Healthy, dairy free and vegetarian ways to up calories

[Findingthingstough18]

I'm a week into a four week dairy exclusion diet - but since my breastfed five month old's eczema has really improved in this week I suspect this will be a long term thing for me as he does indeed seem to be reacting to dairy in my diet. The problem is that I express each morning and I've noticed the amount I get steadily dropping - this might be coincidence but I suspect it's because I'm eating too few calories. I added up what I ate yesterday and it came to 900 calories, which given what they say breastfeeding burns isn't nearly enough. I'm vegetarian, and was previously eating a lot of cheese! I don't really want to go any more carb-heavy than my diet currently is (which is quite) and I hate peanut butter, which seems to be the usual answer for a filling dairy-free snack. Any ideas for what I can eat to get a bit more energy into me without resorting to eating Oreos by the packet?!

Do you like whole nuts. Chocolate coated Almonds are nice to snack on. Sprinkle seeds on salad. Sprinkle pine nuts on pasta / rice dishes. Eggs. Olive oil. Coconut milk in curry. Puff pastry ( I know it's carby but it's delicious)

Oooh you know what I had for breakfast this morning which was lovely?

I put chia seeds, vanilla extract, soya milk, coconut flakes, frozen berries in a bowl and put them in the fridge overnight and it was sooo nice this morning, you could add oats and a banana too to up the calories.

Also all the hummous.

Look for recipes with beans or lentils and other grains/pulses. The thing that puts me off switching to a vegan diet is the lack of convenient but substantial snacks. Maybe things like humous, or soup, and things with oats so flapjacks etc.

Avocado mousse too, just mix an avocado, honey and cocoa powder together

Avocado and houmous are great choices. Or another nut butter - almond, cashew, hazelnut. Coconut milk or cream dishes. Or just eat the Oreos too. Why not?

I’m vegan and I’m also bulking so I have to eat 2200 calories of whole foods a day, it was a struggle at first but you get used to it.

Oh, and some substantial dairy-free flapjacks would hit the spot. You can throw in some raisins or dried fruit.

I ate a lot of dried apricots after both of mine were born, which had the added side benefit of being quite iron-rich.

Green lentils, butter beans, spinach, put in the microwave for 2 mins.
Put together 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1 soya sauce, the juice of a lemon and maple syrup, pour on top of pulses.
Top with Apple, walnuts and capers,
Serve with veggie sausages.

I only eat whole food and plant based and I would eat a ton of porridge with almond milk. Add in chia, flaxseed, sliced almonds and some maple syrup and you're good to go.
I also would supplement with fenugreek if you can.

I was eating a SAD when I was nursing but I remember oats were my friend for milk production.

Thanks so much, this is so helpful (except you Zara/spambot). So many good ideas that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of!

Try getting some coconut yoghurt (eg CoYo) - that’s pretty nutrient dense especially if you top it with nuts and seeds