Please help!

[LilAnn]

I am new at being a vegan. I don't know any other vegans in real life or otherwise. I decided to do this because I desperately need to lose weight and improve my health all around. I'm finding that nothing I eat is as filling as I'm used to. I never really feel full and I'm always looking for something else to eat. Can anybody tell me the best food for feeling satisfied afterward? I am just so hungry and really tempted to get my hands on a nice juicy steak. Please help?

 

[Connie]

You need to be looking at a combination of things.
Without know what exactly you are eating right now and how much of a diet you are on (as in how many calories a day you are restricting yourself to) it is difficult to advise.

However.

Protein - address this and you should not be as hungry. You need to look at pulses, grains, beans and nuts.
Here is a great resource which gives you loads of information on protein.
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php

Next you need to consider fibre.
Fibre fills you up for longer and is very good for the bowel as I am sure you have heard about by now.
Bananas are always cited as a good source of fibre. Sadly I can't have them. What I can have though is maize which can be made into popcorn... It also counts as 1 of your 5 a day and is great for munching on when you are peckish in the evening. I'm not talking about the shop bought or cinema stuff though. In the UK we can get one by Butterkist which is Sweet & Salted Microwave popcorn. It is only 80 calories per serving. Sadly the microwave packs come in 3 serving sizes, but that gives you around 120 calories if you split a bag with someone (my husband never says no) and is much better than munching on things like pringles or a handy pack/sharing pack of something like kettle crisps which have a much higher calorie content. Better still is the DIY popcorn, but you need to control yourself with the amount of oil you put in. A single tablespoon of oil has 120 calories and it is all too easy to add more than a single tablespoon full.
There are plenty of other sources of fibre as well, beans and pulses obviously contain fibre and help to keep you full for longer. But as I said earlier, without some idea on what you are eating now and what your goals are calorie wise, it is hard to advice.

Also you have to train your body to realise that being hungry is not a bad thing. That is one of the most difficult things after sorting out your diet.

 

[Andrea Phillips]

Well, for me, whenever I eat a salad, I add either an avocado or some nuts, or some tofu in it. This makes the salad so much more filling. I get so full and satisfied eating beans and cornbread. I also make burgers out of vegetables or beans and make a sandwich with tasty sauces and garnishes. It is filling without the calories. One last thing, before I eat in the morning, I drink nutrients to satisfy my body; like gingseng tea, or molasses and kelp water or a shake with protein powder.

 

[Alexia]

Changing your diet always requires time to adapt. If you don't feel full, then you aren't eating the right foods and veganism isn't a way to lose weight. It can help by controlling your diet, but maybe you should consider losing weight gradually.

I find soup always is a good way to feel full, so a vegetable soup or lentil soup with croutons or bread as a snack fills you up or wholewheat crackers with hummus or guacomole are also very filling. Baked beans on toast is another vegan and healthy snack which is filling, so there are options available.

 

[kim1984]

I agree with Alexia above about the soup. Soup has always been something that has filled me up - the warmth and the volume tends to just work for me. Also if you're adding protein in (loving lentils or quinoa in soup lately - they're great additions!) then that's also going to assist in keeping you fuller for longer. I also liked the point mentioned that being hungry is a normal thing - obviously not to the point of starvation of course but we don't need full bellies every minute of the day -- that took me some getting used to as well!

 

[elvisish]

You need time to adapt, as with any new diet but also just try various things to try and bulk up the meal and its nutrishness! For instant, you could try a vegetable bean burger in a whole meal bun with baby potatoes, carrots, peas, and sweetcorn, that would give you plenty of protein, vitamins and carbs! Delicious and filling For lunch, try two medium sized jacket potatoes with baked beans and maybe even a vegan sausage chopped up in the beans, I often have this!

 

[Josie]

I'll ditto what everyone else is saying and add; up your portions! I know you want to lose weight, but that will still happen if you're eating unprocessed foods.. it's so hard to overeat. Eat until you're full.. it's so so sooooo important. If you're hungry, you're not eating enough, simple as that.