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  1. Vegan newbie
I am starting to get discouraged. I eat and them an hour or so later its like my stomach is empty. i cannot be eating all day. I ride public transportation with my 1 and 1/2 year old. And my job requires i stand up the whole shift. I made a tofu scramble with hashbrowns and impossible breakfast sausage. So its not like i didnt have protein. I cannot afford to eat alot. My son isnt vegan so i have to buy losts of food. I dont think i can do this anymore.
 
Something that surprises a lot of people is that a lot of times the reason you are hungry, its because you are not getting enough calories. You can use any number of apps or websites to track calories. I always recommend CronOmeter to new vegans but its more complicated than you need just to get a handle on your calories.

If you are Not getting enough calories, come back and I can give you some good advice for increasing your calories economically and healthily (not sure if that is a real word).

If you Are getting enough calories but still feeling hungry there are a number of things you can do. One interesting fact is that the feeling of being hungry does not always mean you should eat something. Sometimes your brain gets some wires crossed and you should be experiencing thirst. do a self -check and see if you are getting enough fluids every day. If not, try to figure out a way of increasing your fluids.

Some times you feel hungry when you are experience low blood sugar. You can be getting enough calories and still experience low blood sugar - depending on what you are eating and when your are eating it. Fruit can help. Fresh fruit is best but dried fruit or even fruit juice will work.

foods high in fat are very satiating. Try keeping a bag of nuts or GORP in your pocket for the bus or breaks. Another good trick which is inexpensive is PB&J sandwiches cut up in quarters. easy to consume while walking or waiting.

Beans and rice are one of the cheapest foods you can live on.
 
I'm sorry to hear that you have encountered difficulties on your journey.
It's good that you have started to search for help. I'm sure you'll find that from this forum.

I also used to be hungry all the time so I know how frustrating that can be. But that was my fault for not eating enough. I tend to eat a lot of bread and fruit instead of full meals, because that's just how I am. I also kinda like hunger. It makes everything taste better.

But being vegan doesn't equal being hungry all the time. That isn't normal.

If you are a newbie, it might take some time before your body gets used to the new diet. You said that you can't afford it, but I'm still going to advice you to eat higher volume than what you'd normally eat. At least for a while, so that your body can adjust. Then gradually reduce the amount back to normal.
If you can have the time, I'd also advice using CronOmeter to track calories. Maybe just try that every now and then? It would be interesting, especially during the days when you are eating less than normally. Keeping a food diary at hand can be helpful with this in case you eat often or don't have time to use the CronOmeter every day and tend to forget what you have eaten.

Feelings of hunger can also be caused by not drinking enough water. I know this is a lot, but at least at the time being, I'd advice measuring your water bottle and a coffee mug, if those don't say what the capacity is. That's how you can track also how much you drink and make sure that it's enough.
 
I am starting to get discouraged. I eat and them an hour or so later its like my stomach is empty. i cannot be eating all day. I ride public transportation with my 1 and 1/2 year old. And my job requires i stand up the whole shift. I made a tofu scramble with hashbrowns and impossible breakfast sausage. So its not like i didnt have protein. I cannot afford to eat alot. My son isnt vegan so i have to buy losts of food. I dont think i can do this anymore.
You don't say how long you've been vegan, but be aware it takes sometime for your body to adjust. Your whole gut biome changes from that of a meat eater to plant eater--even if you're eating processed foods.
Is that similar to your old breakfasts? Breakfast seems to the most contentious meal for people. I'm personally never hungry for hours after awaking, and when I do eat I like whole grains with fruit. That is not typical, I'm just saying it's very individual.

Try different foods. We have an entire thread dedicated to oatmeal here if you need ideas. I've thrown in some other grains I like for breakfast--oat groats, barley, buckwheat, farro--any cooked whole grain. You can add nut butter for some healthy fats and protein

It does take time not only physically, but mentally to catch up with the changes
 
I am starting to get discouraged. I eat and them an hour or so later its like my stomach is empty. i cannot be eating all day. I ride public transportation with my 1 and 1/2 year old. And my job requires i stand up the whole shift. I made a tofu scramble with hashbrowns and impossible breakfast sausage. So its not like i didnt have protein. I cannot afford to eat alot. My son isnt vegan so i have to buy losts of food. I dont think i can do this anymore.

welcome to the forum!

I like to call myself a starchivore because I eat a lot more starch (some of which contain protein) than I do specifically protein like you used as an example above. If I had that breakfast I would also have had at least two slices of toast with peanut butter, as well. @Lou gave you some good ideas and I would suggest eating a lot more potatoes (they are very inexpensive) especially have some sweet potatoes with any others you have, lots of rice, pasta, whole wheat breads, oatmeal etc. Add your frozen berries to the oatmeal, beans or lentils etc to the pastas/rice, and frozen veggies (I buy huge bags) to the pasta/rice, soups etc. If you are concerned about weight, at all, it is not the starches that will pack on the pounds, it is the fats, oils from the packaged hash browns and/or sausage. When we eat sausage (usually Fieldroast) we have just one each or half of one each on pizza.

If you take @Lou 's suggestion of carrying a bag of nuts, include some dates or raisins and some Shreddies or other simple cereal and/or pretzels.

All the best and feel free to ask any questions at anytime.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
 
I am starting to get discouraged. I eat and them an hour or so later its like my stomach is empty. i cannot be eating all day. I ride public transportation with my 1 and 1/2 year old. And my job requires i stand up the whole shift. I made a tofu scramble with hashbrowns and impossible breakfast sausage. So its not like i didnt have protein. I cannot afford to eat alot. My son isnt vegan so i have to buy losts of food. I dont think i can do this anymore.
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As everyone else has already said, it sounds like you simply aren't getting enough calories to fuel your day.

If you are an active man, you might need perhaps 2500 calories (or more) per day. If you are an active woman, you might need 2000 calories (or more) per day.

Potatoes are very low in calories, unless you are adding oil or butter: An entire pound of potatoes is only 347 calories.

An entire 12 ounce package of tofu only contains about 320 calories:
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Morningstar sausage patties contain about 80 calories each:

1654287598474.png
 
An easy way to add more calories to your diet is to eat nuts, nut butters, seeds, and/or avocados. A cup of nuts contains 650 - 1000 calories, depending on what kind of nut. One tablespoon of peanut butter contains 100 calories. Peanuts and peanut butter are affordable.
 
What caught my attention in this post is the sentence, "I cannot afford to eat a lot." That makes this sound to me like a problem of affordability rather than just diet choices. Whole fresh potatoes can be reasonably priced, but where I live both tofu and prepared breakfast sausages of any type are some of the more expensive kinds of protein you can find. Two ways to tackle this affordability problem are to
1. buy cheaper foods and
2. look into food banks or other assistance programs you may be eligible for

As for buying cheaper foods, this can mean buying things that require more preparation, such as buying dry beans to cook yourself (or at least canned beans) instead of tofu. This involves an investment in time to learn how to do more of your own cooking as well as figuring out a system that you can fit into your life. And maybe you would need more kitchen equipment too.

As for getting help from food banks or other programs, it doesn't hurt to research. Maybe you could not qualify for anything but at least you can ask around and see what may be available.

I know these things are not easy to do when you are also working and raising a child but you should not be going hungry.

I am rooting for you.
 
Tofu is pricey in Cali? In Ohio it's from 1.29 and up for a pound tub.

But anyway, and I'd think anywhere, dried beans, lentils, any kind of dahl and legume, should be the cheapest foundation of a plant based diet.
Sprouting seeds are a great way to maximize nutrition for a fraction of the price of grown
 
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I just bought a 5-pound slab of extra firm tofu in shrink wrap, $5.49. I cut it up into eleven portions*, and put them in zip lock bags, and into the freezer. I will reuse the bags. a 3.5 oz serving cost a quarter. :)

* I used 11 cause the slab was 11 inches long
 
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I think the original poster here was concentrating on getting protein. A lot of replies mention calories. Another thing that could make a difference might be fiber. A bowl of plain oatmeal, plus an apple or other fruit would add some fiber. Even some chopped onion and/or other fresh or frozen vegetable(s) thrown into the scramble pan would add a little fiber.

Sometimes it can seem difficult to afford enough fresh fruits and veg if your budget is tight. What I do is seek out those few stores that have a discount shelf in their produce department. And sometimes I can find decent deals by buying weekly sale produce items.

I am fortunate to live in an area where people who have a fruit tree in their yard are often happy to share, since they get so much fruit ripe all at once. If I see a tree, I will try to start a conversation with the owner, something like, " I was admiring your tree, do you get to use the fruit?" Depending on the feeling I get from them I can maybe ask how they might feel about letting me take some. I am not above taking what falls on the ground but not everyone has the kitchen space or the time to do the washing and sorting and cooking/feezing or other prep that may require.
 
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This thread is full of some very useful information and I'm not sure if I can add anything. I am somebody who loves my food and eats a lot but doesn't put on a lot of weight. One thing I noticed when I switched to a plant based diet is how little fat I was getting. Nuts aren't usually cheap but peanuts can be. I also eat quite a lot of Lentil chips but I don't know how readily available they are in the rest of the world. Maybe go easy on things like chips/crisps anyway but it won't hurt every now and then. I would have thought that tofu scramble with hash browns was calorie dense so probably a good breakfast but maybe I'm mistaken. Either way, I suspect the lower fat content of plant based foods is the issue here but having some extra starchy wholefoods is probably better than just replacing the fats with more fats.
 
This thread is full of some very useful information and I'm not sure if I can add anything. I am somebody who loves my food and eats a lot but doesn't put on a lot of weight. One thing I noticed when I switched to a plant based diet is how little fat I was getting. Nuts aren't usually cheap but peanuts can be. I also eat quite a lot of Lentil chips but I don't know how readily available they are in the rest of the world. Maybe go easy on things like chips/crisps anyway but it won't hurt every now and then. I would have thought that tofu scramble with hash browns was calorie dense so probably a good breakfast but maybe I'm mistaken. Either way, I suspect the lower fat content of plant based foods is the issue here but having some extra starchy wholefoods is probably better than just replacing the fats with more fats.
I monitor my diet with Cronometer.. I set a goal of 60% carbs, 20% protein, and 20% fats. The fat component was the most challenging in that I always went over 20% fat. most often I would be closer to 30 than to 20.
 
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I monitor my diet with Cronometer.. I set a goal of 60% carbs, 20% protein, and 20% fats. The fat component was the most challenging in that I always went over 20% fat. most often I would be closer to 30 than to 20.
I couldn't get the hang of Cronometer. I do know that I use oil too much in cooking and I eat too many lentil chips. Also, M is a chocolate and ice cream addict and I always feel compelled to eat with her. It's a real shame because she would like to eat less calories and I would like to eat healthier calories.
 
I couldn't get the hang of Cronometer. I do know that I use oil too much in cooking and I eat too many lentil chips. Also, M is a chocolate and ice cream addict and I always feel compelled to eat with her. It's a real shame because she would like to eat less calories and I would like to eat healthier calories.
There is a leaning curve to "getting the hang of cronometer". But understanding what goes in is the best first step in good nutrition. Send me a PM if you have specific issues.

A lot of people like using the app right when they are cooking or eating. I prefer sitting down at the computer at night and doing all the input at once. And once I got the hang of it - it really only takes a few minutes. But I admit that it took a lot longer for quite a while.

Since I eat a lot of things over and over again I eventually learned to turn almost everything into a recipe.
 
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