctor and/or a dietitian. They will be able to make sure that you’re metabolically and otherwise physically healthy, as well as give you resources about diet and nutrition from a professional perspective.
Thank you for reading my quick explanation on how to gain weight as a vegan. If you’re interested in getting more vegan content, subscribe to the blog to get email updates whenever something new goes live on the site. Have a good day!