5 Tips for Making a Vegan Meal Feel Filling and Satisfying (2024)

FAQs

5 Tips for Making a Vegan Meal Feel Filling and Satisfying? ›

Dietary fibre: Foods full of dietary fibre - like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds - help promote feelings of fullness. Solid foods: The process of chewing food - and chewing slowly, to boot - helps send fullness cues to your brain, promoting feelings of satiation.

Dietary fibre: Foods full of dietary fibre - like fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds - help promote feelings of fullness. Solid foods: The process of chewing food - and chewing slowly, to boot - helps send fullness cues to your brain, promoting feelings of satiation.

Eat a protein serving with each meal to keep you feeling full. Great vegan and vegetarian protein sources are beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, quinoa, lentils, whole grains, and starchy vegetables. As long as you focus on whole foods (rich in nutrients) and avoid processed foods and oils, it will be hard to overeat.

Bulk up your meal.

Tweak a well-known and beloved family favorite by adding more vegetables! For example, add cauliflower rice to taco meat or mix pasta sauce with your favorite diced vegetables. Doing so adds vitamins and minerals that your body needs while also giving the meal a new and satisfying texture.

Healthful foods that are high in protein, fiber, or both tend to be filling. Rich sources of protein for vegans include foods such as soybeans, pulses, and some nuts and seeds. Oats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit are all good sources of fiber.

A plant-based (i.e., vegan or vegetarian) meal will lead to better mood, higher satiety, and less stress compared to an omnivorous meal. Higher fiber content in the meals will mediate higher mood and satiety and lower stress, whereas higher unrefined sugar and fat content will mediate the opposite.

Without eggs and dairy in their diet, vegans need to keep an eye on their calcium and vitamin D intake as well as protein and vitamin B12. It's important to keep in mind that these diets aren't just about excluding certain foods. They're also about adding other foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

The brain uses the amino acid tryptophan to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter largely responsible for feelings of happiness and well-being. Plant-based sources of tryptophan include leafy greens, sunflower seeds, watercress, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, mushrooms, broccoli, and peas.

How to go 100% vegan? ›

You could start by removing meat or dairy one day a week and go from there. Or you could try changing one meal at a time, having vegan breakfasts during your first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on.

A vegan diet is based on plants (such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits) and foods made from plants. Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs.

The framework is this: For each meal or snack, aim to include a source of carbohydrate, protein, fiber, and fat. When each of these is present, your meal or snack will have a mixture of flavors, textures, nutrients, and energy sources that will leave you feeling satisfied.

It might seem obvious, but "one of the reasons why you might feel hungrier when you transition to a vegan or plant-based diet is because you may not be eating enough calories and nutrients," explains Julie Barrette, a senior clinical dietician with Providence Mission Hospital.

So if you're looking to build muscle on a vegan diet, make sure your meals are loaded with high-protein options like seitan (made from wheat gluten), tofu, lentils, and beans (chickpeas are great). These foods are low in fat and high in fiber—and they don't contain any cholesterol!

To boost satiety and promote better appetite control, aim to include a source of protein in each meal and snack. High-quality protein sources include: fish such as salmon or tuna, eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken breast, and plant-based protein sources like lentils or chickpeas.