Vegetarian and VeganHigh-Calorie and Protein Tips

Ariana Ortiz, MBA, RD, LDN, CNSC Dietitian Nutritionist Specialist, NSICU, Neuro, and ALS Clinic, UIC

Eating adequately is essential to prevent malnutrition. Sometimes, patients need to follow a high-calorie and protein diet and questions arise how to do that when following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. However, a few variations of vegetarian diets depend on whether you eat or exclude eggs, dairy, and fish. Vegan diets exclude all meat and animal products, such as meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs.

Here are a few tips for those following a vegan or vegetarian diet who need to increase calories and protein:

• Eat 3 meals and 3 snacks (try to eat every 2 to 3 hours after waking up)
• Experiment with what is tolerated and the best times of the day; breakfast-type foods can be eaten at any meal or snacks
• Carry snacks with you in case you
• have appointments.
• Eat a small meal or snack even if you don’t feel hungry; try setting an alarm to remind you to eat.
• Save your beverages until the end of the meal if possible.
• Include protein sources at each meal
• and snack.
• Vegetarians—you could also add 2-3 servings of dairy foods every day and a few egg servings each week.

The following foods will increase calories and protein in a vegetarian/vegan diet:

• Legumes: black beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans, black eye beans, chickpeas and lentils
• Soy: tempeh, veggie burgers, tofu, soymilk, seitan strips, soybeans, and
• soy yogurt
• Vegetables: peas, artichokes, spinach,
• and avocado
• Whole grains: farro, kamut, wheat berries, quinoa, and oatmeal
• Seeds: pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds
• Nuts: peanut butter, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, and seeds
• Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Proteins: milk, cheese, cottage cheese and eggs, and greek yogurt
• Oils: olive, coconut, peanut, canola, avocado, and walnut
• Milk: soy, rice, coconut, macadamia, peanut, and oat milk

Here are some examples on how to add calories and/or protein to foods. Depending on your swallowing function, you may need to blend certain foods such as nuts.

Cereal, Porridge, Yogurt
Add any: nut butters, fruit, honey, nuts (may blend/puree to powder), coconut oil, and/or olive oil

Toast, Sandwich
Add: Avocado and drizzle oil and sprinkle seeds or seeds powder, hummus
Add any of the following: hummus, avocado, vegan cheese, mayonnaise, tofu, extra butter, and/or margarine

Pancakes, Waffles, Fresh Fruit
Add any of the following: coconut or almond ice cream/yogurt, honey, maple or rice malt syrup, coconut cream, nut butter, fruit, sprinkle seeds/nuts, linseeds, granola

Salads, Soups, Casseroles, Curry, Dahl
Add any of the following: vegan cheese, nutritional yeast, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, chia, flax seeds, chickpeas, lentils, beans, tempeh, tofu, edamame, potato, sweet potato, almond yogurt.

Sometimes drinking a shake might be easier to get in the calories and protein you need. The following recipes are ideas on blending your own shake. Make changes based on
your preference.

Green Smoothie, estimated calories: 515-615

• 1 medium avocado
• 1 cup pineapple (canned, fresh, or frozen)
• 1 medium apple
• 1 cup spinach (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup apple juice

May add 1 scoop of protein of your choice

Strawberry Banana Smoothie, estimated calories: 550-650

• 2 cups strawberries (frozen)
• 1 medium banana
• 1 cup soy milk
• ½ cup Greek yogurt or soy yogurt
• 2 tbsp honey

May add 1 scoop of protein of your choice.

Blueberry Blast Smoothie, estimated Calories: 465-565

• 1 cup blueberries (frozen)
• 1 medium banana
• ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt or soy yogurt
• 1 cup cranberry juice

May add 1 scoop of protein of your choice.

Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, estimated calories: 525-625

1 cup pineapple (canned, fresh, or frozen)
1 medium banana
½ cup coconut cream
1 cup pineapple juice

May add 1 scoop of protein of your choice