How To Stay Full on a Plant-Based Diet [Dietitian's Guide]

Looking to start or have already started a plant-based diet but worry about how to stay full on a plant-based diet? Here we will review what nutrients are important for satiety and how to get more of them to help keep you full on a plant based diet.

What nutrients help keep you full on a plant-based diet?

To answer the question of how to stay full on a plant-based diet, we have to discuss nutrients that help keep you satisfied for longer. These include protein, fiber, fat, and complex carbohydrates (AKA high fiber carbs).

Protein

Protein is an essential nutrient on a plant-based. It also takes longer to digest compared to something such as a simple carbohydrate, such as a slice of cake. Meaning, protein can help keep you fuller for longer.

Although a plant-based diet does not have to completely omit animal protein, some choose to do so. But whether you are omitting animal based protein or just reducing consumption, it is important to look at how to substitute this vital group.

Whether it’s tofu, beans, lentils, TVP, or something else, make sure to include a source of protein in each meal and snack to stay full and support meeting your protein needs.

Want more about the amounts of protein in different plant-based foods? Check out our post on, 11 Top Vegan Meat Alternatives.

Fiber

Fiber helps our health in several ways, from helping keep us full to supporting the good bacteria in our gut microbiome.

a woman holding up a box of cereal that says "poop like a campion"

However, 90% of women and 97% of men are not getting enough dietary fiber [1].

Many plant-based protein sources also offer fiber and complex carbs. However, aside from this, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds can be good sources of fiber depending on the type.

For more on how much fiber you need per day, high fiber foods, and good and great sources of fiber, check out:

Blog: High Fiber Foods
Freebie: Fiber Source Food List

Fat

Don’t shy away from fats! Healthy fats are crucial for maintaining satiety and proper hormone regulation. They slow down digestion and help to regulate blood sugar levels, ensuring that you feel full for a longer period. Common plant-based sources of healthy fats include plant based oils like avocado, olive, canola and foods like avocado, nuts, and seeds.

plant-based fat- oils in glass jars, nuts, and avocado on a wood table

Not all fat sources are equal when it comes to out health. Higher intakes of saturated fats are associated with increased LDL cholesterol which can increase your risk for heart disease [2]. All the sources noted above are higher in mono- and poly- unsaturated fat (heart healthy fats) compared to saturated fat.

To determine how much saturated fat vs mono- and poly- unsaturated fat is in your plant-based fat sources, we break it down in 11 Plant-Based Fat Sources .

Biggest Mistakes

When trying to stay full on a plant-based diet, one of the biggest mistakes I see is eating plant based with minimal whole plant-based foods.

Your diet does not have to consist of solely whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. However, if you are eating a diet high in processed and packaged plant-based foods, you could be getting a imbalance of some of the nutrients above that can help keep you full.

Some processed foods can be beneficial on a plant-based diet. Some provide supplemental amounts of nutrients that can be hard to get with lower consumptions of animal products. For example, soymilk can offer both calcium and protein while nutritional yeast can provide vitamin B12. But make sure when you eat them, you check out the nutrition facts to determine what you still need to help keep your full.

Practical Tips to Stay Full

Look at what you can add to a meal, not what to take away. This is called nutrition by addition.
Stay Hydrated! Don’t just drink water if you’re actually hungry but sometimes hunger can be mistaken for thirst. Also, fluid helps with the benefits of soluble fiber in our food.
If you know you always fall short on a particular nutrient, look at prepping more foods with that nutrient to get you more during your day.
Are you getting enough throughout the day? Eating a balanced meal is great but I know no matter how balanced my breakfast was, if I didn’t have lunch, I’m going to be hangry when I get home.
Balance those snacks! As mentioned above processed plant-based foods can be convenient and support a balanced diet. However, if its missing fiber, fats, or protein it could have you looking for something else shortly after.
Plan ahead. If you know you won’t have time for a meal or snack. Consider having something now to keep you from feeling over hungry later.

Balanced plant-based meals

Whether you’re looking for a meal, side dish, or ingredient to help balance your fat, fiber, or protein, we’ve to something for you:

Sign-up for our newsletter HERE to get updates on new recipes to help you meet your plant-based needs.

Take Away:

Learning how to stay full on a plant-based diet is about understanding the balancing act of satiating foods and nutrients.

Focusing on protein, healthy fats, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, you can create balanced meals that keep you satisfied and support your need on a plant based diet.

Although plant-based processed foods don’t need to be excluded, don’t forget that it doesn’t always mean its going to give us everything we will need. Take a look at those potential nutrient gaps whether its macro- or micronutrients and adjust as needed. With the right adjustments, staying full on a plant-based diet is simple.

How To Stay Full on a Plant-Based Diet [Dietitian’s Guide]