Adding Fat

[veggiegirl3]

I recently realized that the majority of the fat in my fiet comes from soy ice cream. I tend to crave it because I need fat. When I realized it, I started adding fat to some things. How much fat is do you need to add to your diet if you don't eat that much processed food containing fat?

[Tigerlily]

I think between 20-30 grams a day minimum? Maybe more if you're trying to gain weight.

Edit:
I found this site:
http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/fat.asp

And I my guess of 20-30 grams was way off. It says I need 58 grams!

[veggiegirl3]

Thanks Tigerlily!

I am trying to gain weight. I have taken some of the suggestions on how to gain weight without feeling so full from the eating disorder thread, so I am doing that. I realized, though, that if I don't add SOME fat to meals, I can be stuff but not very satisfied. I am not sure if that is something I am experiencing because I am underweight or if everyone feels like that if they eat very little fat in a meal...

Thanks for the link. It is useful to know how much I need to add. I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to know how much to add or when to add fat without counting it all out?

Good site, by the way! Thanks!

[Tigerlily]

I think if you eat the "regular" versions of foods (chose regular bottled salad dressing over low-fat varieties, buy regular soy milk instead of light soy milk, etc), add some healthy oil (flax and olive oil are good) to your meals or use them when cooking, adding nuts and avocados to salads, use margarine on your toast, etc.

[Seaside]

I am trying to gain weight.

You might also look into the dietary guidelines for children, especially growing teenagers, if you want to gain weight. "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina has chapters about raising vegan kids, and children usually require larger quantities of things like fat. You might not gain if you stick to what is considered the minimum allowed quantities of nutrients for adults to maintain themselves without weight gain.

[Dart]

I am raising teenage boys. I have found that when they are to begin their growth spurts, they get a little pudgy in the middle. My first son had about ten pounds extra, and then in two months he grew alot (six inches) and became trim afterwards! He is now 6 foot tall and still only 15 years old! My second son is starting to get alittle pudgy, and he eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all the time (fat, protein, and carbs). I don't yell at him to not eat so much or that he has to wait till meal time (which he eats all of his food on his plate anyways). He is only 13, so I expect him to start growing just like his brother next summer. I believe in listening to your own body, and getting the fat you need. I will admit that I am a strict mom in keeping only whole organic food in the house, so even the cookies are healthy enough to eat as a meal (my kids don't think nothing about having flaxseed meal and dulse/seaweed flakes in their food, or hemp oil in their smoothies!).

[veggiegirl3]

Thanks for all your suggestions, Tigerlily! I traded in my nonfat soymilk for regular a couple weeks ago, and probably should trade in my lowfat dressing for regular. Other than that, I just need to add oils when I am cooking a lot more than I do, and I'd like to include nuts as snacks.

Seaside, I actually have that book and it's great, but I haven't read the chapter on raising vegan kids. It does make a lot of sense to read it and follow some of the suggestions!

Dart, I guess your kids prove that vegan kids can be just as tall and healthy as nonvegan kids, huh?!

[herbwormwood]

I usually start the day with either cereal with whole fat soya milk, or a plate of dried fruit and nuts with some fresh fruit (I try to have a few brazil nuts regularly) or toast or rice cakes topped with a margarine substutute and other toppings such as mashed banana or nut butters (carobella is particularly delicious).
Lunch often invoves home made hummus at some point which has oil added. I usually use sunflower, olive or Udo's chice oil to make hummus.
Soya yoghurts are also good. I keep sunflower and pumpkin seeds handy to sprinkle on dishes. They are particularly nice on roast veg.
Occasionally I buy blocks of Jus Roll Puff Pastry and make home made pasties. They have recently marketed party size tiny vol au vent cases, if you just want a tiny portion. You can bake the vol au vent cases and then fill them with healthy filling.

[Pob]

Be careful of using pastry as a source of fat, though. It tends to be full of trans fat and saturated fat. Both of which are really not what you are after. Not to mention white flour isn't good for blood sugar levels.

If you want a healthy shortcrust pastry, I posted a recipe in the sweet recipes section - just omit the sugar if you are using for savoury recipes.

Nuts, seeds, avocado, tahini, olives, olive oil, hummous - that's the sort of fat you want in your diet.

[herbwormwood]

I agree about pastry. Its just an occasional treat for us.

[Dart]

For my kids I love to make these energy bites for them. After making them so many times, I have been adding other things like dried fruit, and of course molasses and dulse flakes into the bites. Sometimes I just throw what I have in the pantry into them!
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recip...gy%20bites

[chickendude]

And minus the honey!

[veggiegirl3]

They sound so good!

[herbwormwood]

Avocadoes are also an excellent fat source, they are high in vitamins and minerals too. Do you like them veggiegirl? I sometimes put a little spoonful of vegan mayonnaise in the middle and eat them with a spoon, scooping out the mayonnaise and avocado and just popping it into my mouth. Yum! Or instead of mayonnaise a little salsa. Unfortunately we have to import them.

[veggiegirl3]

I used to LOVE them, but hadn't had one for a couple years. This fall I tired one again and it wasn't very good. I either don't like them very much anymore or I just didn't get a great one.

Everyone's suggestions have been so helpful to me. I started adding more fat to things and eating nuts, and I feel much better! I feel MUCH more satisfied after eating. And, I don't get hungry again an hour later.

[Dart]

Chickendude is right! I forgot that I add agave nectar instead of honey to the energy bites.

Agave nectar is a sweetener that can now be found in healthfood stores and some of the organic sections of the supermarkets that have expanded inventory.
Agave is nice in that it doesn't spike your blood sugar, so it is great for people with diabetes. I like it so my kids aren't totally on a sugar high after eating a half dozen or so of the bites! (They still have so much energy anyways).

I would try avocadoes again. Maybe not eat them straight out of the shell and off the pit. I like to put them in my sandwiches with the sprouts so I have a smooth creamy texture to go with the stringy spouts, and put some lime or lemon juice with it to jazz it up a notch. Sometimes I add my vegenaise with the avocado for a more nutrition packed condiment to put with my whole grain bread that is usually a little rough and dry to eat a sandwich by itself.

[herbwormwood]

Also don't forget baked beans (heinz are vegan), tofu, and soya yoghurt! If you like vegan cheese, try to include that too.
If you are overcoming a tendency to restrict your eating habits, it will do no harm to include some vegan processed foods, you are unlikely to overdo it.
I know what you mean about being hungry when eating low fat stuff veggiegirl. Low fat low protein food is not sustaining and most people will get hunger pangs and maybe feel tired and irritable after a while when eating low fat low protien.
Avocadoes have to be just right, if they are firm to touch they are not ripe and will not be nice. I prefer them as ripe as they can go. Also some are tasteless. But if you get a good one (try organic) they are yummy!

[veggiegirl3]

Baked beans have fat in them? Good to know. I haven't had any since I was a kid (I didn't like them, but I didn't like a lot of things that I love now!). I will have to try them.

I bought some soy yogurt and remembered how wonderful it is. I'm thinking that I could eat it when I want something like soy ice cream, because it is so full of good stuff. I had been eating soy ice cream almost everyday, mostly for the fat I think, and then I relized that I was probably missing a lot of needed nutrition by doing that. Soy yogurt is just as good and healthier.

I have only tried a couple kinds of vegan cheese and really don't like it. I saw the Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet at the store and am considering trrying it, but I don't know if it will be any better than the individually wrapped slices that have been sitting in the friedge for a couple months now.