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Original poster

Vegan diet-need to gain weight

27 replies

Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 17:53

Can anyone advise some high calorie vegan foods/recipes.
Dd needs to gain approx 2 stone and we are struggling a bit. We have got some hemp and pea powder for smoothies and she likes avocados and nuts. Could do with some other ideas too
Thankyou

OP posts:
RiaOverTheRainbow · 29/04/2017 18:07

Chocolate, cake, biscuits and crisps have just as many calories when they're vegan unfortunately.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 29/04/2017 18:10

Peanut butter
Lotus spread

Eaten out of the jar with a spoon Blush

Cheese is pretty calorific?

Original poster
Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 19:38

I didn't know the lotus spread was vegan !

OP posts:
Original poster
Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 19:38

We are yet to find a vegan cheese that dd likes. So far they are all either too strong or too rubbery

OP posts:
LaContessaDiPlump · 29/04/2017 19:40

Nuts nuts nuts. Also chips, chocolate and crisps.

CoffeeAndOranges · 29/04/2017 19:41

Coconut oil? Those blocks of coconut cream you chop up to put in curries taste like heaven itself and are about 10,000 calories per block (give or take).

CoffeeAndOranges · 29/04/2017 19:41

Medjool dates stuffed with almond butter and dark chocolate....drool

FurryDogMother · 29/04/2017 19:44

Chips with everything? Almond milk and banana smoothies. Flavoured dipping oils and balsamic glazes for dipping bread into. Avocado oil on salads, with croutons. Croutons in soup. Coconut cream. Fried slices of aubergine. Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes in oil and broad beans.

defineme · 29/04/2017 19:45

Deep fat fryer, peanut butter everything, smoothies in between meals, cakes always to hand. 2 stone is a lot, so i can see it might be a struggle.

Original poster
Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 19:48

Will def get some coconut cream that sounds like it will help. I'm assuming it can be added to pretty much anything ?

OP posts:
CoffeeAndOranges · 29/04/2017 19:53

The blocks of coconut cream are hard but melt into curries etc or can be dissolved to make coconut milk. You tend to find it with the stir fry storecupboard stuff. She could nibble chunks as a snack.

Also, ice cream made with frozen bananas, peanut butter or coconut milk, cocoa etc can work out quite high calorie.

StillNoFuckingEyeDeer · 29/04/2017 19:59

Pea protein tastes foul.

Huel makes good smoothies.

Lots of nuts, nut butter.
Hummus, guacamole & crisps.

Pestilentialone · 29/04/2017 20:12

Two stone underweight is a lot. Have you seen a doctor and got a dietician referral.

TolpuddleFarterOATB · 29/04/2017 20:19

Would it maybe be wise to consider ditching the veganism for the time being whilst you are aiming for DD to gain weight?

I understand you probably care about animal welfare, but I think for now your daughter's welfare should come first.

PaperdollCartoon · 29/04/2017 20:22

High fat stuff like more oil, coconut and olive, in cooking. Nuts and nutbutter. Avocado. Vegan cheese. There shouldn't be any reason you can't gain weight on a vegan diet.

PaperdollCartoon · 29/04/2017 20:23

TolPuddle there's plenty of high calorie food that's vegan. We don't just eat salads!

Littlepond · 29/04/2017 20:25

I went vegan for a while and gained a lot of weight (which I didn't want to!!). I ate a lot of hummus, avocado, crisps, vegan chocolate, chips cooked in vegan friendly oil, peanut butter... so much peanut butter... I had to go to slimming world to try and lose the weight being vegan had made me gain and being a vegan at slimming world was awful lol

Original poster
Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 20:25

I'm not vegan (I'm not even vegetarian) -dd has chosen to be for her own reasons. I have tried to gently help her explore perhaps even temporarily eating some dairy again but she is completely against the idea so I have to respect that.
Dd is under a consultant and dietician so hopefully we will get the appointment soon

OP posts:
Minimoan · 29/04/2017 20:42

I do not want to worry you, but it is very common in anorexia for a young person to chose to become vegan. The eating disorder 'clouds' the young person's recognition that the primary drive is to severely restrict both the range of foods eaten and the calofic intake.

The young person often will state vehemently that it is purely for ethical reasons, but also find multiple reasons why they cannot eat vegan foods that have higher calories/fat content (a dislike of taste/texture is a common excuse!). This is despite evidence of severe weight loss, which demonstrates a higher calorific intake is urgently required. The young person will often also deny they are underweight or need to increase their weight.

If treated for anorexia, all inpatient and day patient programmes and most outpatient treatment programmes will not allow vegan diets to be followed (only vegetarian diets), due to the body needing dairy to recover fully. The young person's health is placed above their ethical beliefs, as being very underweight for a significant period of time can cause long term health and fertility issues throughout adulthood. Therefore, regaining weight as soon as possible is the priority, alongside supportive psychological therapies.

I would suggest you look at the 'Around The Dinner Table' forum for excellent advice - www.aroundthedinnertable.org/?forum=136439#gsc.tab=0

Hope this information give you pause for thought.

Pestilentialone · 29/04/2017 20:43

Lots of good advice here if you are building your DD up after a serious illness. Vegan food can be yummy and fattening.
However if she has an eating disorder, veganism is part of the issue.
Good luck Excitement I've worked out the rough numbers and you need to push to get a dietician appointment soon. Flowers
Make sure she gets calcium, iron and B vits so that there is no long term damage.

Pestilentialone · 29/04/2017 20:44

x post

TempehTantrum · 29/04/2017 21:02

I'd try and add dips, sauces or spreads with every meal. There are lots of recipes of nut/ seed - vegetable combinations besides the obvious hummus or guacomole.
This is a good recipe for vegan 'cheese' sauce. It is very nutritious especially if you add the nutritional yeast last minute (heating nutrional yeast for too long destroys the nutrional value). And maybe have nutritional yeast flakes (vitamin B) on the table to add as topping to meals as well (if she likes it).
Good luck!

Original poster
Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 21:03

We did suspect that as it went pescetarian-vegetarian-vegan but the weight loss has been attributed to heart rate and metabolism (although I've not totally ruled out other problems in addition to physical ones)
She is very very willing to eat-and has been making a huge effort to get more calories in so what I imagine is the opposite to someone with an eating disorder although I'm keeping an open mind

OP posts:
Pestilentialone · 29/04/2017 21:22

Keep that open mind, the ingenuity involved in bulimia is mind blowing. Hope you get to the bottom of it and get her well again.

Original poster
Excitement2017 · 29/04/2017 21:28

Yes I will definitely. You know when you just have that 'feeling' that's you've not got to the bottom of something 100%
This is why I want to give it a try with high calorie vegan foods and then see where we are. I can see that the physical causes are genuine but treatment is being started next week so they plus the increase in calories should soon turn things around, if not then that's when I will dig deeper

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