How to Go Vegan without Being Hungry All the Time

If you're like me, you don't enjoy the feeling of an empty, grumbling stomach. As a foodie, I want to savor all the flavors and feel satisfied after eating. "That was delicious!"

Here's the bottom line: If your vegan meals aren’t satisfying, delicious, or filling, you won’t stick with it. You shouldn’t feel hungry just because you're eating vegan meals.

In The Vegan Roadmap Digital Workbook, I discuss the importance of satiety.

Satiety is the state of being completely satisfied. That's how you want to feel after eating a meal.

You have the power to decide how filling your meals will be. To ensure your meals are satisfying, make sure they include these four components.

  1. Fiber

  2. Protein

  3. Volume

  4. Flavor

If you're unsatisfied after eating a meal, it's likely because it's missing one or more of these components.

Component 1: Fiber

A meal high in fiber not only makes your stomach feel full, but it also takes longer to chew and eat.

Have you ever tried to eat a huge salad or a large serving of broccoli? I guarantee it would take a while, and afterward, you'd feel pretty full.

Now think about eating a bag of chips. You (or maybe it's just me) can eat an entire bag of chips or a box of cookies and still be hungry. You would have easily consumed a day's worth of calories and still want to eat in an hour, maybe even in 15 minutes.

These foods increase the fiber in a meal:

  • Legumes: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), black beans, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, edamame, pigeon peas, split peas, soy curls (work up to at least ½ cup per serving)

  • Whole Grains: Brown rice, barley, bulgar, millet, farro, oats

  • Seeds: Ground flaxseeds, chia seeds

  • Nuts: Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans

  • Fruit: Apples, pears, berries, bananas, oranges

  • Vegetables: Dark leafy greens (spinach, collards, kale, arugula), potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn, winter squash (butternut, acorn, delicata, spaghetti)

Note: If your diet is low in fiber, add fiber slowly. Don't go from 10g a day to 30g. You don't want to experience intestinal distress.

If you notice that you feel uncomfortable, eat less fiber. However, please don't assume you can't eat it at all, particularly beans. Your body might just need time to adjust.

Take it slow and incorporate it into your meals daily.

Photo by Drake Whitney on Unsplash

Component 2: Protein

Protein is always listed as a component that keeps you satiated.

Luckily, all plants have protein and most foods that are high in fiber also have a decent amount of protein, like:

  • Beans

  • Seitan

  • Tofu

  • Tempeh

  • Plant-based meats

In my experience, pure seitan is more satiating than most plant-based meats. I've definitely eaten a serving or two of vegan chick'n nuggets and still felt hungry.

Photo by Clint McKoy on Unsplash

Component 3: Volume

Volume is how much food you have on your plate or in your bowl. It should not look sparse. It should look full. I always say, “If your salad can fit in a small cereal bowl, it's too small.”

So how do you bulk up your meals?

With lots of veggies.

Steam-in-the-bag and frozen veggies are perfect!

Here are some of my favorite vegetables that create instant volume:

  • Cauliflower (not cauliflower rice, but cauliflower florets)

  • Broccoli

  • Zucchini

  • Cabbage

  • Lettuce (spring mix, arugula, 50/50 spring mix, and spinach)

Tip: Frozen dinners are incredibly convenient but also extremely low in volume. Keep a few in your freezer as backup meals and several bags of steamable or frozen veggies. If you want to eat a frozen dinner, accompany it with a side of veggies or mix them in to give it some much-needed volume!

Photo by Heather McKean on Unsplash

Component 4: Flavor

Flavor is the key element that binds the others together. If a meal doesn't taste good, it can have all the fiber, protein, and volume, but you'll still be unsatisfied after eating it.

You may be full, but you won't be happy.

"What if I'm not a good cook?" You don't need to be a "good cook" to make delicious food. Here are a few tips to help you improve:

  • Get inspired

  • Use sauces

  • Understand how to combine and balance flavor

  • Use dry seasoning blends

  • Learn the best cooking methods

  • Ask questions

Get Inspired

  • Watch Food Network shows where they actually cook food that you’d eat at home (not competition or reality shows).

  • Find YouTube channels that focus on teaching you how to prepare food. Don’t limit yourself to vegan channels, either. I often learn more from watching non-vegan cooking channels.

  • Select a vegetable you want to try and watch videos that teach you how to cut and cook it.

Use Sauces

You can create a delicious meal with fried or baked tofu, vegetables, rice, and your favorite sauce (Asian, BBQ, etc.).

Understand How to Combine and Balance Flavor

“Understanding how to combine and balance flavors is an important cooking concept that will allow you to create flavorful dishes every time you cook.”
— Cook Smarts

This quote is from the Cook Smarts website, and this article about flavor profiles is an excellent primer.

Use Dry Seasoning Blends

Dry seasoning blends typically contain spices and herbs and are vegan. Poultry seasoning does not contain chicken, and steak rubs don't contain beef.

  • Don't let the label limit your usage - just because a seasoning is labeled for chicken, fish, or steak doesn't mean you can’t use it on other foods.

  • Season your food with salt and pepper at a minimum. A little goes a long way if you season while you cook the food instead of after.

When I prepare steamable vegetables, I always season them with salt, pepper, and a seasoning blend. This is a great time-saver. One of my favorites is Mrs. Dash's Chicken Grilling Blend. I also use it, along with salt and pepper, in my salads.

I use the Southwest Chipotle Blend to season beans, onions, and peppers for burrito bowls.

Try spice blends from other cultures:

Use Sauces

You can make a tasty meal with fried tofu, veggies, and a sauce. It could be an Asian-style sauce, BBQ sauce, or whatever you want.

Learn the Best Cooking Methods

This is especially important for vegetables.

In general, boiling vegetables is not the best way to get the best texture or flavor from a vegetable. Potatoes, however, are the rare exception.

Most vegetables are best blanched, steamed, roasted, or pan-fried.

When I buy frozen vegetables (that aren't steamable), I typically pour them directly from the bag into a bowl, cover the bowl, and microwave them for about 5-6 minutes. You'll have to experiment to find out what texture you like best.

Ask Questions

Pay attention to what you eat at restaurants and note the flavors you like.

Ask the server questions about the ingredients in a sauce or what seasoning is used in a dish. Typically, they’ll gladly check with the kitchen and let you know. I've done this several times.