High-calorie Vegetarian Diet?

KharismaticKayteh

When I think of high-calorie vegetarian diets, I think of Crudessence, a Vegan restaurant which makes DECADENT food. OMG it is so delicious. They have recipes online: http://www.crudessence.com/en/recettes/recipe-book
and they just came out with their own recipe book.

Instead of cheese, they use macadamia nuts to make a "ricotta" cheese. Their cheesecakes have no dairy in them but they are so delicious! Their white sauces are made of various nuts, so high in calories and a lot of healthy fats.

Oh, wow, that's really interesting -- faux cheese made from nuts.

Moyzilla

I make a lot of salad meals by combining either beans or a grain with vegetables. I mix it all together with olive oil, vinegar and some sort of herbs/seasoning. Adding a liberal amount of olive oil in the dressing/marinade adds plenty of calories pretty quickly. I tend to make large amounts than dish it into single servings to eat throughout the week.

KharismaticKayteh

So it's really hard for me to keep up my caloric intake, as I am a very dainty eater and I am easily satisfied with low-calorie foods, like tomatoes and cucumbers. Anyway, I want to go on a vegetarian diet, just for the health benefit, but I'm worried I'll have any more trouble reaching my calorie needs.

Anyone have any ideas of various foods that are vegetarian-friendly (which includes fish for me), but are also moderate- or high-calorie foods? I'm drawing a complete blank.

Exactly what "health benefits" are you looking for? If you're already having trouble reaching your calorie goals, further restricting your diet will be worse for you than any perceived health benefits* a vegetarian diet will give.

*From a scientific standpoint, there is no health advantage to eating vegetarian, compared to a healthy diet that includes meat. Health markers are the same, life expectancy is the same.

It's just easier for me to stay away from junk if I go vegetarian. When I get paid and I feel like, "Oh, god, McDonald's is nearby," it's easier for me to turn it down by thinking, "No, most of what they offer is meat" when I go vegetarian than to think, "No, all their food is terrible for me" when I am just dieting. Really, my diet is already mostly vegetarian, but the few meats and such I eat are fried or fast food, and it's just nasty. Going vegetarian cold-hard vegetarian (or even "occasional" vegetarian) will benefit me much more than my current diet, I just need to reach my calorie goals.

It is very easy to become a horrible junk-food eating vegetarian. When I first became a vegetarian, potatoes became my lifeline (and added to my waist line). Not good. I did not see the light and start eating like a vegetarian that had some sense until January of this year. I'm not sure exactly how many calories you are hoping to hit, but my calories are set at 1300 (plus I eat most of my exercise calories). Feel free to add me for ideas. My diary is open to friends (but its not always pretty - like today).

Oh, no, I know what you mean -- there are some vegetarian-friendly foods that are still junk, definitely. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. My weakness is green veggies (though I do love me some potatoes)!

KharismaticKayteh

I make a lot of salad meals by combining either beans or a grain with vegetables. I mix it all together with olive oil, vinegar and some sort of herbs/seasoning. Adding a liberal amount of olive oil in the dressing/marinade adds plenty of calories pretty quickly. I tend to make large amounts than dish it into single servings to eat throughout the week.

Ohhh, that's perfect! I made a salad recently with just sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, which only added to, seriously, a very, very low two-digit calorie count, but a little Caesar dressing brought it up to nearly two hundred calories.

prettythinlove

Love this post! Not that it's low calorie, but falafel's are a great meat replacement and are absolutley mouth watering! I have them in wraps, burgers, salads: whatever!

Marinated tofu is really high in calories, but look on the packet to make sure they aren't packed with persevaties and artificial BS.

I love being vegetarian :-)

celticgladiator

Oh man, I would eat tiny dishes of curry all day. They'd all be DOSED with coconut cream and tahini or peanut butter. It would just be me and curry, a fine relationship of saucy vegetables and fish, tofu, or seitan.

This is a daily menu I could get behind!

i make veggie curry often now, i just love it!

doubglass

Better get used to nuts and legumes. I frankly couldn't do it--takes too much planning to get the protein I need to maintain weight.

pdworkman

I just made falafels yesterday. They were awesome and everybody raved about them.

Love this post! Not that it's low calorie, but falafel's are a great meat replacement and are absolutley mouth watering! I have them in wraps, burgers, salads: whatever!

Marinated tofu is really high in calories, but look on the packet to make sure they aren't packed with persevaties and artificial BS.

I love being vegetarian :-)

daffodilsoup

What do you mean by "without having a lot of 'mass' involved"?

OP had noted that she is easily satisfied with a small amount of food, and therefore it could be hard for her to get calories in. Peanut butter, for instance, packs a ton of calories (well, like 180) into two tablespoons of the stuff, so it's easier for her to get calories in without having to eat massive amounts of food. Sorry if that was worded poorly.

Better get used to nuts and legumes. I frankly couldn't do it--takes too much planning to get the protein I need to maintain weight.

Personally, I find the effort to be 100% worth it

crystallayne

I had a friend awhile ago that was a vegetarian and very heavy. It turns out that doritos are vegetarian!

TheFunBun

OH. I forgot to add this.

My vegan BFF makes this tsatsiki alternative, so yum. http://rawfoodbooks.info/252/raw-tzatziki-sauce-recip/ and it's SO DELICIOUS. Excellent with crudites or falafel chips (also the best!)

Also, you could make the olive oiliest hummus ever. My mouth waters imagining it. I want to live inside of your body while you eat high calorie vegetarian delights.

SpazzyMal

Things high in fats are good for adding calories. Avocado, olive oil, nuts. Also there's always carbs and starches. Beans, too! High calorie vegetarian diets are definitely doable, you just have to eat more of these things.

Vegan_Chick

OH. I forgot to add this.

My vegan BFF makes this tsatsiki alternative, so yum. http://rawfoodbooks.info/252/raw-tzatziki-sauce-recip/ and it's SO DELICIOUS. Excellent with crudites or falafel chips (also the best!)

Also, you could make the olive oiliest hummus ever. My mouth waters imagining it. I want to live inside of your body while you eat high calorie vegetarian delights.

Yum, I am gonna make this

LittleSimoni

Quinoa

LittleSimoni

Sadly so is Ice Cream. I still remember last 4th of July. Ate a WHOLE bag of Doritos and a WHOLE carton of Hagan Daz. Sigh. No wonder I'm 16 lbs overweight

Bentley2718

I've never heard the term! I always thought the same thing ("Uhh... fish is an animal, duh") any time I've been told that fish is acceptable as part of a vegetarian diet.

I do know of some vegetarians who include fish in their diets, the only reason I point it out is that it can make things difficult when people start associating fish with meat-free diets, ie people start offering salmon as the "vegetarian option", haha. Ultimately you are free to label your diet however you wish, but pescatarian is the "official" label for a diet that excludes meats other than fish

If you eat fish, you are not a vegetarian. End. Of. Story. I have no idea why people who eat fish feel the need to call themselves vegetarian, all the have to do is say "the only meat I eat is fish," or "I eat fish, but no other meat." I did this briefly (for a couple of months years ago), and people understood what I was saying better than if I had said I was vegetarian. Now people who eat fish have their own word, so maybe people will stop asking if I eat fish, or assuming I do.