Introduction
If
you have lost a lot of weight due to illness, your doctor or dietitian
may advise you to increase your intake of energy and protein. They may
try to persuade you that your vegetarian diet is unsuitable. Do stick to
your principles. This Information Sheet is to enable you to choose vegetarian
foods which will help you to gain weight and recover from illness.
The energy density of foods
is important when trying to gain weight. Energy density refers to the
amount of energy or calories compared to the weight of the food. Vegetable
foods tend to be less energy dense and so it is particularly important
for vegetarians to be aware of suitable foods.
When you are poorly, modern
healthy eating advice to reduce fat, reduce sugar and increase fibre,
is peripheral to your immediate needs. If you know you must increase
your energy and protein intake, you can do so by increasing your fat
and sugar intake, and also try to avoid large amounts of fibre.
If You Are Underweight
But Healthy
If you are not ill but feel you are underweight
and need to gain then not all the advice on this sheet is suitable
for you. You should try and increase your food intake without consuming
too much fat and sugar although a little with the right type of
food is fine. For example, you can use olive oil on baked or boiled
potatoes and sugar in a nutritious wholemeal fruit cake.
Regular meals, especially breakfast,
are important if you find it difficult to gain weight. Taking your
time with meals and making sure you are relaxed is also important to
ensure that your digestive system functions properly. A glass of wine
with an evening meal is beneficial to relax you as well as stimulating
your digestive juices.
Some people are just naturally
thin no matter how much they eat and the envy of those who gain weight
easily. As long as you are in good health and do not drop below the
recommended range of weights for your height you should not worry.
Exercise can help build up your muscles and make you feel better about
your body shape.
Lack of Appetite
If
your appetite is poor, you must not forget to eat. Try to have small
but frequent meals, and if you can manage, snacks in between. You may
like to try nutritious drinks between meals.
If you feel nauseous, try to
avoid strong cooking smells and have a short walk or perhaps just sit
in the fresh air before a meal.
Protein
Protein
is essential to the body, for repair, to enable the immune system
to function and for recovery from illness. If you are recovering from
illness, it is important to include adequate protein in your diet.
Good vegetarian
sources of protein include: cereals, nuts & seeds, soya products
(soya milk, tofu, tempeh etc) and pulses. Milk, yoghurt, cheese,
and free
range eggs are also excellent protein sources for the non-vegan.
You must ensure that you include
a protein source at each meal. Try to choose the energy dense sources
of protein that are relatively soft and which do not contain to much
fibre, for example, the soya or dairy sources of protein.
Try nut butters. There are many
more available other than peanut butter, try others such as hazel nut
or cashew nut butter.
Soya products are excellent
and easily digested sources of protein. Choose the nutritional supplemented
soya milks with added calcium and sugar.
If you use dairy products, make
good use of soft milky puddings, such as custard and rice pudding.
Vegans can also get a variety of soya pudding, including soya rice
pudding. If you like, add jam, honey, ground nuts or cream to your
pudding. Porridge with a couple of tablespoons of added vegetable oil,
perhaps with some nuts and/or dried fruit, can be very nutritious.
If you prefer to have white
bread, white pasta and refined rice, then do so. But remember that
the wholemeal varieties are very good sources of the B vitamins.
Make good use of cereal products
(wheat, barley, rye, oats etc.), although avoid too much fibre. Complement
cereals with other sources of proteins, such as nuts, seeds, pulses,
milk and cheese.
Seeds, such as sesame seeds
(tahini) or sunflower seeds, when ground as a paste, can also provide
an energy dense source of protein in the diet. Tahini is particularly
good when combined with a mashed pulse, such as chick peas to make
hummus.
Pulses
are more easily digested if well cooked and mashed. Try mashed lentils
or pureed black eye beans.
Energy
In
order to gain weight it is essential to increase the energy content of
your diet. Also, in order for your body to make proper use of protein,
you must ensure sufficient energy. The most concentrated form of energy
in the diet is from fat. If you can tolerate fat then try and increase
the fat content of your diet.
Alcohol is also a concentrated
form of energy and can be taken in moderation, perhaps before meals,
as it may help improve your appetite. Only take alcohol with your doctors
permission.
If you can tolerate oils, try
adding some vegetable oil or vegetable margarine to your food, particularly
to mashed pulses, salads and potatoes. If you like fried foods, then
have fried foods.
Use cream if you can tolerate
fats. A good vegan alternative to cream is cashew nut cream, made from
ground cashew nuts and water.
Do not restrict your sugar intake,
although always have sweet foods after the savoury part of your meal.
Glucose is a less sweet and more concentrated form of sugar. Glucose
can be added to foods and drinks, such as porridge and cocoa drinks
to increase your energy intake. Check with your dietitian about using
glucose. She may suggest that your doctor prescribes you a special
type of non-sweet, high calorie supplement, which can be added to foods
and drinks.
If you like to have soup, make
sure the soup is as nutritious as possible. Add pureed lentils, vegetable
oil, butter, whole milk, cream or cheese.
Make good use of the wide range
of vegetable pates and spreads available.
General Advice
- You may prefer to take puddings
half an hour to one hour after your first course, this will enable
time for the first course to settle.
- You may find ice-cream, soya
or dairy, refreshing after meals.
- Make good use of a food blender,
if you have one, to blend fruit, vegetable and pulses.
- Have meals with a good sauce,
made with pureed fried onions, perhaps with tomatoes or mushrooms.
To increase the energy density of sauces use butter or vegan margarine
and add soya milk, silken tofu, cow's milk or cream.
- Do make sure you include a
source of vitamin C in your diet, perhaps fresh fruit juice, black-currant
cordial or rosehip syrup.
- Try and eat some fresh fruit
and vegetables or salad each day, especially green vegetables, to
ensure you get your full compliment of vitamins and minerals. If
you cannot tolerate whole fruit or crunchy vegetables, take them
as fruit juice or a pureed soup made with fresh vegetables.
- High energy drinks, can be
made using whole cow's milk, sweetened soya milk or silken tofu,
with glucose, honey or sugar and a flavouring of your choice such
as chocolate or vanilla.
- You can buy products from
the chemists, to have as meal replacements, when your appetite is
particularly poor. Do check on their suitability for vegetarians.
- Ask your doctor or dietitian
about including a vitamin or mineral supplement in your diet. If
you choose to take a supplement, inform your doctor and dietitian.
Multi-vitamin and mineral tablets should not do you any harm, as
long as you stick to the recommended dose.
If
You Still Need Extra Protein & Energy
Your doctor can prescribe for
you special supplements which can help you to gain weight. You
would usually be referred to a dietitian, who can nutritional assess
you and recommend the correct type of supplement.
If you are concerned about the
suitability of a any product, for vegetarians or vegans, which have
been prescribed for you, contact The
Vegetarian Society. Also contact us if you are having problems
with health professionals who may be sceptical about your vegetarian
or vegan diet. |
