How to Avoid Hunger When You Switch to a Vegetarian Diet

When you make any change in your diet you are bound to feel withdrawal hunger pains. However, these pains can be particularly brutal when you switch from an omnivorous diet to a vegetarian diet. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep yourself feeling full and to keep yourself from eating meat.

Tip #1 - Find Quality Vegetarian Protein Sources

One of the reasons why you tend to feel hungry faster when you are switching to a vegetarian diet is that vegetarian foods are easier for your body to digest compared to meats. This means that in order to keep yourself feeling full longer you need to find quality vegetarian protein sources to help fill that void. Tofu based meat substitutes work well as a protein substitute, and they give you the mouth feel and taste of meat. Nuts also work great as a meat protein substitute, however, they are calorie dense so watch your portions.

Tip #2 - Have Vegetarian Snacks Prepared

Since vegetarian foods tend to digest quickly you need to have prepared snacks that are low calorie and high in nutrients ready when you are hungry. Carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli florets and cauliflower florets all are easy to prepare ahead of time and easy to store. Just keep them in a covered bowl with plastic over the top. Soy beans also make a quick and nutritious snacks as do nuts and berries. When dealing with snacks you need to monitor your portion sizes so prepackage your snacks ahead of time in single serving portions. If you are concerned about the environment you can use a reusable container.

Tip #3 - Plan on Five Meals a Day

When switching to a vegetarian diet you will want to plan out five meals a day. You will have breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack and dinner. If you have enough calories to work with you can also plan an evening snack. Snacks should include a protein and a carbohydrate to offer you the best nutrition and to help manage your blood sugar levels.

Tip #4 - Drink More Fluids

Another way to help you stave off hunger when switching to a vegetarian diet is to drink more fluids. Sometimes our bodies confuse hunger with thirst. The standard is eight glasses of water a day or about a half gallon. You can adjust this amount based on your thirst level and your activity level. If you can't stomach this much water you can use herbal tea to flavor your water or substitute a few of the glasses of water for flavored drinks. However, keep your eyes on the amount of sugar and caffeine in these drinks as these ingredients can impact your hunger level.