Some Simple Ways How To Gain Weight Naturally On A Vegetarian Diet Plan

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Some vegetarians believe that you can only put on weight if you eat meat, fish, chicken, and other non-vegetarian foods. Unfortunately, this is an incorrect assumption. There are simple, but effective vegetarian diet plans to gain weight naturally.

A vegetarian diet is usually focused on plant foods. As a rule it involves fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts. However, vegetarian eating falls into three specific groups:

The vegan diet which excludes all meat and animal products.
The vegetarian diet which includes plant foods, and dairy products.
The less strict vegetarian diet which includes plant foods, dairy, and eggs.

How to gain weight naturally on a vegetarian diet

Whether you are a vegetarian or vegan, the fundamentals of gaining weight are exactly the same. To put on weight, you need to eat more calories than you burn. You should also plan to get enough proteins and healthy fats to promote muscle growth.

Here are some tips to help you along the way:

Eat more protein. Vegetarian-friendly protein, such as avocados, beans, nuts, seeds, are all good choices. If you eat dairy, then milk, yogurt, eggs, and cottage cheese, also offer high-quality protein.
Vegetarian folk have found that oatmeal is one of the best ways to gain weight rapidly and easily. Oatmeal is rich in calories and healthy proteins, and is one of the known ways to build muscle mass and eliminate flabby fat.
Soy beans are a high protein source, and furthermore, contain all the amino acids the body needs making soy a complete protein.
Lentils are also very effective and can be added to soups and stews. The soluble fiber content reduces intestinal gas and keeps the colon clean and healthy. Cheese can also be combined with lentil or bean recipes to make a complete protein.
Increase your carbohydrate intake. Foods that are rich in carbs can boost your calorie intake, and provide energy. Adding carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, and whole-grain breads or rolls in your diet, can certainly help you add some meat to your bones.
Increasing calorie intake. To figure out how many calories you are presently eating, in combination with your level of activity, you can use an online calculator to work this out. Depending on the results, you can usually add between 250 to 500 calories to initiate some weight gain.
Adding a bit of cheese or a pat of butter to baked potatoes will add to calories, and potatoes are a good source of carbs as well.

Fortunately there is a fairly wide choice of food for vegetarians of either persuasion. True vegans, however, have to ensure that they obtain the necessary amino acids and proteins from the foods they eat.

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Incomplete protein combinations

A complete protein gives you the full range of amino acids and proteins which your body needs to stay healthy. Complete proteins are usually obtained from meat, fish, and chicken – all taboo for vegetarians.

There are a variety of ways you can combine the so-called incomplete proteins and certain products to make a complete protein source without compromising your vegetarian diet, and gain weight naturally.

Here are some examples:

Cheese combined with whole grains and pasta create a full protein source.
Oatmeal and yogurt is a complete protein.
Low-fat cheese, together with potatoes, is a full protein.
A bean and corn salad, with some added ground-flaxseed, and a little cream, makes a delicious lunch snack – protein rich.
Scrambled eggs with grated cheese and onion is a delicious way of getting a complete protein.

The combinations are actually endless and when you go shopping make a list of the foods that you love, and stick to buying those for interesting and tasty diet combinations. Always read the labels to make sure there are no meat additives.

Vegetarians looking for the ways to learn how to gain weight naturally must pay attention to eating larger portions of their meals than they are used to. No matter how healthy or good the food, if you eat too little you will not pick up weight. Make sure that meals include wherever possible, energy giving foods such as yams, squash, avocados, rice, and pasta. Focus on your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, as they’re very necessary to build muscle, and will help you put on the weight you want.

References:

www.mayoclinic.org

www.nutritionfacts.org

www.eatright.org