Nuts at the Top of the Vegan Food Pyramid

by Ali
(United States)

I recently decided to become Vegan. I have been vegetarian my whole life so it isn't too big of a transition for me. Lately however, I have been craving proteins particularly mixed nuts. It is hard for me to feel full or satisfied without eating nuts.

In a day I probably consume a cup of mixed nuts. I'm really nervous about gaining weight. For breakfast this morning I had a bowl of whole grain oats with a banana. Shortly after (like an hour and a half later) I was craving protein hardcore so I ate a cup of mixed nuts. I feel like I shouldn't have any more grains or protein the rest of the day...

Answer:

This is an interesting situation. How are you sure you are craving protein or nuts? Is there any way you could just be craving more food?

I find that with a vegan diet, I often eat more frequently than other people, and there is really nothing wrong with that. If I ate a bowl of oats and a banana, I would also be ready to eat again in about an hour and a half. Have you tried to throw some nuts or seeds into your oatmeal? I usually add about a tablespoon of ground flax seeds. And, are you getting full during breakfast? It's possible you might need to eat more food then. You might consider adding a smoothie made of spinach, nondairy milk, a banana, and an apple.

As far as restricting your grains the rest of the day, I'm not sure I understand how that is related. Have you looked at the vegan food pyramid for guidance on how much of each food group to eat daily? Make sure you are eating a ton of fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, and fruits, and then your cravings for nuts should subside.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. The whole Vegan Nutritionista site is set up for people like you, so I hope that browsing around should help answer some of your other questions.

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