The KInd Life Community Forum

Hi everyone! I'm loving being a vegan, but I have lost about 7 pounds...I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but my friends have expressed concern, and when I look in the mirror now, I look a little too thin (I'm 5 foot 6, currently 120 pounds, and 22 years old). I realize that to some this may not seem thin, but I have bigger bones and honestly see too much of them when I look in the mirror. I've been trying to do the superhero diet, but I work so many hours as a nanny that I'm always out and about, so most of the time for dinner I'll just grab anything that's quick, which is usually fruit or a handful of beans. I eat plain beans and grains a lot because I feel overwhelmed about making something "elaborate", but I often get bored of the taste and don't eat enough. How much beans and grains should I be eating to get adequate calories? I don't eat many nut butters or bread. I've always had a relatively fast metabolism, but how much should I be eating? I'm so tired from work, and honestly the easiest option for me would just be to make vegan convenience foods. But I worry about eating too many refined carbohydrates. I tend to worry about gaining weight but don't have much of a reason to seeing as I never have before and I'm only 22...What are some quick meals/healthy filling snacks that I could make and freeze or store to be grabbed or reheated easily? Some suggestions for grab-and-go treats (not too sugary please)? I'm on a very strict budget and can't afford to buy many vegan specialty foods, and I still feel relatively new to veganism even though I've been doing it for a while. I've been subsisting on mostly watercress salad, squash, brown rice, and beans, and I tend to feel hungry A LOT! Thanks for any help!

you must prioritze eating full meals.
so have a great breakfast...a grain(even if its toast or good cereal) if you have trouble keeping weight on then this will not be a problem...but ideally you would only have that a few times a week. and have rice or one of the superhero porriages in am with greens and miso. it can be quick too.
lunch a grain about a cup and a protien tempeh and seitan and beans, alternating depending on your mood but mostly bens about 1 cup of protien should do the trick. and lots of fresh veg dishes.
and dinner can be the same with or without proteins.
and let yourself snack on fruit or whatever you love.
reread the book.
make nori wraps they are just leftovers wrapped in nori.
dont worry about weight loss...just eat well and take care of yourself and it will come back. but you must take care of yourself and eat proper meals.

Evie, I totally understand how u feel. I'm the same way. i'm 5"4" and weigh 107 and i have to eat alot to keep weight on. I make sure to measure my grains to make sure I get a full cup otherwise i don't get enough and I also do like Alicia says and do a protein at lunch and dinner usually beans, tempah, seitan. For breakfast I have steel cut oats with a banana and almond butter. i do a little extra oatmeal in the morning if I'm working out. I also snack on Almond butter 1 Tbsp in the afternoon on a piece of fruit. So far I'm holding steady at 107 but I hear the same thing from everyone that I look way too thin when I feel great. In the evening i eat a few of the vegan cookies or a bowl of puffed kamut. I've found u can easily prepare these meals as I'm busy too with work and school. I make a big batch of rice, millet, or barley and lentils and beans and keep them in the fridge and just lightly steam different veggies to change it up at every meal. Please keep us posted. U have support and we all care about u and ur health.

You guys are great! Thank you for the help! Today I actually measured my protein and grain servings in a cup, and I found I was definitely not getting enough! What was in front of me seemed like a lot of food and I felt weird eating it all, but afterwards I felt full for a number of hours and I'm not starving or craving sugar! I think I'm going to have to keep measuring portions until I know what a full serving looks like...Is it okay to eat the same grain every day for 3 or 4 days, or should I make 2 or 3 grains in bulk and then refrigerate them? Tofu cream sounds like a great idea btw. I'm excited. Thank you so much for the support everyone! I don't want to give my doubtful friends the satisfaction of thinking this diet doesn't work haha. I've never felt better since I've cut out the dairy and meat. Thanks for the quick meal suggestions...If you can, keep 'em coming! I'm learning :). Here's one of mine that tastes really yummy: a piece of toast with olive oil drizzled on top, a spread of hummus, pre-cooked beans that have been re-cooked until soft and spreadable with a little water, salt, pepper, and maple syrup (they taste like baked beans that way), a dollop of pesto (make sure there's no cheese in it) and some raspberries or other sweet fruit on top. The combination of flavors is excellent even though it sounds a tad weird. Hope you enjoy :).