Why does my vegetarian diet make me so hungry?

Question

it seems like everything I eat now are carbs , carbs and more carbs. All the crackers, cereal, oatmeal and pasta cant be good .. or is it?? Also, what can I eat to keep from being so hungry?? Today I had to break down and eat some fish, I had been starving for so long whats the secret? I've made Lentil soup, I was hungry just a few hours later. etc etc etc why does it seem like im always so hungry?

Answer 1

I think I would be hungry too if I all ate was carbs. Don't listen to all the people saying protein, you will notice in the vegetarian section as soon as someone has a problem with there diet all most people can say is protein. But the thing is all plant based food has protein/amino acids in them. Think of those powerfull animals that we humans use for labor (horses, elephants, camels, oxen) all these animals are vegetarian! Try eating some fruit and vegetables in EVERY meal, have fruit for breakfast, have a nice big vegetable salad for part of your lunch etc Fruit and vegetables are packed with nutrients that your body is probably lacking.

My diet is based on fruit and vegetables, next is carbs, nuts, seeds etc. I have a very physical job, I do resistance exercise at home every day, I do cardio every day, stretching. I NEVER lack energy, and I don't feel hungry aether.

Answer 2

Try eating nuts, beans, hummus, wholegrain breads are you vegan or vegetarian if your vegetarian try dairy have a glass of cold Milo on skim milk between meals.
Its sounds like this way of life is new to you just hang in there I have been vego (no eggs or fish either) for 13 yrs & I love it people feel sorry for me for being vego including my meat eater husband.
I dont eat a lot of carbs and I am not hungry all the time.
I find i am hungrier when I eat carbs if I have toast for breakfast I am starving 2hrs later.
For some snacks to get you through while you adjust & learn some more recipes try.
Baked beans on toast you could top this with some grated cheese.
A handfull of nuts.
Yougurt.
Milk or soya milk fruit smoothie.
Try making a lasagne with 3bean mix & a tin of lentils in place of the meat as I have a child I need to hide vegetables so I always put zuccini, carrots, capsicum, a sweet potato & onion through the food proccessor and then boil this into the lasagne sauce.
It trully is deliciouse.
Even my carnivourouse husband loves this.
Good luck hope you stick with this
PS I have never taken Iron tablets and have had perfect iron levels for the last 13yrs even through my pregnancy so if you eat a varied & well balanced diet you should start to feel like a very healthy person indeed.

Answer 3

First off....switch to whole grain versions of those carbs. Whole grains are good carbs and higher in fiber which make you feel fuller then the stuff made with enriched flour. Soup wouldnt fill me up either. Make hearty foods you like and just use replacements for the meat (mushrooms, soya products, quorn etc)

Answer 4

you are just not eating right. it's very healthy to eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day, but not to be always hungry. you need a good protein source as well. despite what dr. atkins thinks, carbs are not bad for you. complex carbs are actually really good for you diet. try discovering some great tofu recipes for protein or try morningstar patties for protein. the black bean patties, garden patties and tomato basil patties are great. they are made of tpv for their protien and in no way are supposed to look or taste like meat.

Answer 5

First off, people have been misinformed about carbs with all the Atkins crap these days, but actually 90% of your daily energy comes from carbs, and according to the daily food pyramid, most of your food intake should be complex carbs. Also, if you say you're feeling unsatisfied, the key to staying full is eating several small meals throughout the day, along with a high fiber diet. Fiber keeps you fuller longer. And since you're a vegetarian, make sure you are eating foods containing B12 vitamins, this will also help your body stay in equilibrium, since you may be deficient in the proteins that are in meat.

Hope this helps, I was a vegan for 5 months and a Vegetarian for 2 and a half years. ( I'm now carnivorous again).

Answer 6

You have to eat more beans, less carbs. Tofu, mushrooms, fake meat etc. I love pea soup, try that, it'll fill you up, or at least pasta. Or bean chili. OR eggplant dishes, that always fills me up.

to be honest im not the best person to tell you this cause I dont eat too much, at times I eat ALOT, but in general im filled up. But hoped I helped you anyways.

Answer 7

I'm willing to bet that the fact that your vegetarian diet has left you ravenous is that you are mainly consuming carbohydrates and are skimping on the protein and fat that you need in order to fell full longer....a good way to get these into your diet without consuming meat is to eat nuts...peanut butter, peanuts, almonds, and any other type of nut are good meatless sources of protein and a healthy source of dietary fat....still hungry? try bulking up your fruit and vegetable intake for more volume for less calories!

Answer 8

you are obviously not eating right. Where are the veggies in your diet? A twice baked potato is very filling. So is eggplant, turnips, rutabega, parsnips, apples, pears, etc. Whole grains, beans (bean and cheese tacos and burittos are yummy) mashed potato and bean cakes, etc. Just eat something filling, and with good protein. Snack on raw veggies and hummus

Answer 9

Don't starve!

Have meat replacements.
I mean, tofu, beans and nuts is great, but there are also veggie burgers, fake chicken strips, fake ground meat... and so on and so on.
also a protein shake helps keep me full.

Your body is not calling for meat, but it is calling for a food group, in your case most likely protein. but make sure to get alot of fresh greens!

Answer 10

Maybe it's because you aren't eating enough calories... Do you often feel tired? Because the more food you eat, the more energy you'll have. I suggest eating more fruits and veggies. A little bit of dark chocolate is good