How To Gain Weight On A Vegan Diet

Everyone has a different body size, metabolism rate, allergies, likes and dislikes. Taking note of these and knowing what works for each person would help a lot to gain weight as a vegetarian. The following outlines are ways to gain weight in the healthiest way possible.

The first thing to know is the current weight of such an individual and how many kilograms or pounds they want to add on.
The individual should figure out their current calorie intake level. Then, try to keep track of what you consume for a while and learn how to calculate how many calories each meal contains.

Add more calories to the current diet. Find out which meals are calorie-dense and consume more of them. For instance, whilst the consumption of salads is healthy, it would not give as many calories as a dish of sweet potatoes would.
Increase the quantity of food intake. In the quest to gain weight, an individual must be ready to increase the food they consume. This does not mean turning into a glutton. Instead, try to take in calorie-dense vegetarian foods such as nuts and dry fruits in between meals.
Consume more energy-dense foods. Asides from the routine meals timetable, try to incorporate energy-dense meals into the timetable. Keep energy snack bars close by also.
Figure out fruits and vegetables with high calories and frequently make and drink smoothies.
Eat refined carbohydrates. They include; Pasta, bread, noodles, flour-based products such as pastries, white rice instead of brown, etc.
Skip excessive exercises that make you lose weight. Focus on activities that help strengthen the muscles instead.
Do not drink water intermittently during meals. Water fills up the room in the stomach that is meant to be occupied by food. Reduce water intake to be able to consume more calorie-dense foods.
In case such individual smokers should quit smoking. This is because smoking leads to a drop in body weight asides from its detrimental effect on health.
Caffeine tends to make an individual lose appetite. Therefore, avoid anything containing caffeine while trying to gain weight.
Sometimes, junk food such as chocolates is a healthy means to gain weight. Consumption of these should however be moderated.

MEALS TO CONSUME AS A VEGETARIAN TO GAIN WEIGHT AND LOOK HEALTHY

Rice is a calorie-dense carbohydrate that provides a little bit of protein and fibre. It is also a good source of magnesium, phosphorus and niacin. It is cost-effective and widely consumed in every corner of the world. It also helps in gradual weight gain healthily. It can be served alongside various vegetarian side dishes such as vegetables, salad, stew, plantain, etc.

Legumes are generally high in calories, protein and fibre. They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium. Examples of legumes include; beans, white and brown beans, soybeans, green peas, peanuts and melon. These legumes can be prepared for consumption by either cooking them as soups or using them as spices.
Nuts are good sources of healthy fats, protein and calories. Common nuts include walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds and peanuts. A periodic consumption of these nuts in a moderate quantity can help gain a moderate amount of weight. An easier choice could also be the ones that have been made into jars of butter or jelly. The most commonly found of these is peanut butter.
Sweet potatoes: They are high in calories, fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which protect the body and promote a healthy gut and brain. They can be prepared by either boiling alone, making porridge or fried as chips.

Avocado: Avocados are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It is healthy for the heart, good for vision, helps to prevent cancer, improves digestion, and helps in the natural detoxification of the internal organs. It can be cut up into slices and eaten, blended like a smoothie or made into a paste and spread on bread.
Olive oil: Olive oil is high in calories, monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. It helps to relieve constipation, benefits heart health, helps stabilize blood sugar, and reduces inflammation. It can be used to cook and also drizzle over salad dressing.
Smoothies- Smoothies are rich in fibre, protein, and healthy fat. They keep an individual hydrated, help to stay full for a longer period, aid digestion, boost immunity, gives the skin a healthy glow, detoxifies the body, stimulates the brain activity, builds stronger bones, balances the hormones in the body and most importantly, help in gaining a healthy amount of weight.

Dried fruit: They are great sources of calories, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Increases nutrient intake, prevents and controls diabetes, boosts the immune system, improves colon and digestive health, aids healthy pregnancies, prevents bone-related illnesses, improves heart health, keeps skin healthy and is a good energy booster. Since dried fruit is also high in natural sugars, it is best to combine it with a nutritious protein source to minimize the potential effects on blood sugar.
Coconut oil: It helps in increasing good cholesterol, controlling blood sugar, and reducing stress.
Vegetarian pizza and burgers: Pizzas and burgers are naturally known to contain dense calories. All the ingredients combined to make these vegetarian pizzas and burgers give a healthy boost to their content, making it a good meal in the quest to gain weight in a vegan way.