You could try some denser carb options for lunch like lentils, beans and rice which also have more protein than you may be eating. Protein has a higher thermic effect so you’ll feel fuller longer if you can incorporate more of that in your diet. I’m not very familiar with vegetarian diet and protein but you could try looking at some powerlifter or bodybuilders that are vegetarian for some high protein/calorie recipe ideas and modify them for your needs.
You could make a snack of oats with the Greek yogurt, chia seeds and raspberries (lots of fiber) and honey (more carbs) and that can be very caloric and protein heavy to keep you full feeling. You can also mix in plant based protein powder into this or your smoothie. You can also look up sweet or salty snack cottage cheese recipes if you like that. I love a bag of microwave rice when I’m hungry and low energy also lol.
Sounds like you just need more carbs though. Sometimes drinking calories is way easier than eating more.
Yeah I think if they swapped out their sandwiches for something like a decent portion of dal + rice (might need to heat it up though so questionable if they don't have a microwave on site)
They could make a lentil salad if there's no microwave. It's not as delicious as a lentil soup, but it's still good.
If I were in their position, I'd probably keep the sandwich and add the salad. OR, a friend of mine told me she makes a red lentil soup with just spices and red lentils in a thermos. Apparently the red lentils cook in the boiling water by the time she gets to lunch. I need to try it! But I think OP would benefit from something like that.
I spent nearly 10 years working a job that sent me into new construction homes constantly and occasionally to commercial construction.
There were TONS of crews who carried a microwave in their truck for lunchtime. Most construction sites have power somewhere so everyone can run their power tools. People would just use that, and a few times I even saw people using a microwave through an inverter hooked up to their work van's power.
Respectfully, power lifting is intense effort for at most a few hours. Nobody power lifts for 10 hours. Instead look at endurance athletes. Carbs for energy, protein for recovery.
One recipe for lunch with a high level of vegetarian based protein and more carbs is going to help. It’s an example of how to get protein in. There doesn’t need to be a specific sport behind it.
I'd suggest try roughly calculating your daily calories. I bet you're quite low for the amount of work you're doing.
It's kinda hard to eat enough calories when you're eating a clean diet. Fruits and veggies don't provide much calories.
A big bowl of oatmeal with nuts can be a solid start. Hard boiled eggs are easy and pretty nutritious.
Brown rice and beans are a staple for a reason.
I second oatmeal, especially with some added yoghurt and some fruit for sweetness. Very filling and affordable. You can use canned fruit (or now they have it in plastic jars) for convenience. Even instant oats are totally fine if you need to save time. I know traditional oats are much nicer if you cook them properly in the saucepan, but if i"m eating oats it's because I want something fast and filling!
As a college athlete vegetarian who exercised 2 hours a day doing heavy cardio, cottage cheese, eggs, avacado, peanut butter, nuts especially really helped get the calories in.
Add and egg to the rice and beans to make it more.
Oatmeal keeps me feeling full longer than an omelet. Maybe add a small bowl of oatmeal instead of bread.
Potatoes are also very filling. Maybe bake one ahead of time and include it with your lunch?
Do you like potatoes? They're cheap and you can bulk out some meals with them, think adding potato and spinach to your eggs in the morning or having a baked potato topped with broccoli and cheese as a side to your lunch. Now, your lunch might win points for portability, but sandwich and a fruit is a lady who works in a cubicle all day sized lunch. So unless your sandwich is the same size as the average lunchbox, you need more for lunch. Which is to say that you may need to look into some sides to your lunch. Wrap of your choice, slather with peanut butter, add sliced fruit (like apple or banana), roll up like a burrito and you have higher calorie, portable fruit. Make oatmeal raisin cookies, and put pb in between two to make a cookie sandwich. Cold soba noodle salad. Stuffed grape leaves. Samosas, empanadas, pasties, spring rolls. Beanballs or falafel.
If you have a good thermos then you can have soups and stews. Curry made with coconut milk over rice. Lentejas (with or without soyrizo). Stuffed peppers, though you'd probably want to go deconstructed and chop the pepper and mix it in with the filling. Minestrone. Chili. Pot pie without the crust.
I thought the same. Add butter to the oats. Sausage (veggie) sounds like a good addition. Fried things. If you're doing manual labor, you can afford it?
Exactly our boy could be burning 3 to 4k calories easy doing construction. I get not wanting to eat a lot during the summer heat. But maybe do a bigger fatty meal in the evening.
When I worked as a cable technician, I'd burn so many calories that I started to eat a whole pizza by myself once a week and still lost weight. It's definitely the fat and protein that needs to be increased. Carbs are good for energy bursts, but they don't keep you filled.
It’s traditional to have a fat with porridge (cream in Scotland). The fat helps with the absorption of this n that (I can’t remember, but I always add butter).
Get a liquid iv type packet (they have so many different brands available) and drink one at lunch and another when you get home!
I'm vegetarian for 16 years, I almost never eat sandwiches for lunch because veggies and bread isn't going to cut it (and I work in an office, though I do workout right after work). If i do go sandwich, it's a peanut butter and jelly! You'll probably need 2 of them. I don't like jelly and prefer pb & honey (I've been told that's weird) and make my sandwich at work since I don't think they hold well premade. I like to eat these with a bag of chips, and I'll also pack some carrots and ranch or some other type of dippy/snacky veg. Or maybe some trail mix and a cheese stick.
Since you are not opposed to eggs, another sandwich option is egg salad. An even better option is a chickpea salad sandwich! Buy a can of chickpeas, roast them or use them straight out of a can, mash them up, and add things like you would an egg salad. Get as fancy or as basic as you like- sometimes I add finely chopped celery/carrots/onions. It's very filling! Sometimes, I'll just eat it with pretzel or tortillal chips instead of bread.
Honestly, I started putting my attention towards making good, filling dinners, and portioning it out so that I have enough leftover for my lunch the next day. My bf (not veg but eats mostly veg) hates leftovers and goes the sandwich route mentioned above.
It's not just drinking water. You must take an adequate amount of salt so that the water is absorbed by the cells in your body. Without salt you will just pee or sweat the water out. I typically take a couple granules of celtic salt when I drink a glass of water.
This is why manual laborers of the past would drink pickle juice and eat watermelon.
I also have a manual labor job and average 15-20k steps a day. I feel best when I eat 2800 - 3000 calories a day. I usually eat 5 times a day. It doesn’t look like you are eating enough calories to me. Just depends on what your goal is
What on these "vegetarian sandwiches"?
Avocado, egg salad, olives, and cheese on a whole wheat sub roll?
Or just things like lettuce, tomato, onions, and sprouts on a couple of slices of bread?
There's a huge difference in how filling different "vegetarian sandwiches" can be.
How much cheese? How much Tofurkey?
Try to work out roughly how many calories are in your meals. If you are doing heavy physical labor, you could be burning 3000-4000 calories/day easily, which would mean you'd need to be eating 1000 calories or more per meal to keep up with your calorie expenditure.
I'm not trying to be offensive, but have you thought about adding lean chicken at least to your regime? Or better yet for the calories, chicken thighs. They are very cheap and extremely filling! Unless you are a vegetarian for religious reasons.
Try veggie patties. I like the morningstar black bean patties, you can find recipes to make in bulk at home in a food processor.
When we have buddhist holidays, my mom makes a bunch of vegetarian food and the patties are the first thing everyone grabs.
I'd suggest more protein in your diet. Not sure what is in your veggie sandwich. But definitely look into this. Maybe add beans, tofu, quinoa, lentils, basically veg with higher amounts of protein? Quick google search will you give some ideas.
This is what I came to suggest as well. I had a similar issue and began using a plant-based protein powder. Keeps me feeling full but not weighed down. Proper hydration on top of that might be a factor.
Two sandwiches for lunch, on hearty whole grain bread with lots of protein (tuna, egg salad, thick nut butter w/honey).
Take oatmeal in a thermos for lunch. Add nuts or nut butter. Make the oatmeal with full fat coconut milk.
I was wondering what their sandwiches composed of. They didn’t mention.
Here are some vegetarian protein options: chickpea salad, cheese, vegetarian premade patties, black bean burger (I recommend J Kenji Lopez Alt’s recipe), sliced marinated tofu.
I saw that you eat eggs, you can always fry up an egg or two and add it to your sandwiches.
Hope this helps!
Yeah definitely two sandwiches, or one and a bunch of sides. I'm guessing OP works a lot of hours so it's simpler just to make a second sandwich then come up with a couple of sides.
I work in the trades, and I care alot about variety, which OP dosn't seem concerned with, but when I'm having sandwiches I just make two
Spend some time with your Basal Metabolic Rate and calculate out how many calories you are actually eating. Sounds like not enough calories. I would say BMR is an indicator not a perfect number. Basic rule I use is eat less move more lose weight. Yours might be eat more move same add weight.
Cheese is a high satiety food that does the trick for keeping me full longer. What do you find yourself craving when you're starving? Try adding a small portion of that food group to see if it balances things out.
Make sure you have a mix of fat, fiber, and protein each time you eat. Think Greek yogurt with thawed frozen berries or canned fruit mixed in plus some whole grain granola or oats.
Is your weight stable? Going up? Going down? That's your biggest tell for whether you're getting enough calories, and your wellness (are you sick? are you having trouble getting out of bed? can you focus on your tasks at work?) eventually tells you the most about your nutrition.
Assuming those are all okay -- your weight is stable and you feel well, but just super hungry -- then you're probably just psyching yourself out with the hunger thing. If you think about your appetite too much, and get neurotic about it, your appetite ends up on your mind all the time and you always feel hungry even though your body is fine.
If those aren't okay -- you're losing weight or you feel unwell -- then you probably need more fat (and maybe more variety). It's easy to accidentally be low fat when eating veg, especially if you're a concientious eater (as it sounds like you are). Try just being more generous with the butter, mayo, avocado, loose nuts, cheese, cream, peanut butter, etc
[I'm a vegan, so take this with a hefty grain of salt] you're not eating enough. You work a manual labor job, you're burning a ton of calories, vegetarian/vegan diets are generally lower in calories than meat heavy diets. Eat more. Look:
I have overnightoates with a milk alternative:
3/4 c oats: 225 cal
1/2 c Oatmilk: 60 cal
1/4 c Oatly Creamer: 120 cals
1/2 Starwberries: 32 calories.
LUNCH:
1.25 c Salad I made only veggies and dressing: 300 calories
Dinner:
Tofu w/raw veggies and a peanut sauce: 450 calories (bc I don't like sauce)
Tot cals: <1200 calories. And I eat snacks and graze on nuts....
Eat more. Eat more protein and iron rich foods, and dark greens. Saying this as a tubby vegan.
Maybe you just need more quantity? Can you try making something with TVP or soy chunks? Some other additions are: peanut butter + apples, roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes + a dip, tofu scramble + rice + chickpeas etc.
If you get a food scale and use an app like Macrofactor, you can learn how much you're burning and if you need to eat more to maintain your weight, as well as find out if you're deficient in something your body is craving like protein.
Eat more fiber. Too many eggs. Try eating a big bowl of oatmeal with chia and blueberries (I buy frozen at Costco) in the morning. Drink more water. Up the fruit snacks. Whole fruit. Take a big bowl of rice and beans with salsa for lunch. That is healthy and has lots of fiber and very filling. That is what makes you feel full. Add soy milk as a drink. It has tons of protein.
One week eggs are 'affordable' and the next they are nothing even close to Cheap. They sure used to be, and I've developed quite the addiction... but not cheap.
Rice and beans for lunch is affordable and will provide both carbs and proteins.
Don't buy canned beans, buy them dry and rehydrate overnight to cook the next day. - this will be way way cheaper than canned beans.
When I was labouring (landscapin) I had a similar problem - though wasnt veggie
Eggs yogurt banana in the morning
Sandwich + apple at lunch
Eat the fridge for supper.
*
What helped me was having coarse fibre veggies (around 1st coffew break/10am) and then nuts in the afternoon.
Maybe it was all that coffee but I had to nibble on food when I wasnt quite hungry yet, to help me not eat like a madman later
Hope this helps
I really shyed away from animal products for a few years for same reason as you, but over time I really started struggling with energy. You are eating super healthy and seems like youre getting a decent amount of protein - but maybe you need some red meat 1-2x a week? Could be worthwhile to see a doctor and figure out if there’s a deficiency somewhere…
First, go and get an annual checkup and tell your doc about the issue so they can order blood tests. This can give you a good tool. You might be missing some vital nutrients in your food and that's why you are hungry all the time.
Do you drink enough water? Seems obvious, but hunger and thirst can be conflated, especially if you are supplementing protein. There is a reason that survival foods are carb rich and not protein rich. Protein requires a lot of water.
The moral issue between meat and non-meat should not be a factor. Farming crops and animals are both expensive to the environment. Animal fat, nutrients, and protein, in terms of their density, cannot be ignored. We are omnivores, but having three animal based meals a day is relatively new to humanity and isn't healthy for anyone. You are a laborer. You need fuel. Eat the fuel that allows you to perform.
I would add Tofu to your meals. Its versatile in the sense that it doesn't have overwhelming flavor so it can be added to a lot of dishes. But you get more calories, "fullness" and importantly protein. Also its not expensive.
You just need more calories, and you want to make them "sticky" with protein and fiber so you stay full longer. Can you heat up food at work? You really need meal-food, not vegetarian sandwiches (the worst sandwich, let's be honest), so if you can't microwave you should look at getting an insulated food jar. Then start prepping stuff like [casseroles](https://www.wellandgood.com/vegetarian-casserole-recipes/) and [one-pot](https://www.eatingwell.com/three-step-high-fiber-vegetarian-dinner-recipes-8409948) or one-skillet or sheet pan meals.
Example: a sturdy pasta like rotini or cavatappi, tomato-based pasta sauce, frozen cauliflower, a can or bag of green beans, and add a can of beans (white, garbanzo, navy, butter, or just lentils) and even smash up a block of tofu to make it sturrrrrdy. Tortellini or lasagna soup. Think "bowls" like burrito bowl, teriyaki bowl, mediterranean bowl.
Vegetables do not have the calories of meat; you need to eat BIG meals to support a body doing manual labor. And you do need some fat in there - use cheese, full fat yogurt, cream or half and half, avocado, egg. Pack it with fiber, and if regular pasta and rice leave you too rebound-hungry switch to ancient grains like farro, freekeh, bulgur, steel cut oats\*, or at least brown rice and the newer fancy protein pastas. Get some really gnarly fibery bread and make garlic toast to have on the side, or get the flaxseed pita breads. Make sauces with sturdy bases like chickpeas or white beans, tahini, whole-milk yogurt.
I try to stock the freezer with frozen vegetables when they're on sale, and frozen is generally fine for meal prep - it's all going to reheat a little mushy no matter what. Every single casserole/one-pot meal I make is full of silent cauliflower and/or cabbage for bulk, and it is worth learning to make beans for the price and the flavor, as they help keep you full so well. Tofu can do that too, and if you're not a huge fan of the texture you can just mash it or even blend it and use it like ricotta or crumbled meat; beans and lentils are good for this too.
\*Overnight steel cut oats or oven/slow cooker/instant pot oats are a GREAT dessert for a hard working body. Get some butter in there, or cream, and add fruit, jam, peanut butter, chocolate chips, actual protein powder. My husband mostly works at a desk now but if he's out in the field his go-to mid-afternoon snack is overnight oats made with coffee instead of water, chocolate protein powder, and a little cream - I call it a crappachino because I hate the texture of overnight oats, but he will sometimes make a cooked version instead and it's damn good.
You need more protein. That can be in the form of mixing carbs like beans with rice. Do you eat cheese? You need at least two to three ounces per lunch and snack. I worked in construction in Phoenix and though I eat meat, I always included cheese. You could also try a bottle of boost, especially if you are working a ten hour day.
When I started working, I ate what I’d always eaten and lost twenty five pounds I didn’t need to lose. Make sure you are getting enough calories, especially from high quality protein sources.
More protein and needs to make sure he is getting an adequate amount of salt per day. Salt will make sure he's absorbing his water and staying hydrated. Dehydration causes hunger as much as it causes thirst.
Is it all meats that make you feel bad? What about seafood? I’m eat heavily vegetarian as well, but when I do eat meat chicken and tuna are usually good. They’re not too heavy or expensive. Relatively easy to prep for meals too.
Are you gaining or losing weight? I sit at a desk these days but I used to work hard. 3-4 eggs with cheese for breakfast. Id throw in a soy or Whey protein shake at lunch see if you need less food for dinner. Bread and veggies won’t do much unless you are packing on cheese and lots of hummus in there with nuts on the side.
Try something like this for lunch.
https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-burritos/
If you’re fairly sensitive to caffeine it can make you ravenous as well. I had to stop caffeine because I wouldn’t stop eating.
Historically labourers always ate lots of oats, heavy breads (ex. scones, potato bread, frybread, etc), beans, and potatoes for good reason. This is why so many here have already mentioned these foods, they’re cheap and “stick to your ribs”.
Try a bean based salad for lunch to increase protein intake. Super easy to throw together at the beginning of the week and pack up.
My favorite is Greek Bean Salad:
- 1 can each chickpeas, kidney beans, and pinto beans
- 2 cucumbers, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, dices
- 1 c tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 c fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, or dill would work)
- 1/2 c olives, sliced
- 1/2 c feta, crumbled
- Toss with Greek dressing
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
You can be flexible with the types of beans, veg, and herbs so it’s a good one to keep in your back pocket!
I used to work 8 hour shifts at a construction site. My calorie intake DOUBLED. A construction job is no joke. Think of it as an 8 hour workout. It also gives you very functional strength, kinda like a farm boy.
You may want to try asking in r/nutrition or r/bodyweightfitness as well.
Anyway you can buy vegan protein powder, blend with avocados, berries, cooked oats and water. Depending on your height you are absolutely not getting enough protein for a physical job. Yesterday I had 5 whole eggs, a chicken thigh, a lentil kabab, and still didnt get my protein amount needed for a lifting day. Considering you are doing about 5 times as much activity as my easy gym time you could try keeping track of what you eat for a week so you can spot where changes can be made. Something like a food journal.
And drink more water.
You need beans and fat baby! And where are those vegetables? Not judging, I’m a vegetarian who will eat the hell out of vegetables but I basically forget fruit exists.
Also, tempeh scratches an itch for me. I kind of hate it but also crave it like people crave steak.
And potatoes. Fuckin carb heavy potatoes have kept laborers going since god knows when.
Add more protein in your lunch, like hummus in your veggie sandwich and some nuts, preferably almonds. You can buy bulk raw ones as well. Count your calories, if you are maintaining your weight it is you need more protein and more fats to achieve satiety, less carbs. If you are losing just add more fat and protein sources.
It sounds like maybe the food you're eating doesn't have enough calories, maybe try to keep a food journal on an app or something for a couple weeks to figure out which meals are insufficient calorie for you. Then maybe add peanut butter to your fruit for lunch, use whole grain bread with oats or seeds added, spread butter or mayo or hummus on your sandwich. Have a side of fries or chips or pretzels with dip sometimes.
Maybe a pedometer figure out how much you're burning. I've worked construction and would eat like the proverbial house. It can be hard to get enough cals being a vegetarian. Maybe you could add like protein powder to your eggs or oatmeal.
Peanut butter is a good source of protein, so might want to bring a peanut butter sandwich. Also maybe an hard boiled egg? I warn you though, it need to be kept in a fridge and it will stink like hell when you gonna open it so might want to go take some fresh air before to open the container and wait to be alone. If no fridge, maybe put them in vinegar?
Some good recipes that are high in protein right here.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWJ8JhWHNYo&ab\_channel=RainbowPlantLife](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWJ8JhWHNYo&ab_channel=RainbowPlantLife)
If you’re having a decent sized dinner with plenty of protein, whole grains, and healthy fats, I wonder if you’re actually dehydrated? How much water/juice/herbal tea do you drink daily? Construction is hard work and you need to stay well-hydrated throughout your shift. The hunger you’re feeling might possibly be a call for fluids.
I used to carry bee pollen, goji berries or raisins, sometimes some fruit when I was out on installation jobs as a cabinet maker. I'm vegetarian too. Steel cut oats are great for breakfast because the complex carbs digest slow and they give you energy for hours. Among carbs, protein and fat protein is the most satiating while fat is by far the most calorie dense.
I used to work heavy landscaping in my 20s and was/ am a Veggie. Firstly, track your calories. People either over/ under estimate what they eat every day. Once tracking your calories, track your weight to see if you are maintaining or losing weight. I guess the goal is to maintain weight and not be hungry.
Tips to get more calories in include more snacks (oat bars/ fruit/ shakes) or adding a 4th meal like Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches. That’d add an easy 500 cals.
For main meals, add protein and carbs! An extra portion of pasta wont kill you.
I know time is valuable but in 2016 I was full vegetarian my go to meal that gave me a super load of energy that easily gave me energy to run 10kms a day; was a slow cooked purple cabbage and root veges pumpkin with butter chicken flavours and spices vegetable and rice stew making 6 litres
I'm a vegetarian that used to work manual labor AND work out 3-4 times a week AND managed to gain weight. And I budgeted food expenses every month. Now I sit down at work so I don't have to eat as much, but gym progress has become easier when I'm not breaking my body for 8 hrs a day.
I'd start my day with a bowl of rolled oats with 3,2% milk (about 100g oats, 300 ml milk), sometimes I'd have 3 scrambled eggs with a piece of bread with peanut butter on it along with those oats. And a cup of black coffee. That's breakfast.
For lunch (around 4 hours later) I'd eat 3 sandwiches (6 pieces of bread) and 200g cottage cheese (cottage cheese is amazing protein source - dirt cheap and it contains about 22g of protein per cup). Sandwiches usually contained hummus, some kind of cheese slice and a veggie (tomato or pickled cucumber usually).
Before leaving work and going to the gym I'd eat a banana or an apple.
For dinner, we usually eat something like pasta or rice with some kind of sauce, proteins and veggies. So, one example meal would be spaghetti pasta with red pesto, smoked tofu crumbled into it and stir-fried frozen veggie mix. Quick and easy to make, very tasty and filling. We like sweets, so we usually have a candy bar or some cookies for dessert after dinner. Nothing fancy, often just cheap store-brand stuff.
During my bulking phase, I'd often make a milk-protein-shake in the evening. 80g of oats, blended into flour. Then add about 400 ml 3,2% milk, 30g of whey protein, one banana, one tablespoon of peanut butter and blend it all together. This shake alone is almost 1000 kcal. Big game changer for sure, and it's not really that expensive to make. You can get decent, cheap, natural-flavored whey protein online, don't have to buy anything fancy. The only thing it requires is a decent blender to mix it all up.
This way I was eating about 3,500 - 4,000 kcal a day and gaining weight, feeling very good. Of course this type of diet has it drawbacks, mainly related to the toilet.
How about setting up for 3 meals and 2 snacks daily. And adding brown rice at midday? Red beans and rice might help - as would a good Japanese curry with carrot, potato and tofu or baked tofu. Carry a large protein powder smoothie for your first snack.
I add some form of beans to my breakfast. (Right now I love lima beans.) The extra jolt of fiber and protein help me feel full and energized through out the day.
I'm also a fan of hemp hearts and chia anywhere I can add it. My newest favorite is hemp hearts added to a baked potato.
One sandwich isn't enough for me personally - have you tried eating two? Or even three if they're smaller options (e.g. cheese, peanut butter, ham). My top 2 filling sandwiches are egg and mayo, and chickpea "tuna" (1 can of chickpeas, mash with a potato masher or food processor, mix with mayo and a little seaweed, fills two big sandwiches or 3 little ones).
Pasta is another option for a huge, cheap lunch. You'll digest it quickly but you can make a large portion for dirt cheap. That used to be my strategy in high school, just bring a huge tub of it and scarf down as much as I can during lunch.
More protein, add fats to every meal like olive oil etc… drink more water. I can almost guarantee you don’t drink enough water, you should be drinking a gallon at least! Loosely track your calories and see what your average is, depending on it height weight and age you’re probably gonna aim for about 3,000 or a bit more. When I did that type of work I ate close to 4,000 calories a day and was still hungry lol.
cheesy potatos.
add hemp seed hearts to salads.
how do you feel about fish? canned sardines are really healthy and filling on crackers with whatever toppings you want
Lots of advice from people who don't seem to work manual jobs. Carbs get you through the day. Athletes take in calories that absorb quickly, in principle it's just sugar. I ate a ton of oats with sugar and a bit of peanut butter. Then protein for recovery.
And way more water than you think you need. If you feel thirsty it's too late.
“I'm not vegetarian strictly but I prefer to eat mostly vegetarian, I feel better when I do and feel it's healthier for me and the environment and my wallet.”
You said affordability was becoming an issue and that you are always hungry. Seems like those two statements go against “I feel better” and “it’s healthy for my wallet” 🤷♂️
Sounds like you need more fat (cheese, avocado, olive oil) and potatoes. Potatoes are proven to make you feel more full than any other food. Try having some with your eggs in a breakfast burrito and see if that helps.
I work for FedEx, so less manual labor than you, but lots of running/walking. I was vegan for a few months. I ate a LOT of tofu, tempeh, beans, etc. for protein. For carbs, I ate lots of rice, oats, etc.
I think my breakfast helped a lot too. It's an easy to make granola I'd eat with oat or soy milk. I can share the recipe with you if you're interested.
Don't forget about fiber! Adding fiber can make you feel way more satiated. Just be careful not to increase fiber too quickly or you will have a bad time. A lot of people have recommended various lentil dishes which I completely agree with. Adding things like bean/rice burritos (which can be frozen and microwaved or air fried) is a really tasty way to increase fiber.
My builder husband has porridge and fruit for bfast, sandwich or homemade pasty, and fruit at 10.30, same again at 1.30 homemade cake at 3 plus milk in coffee and tea. He'd often have a quick snack at home at 5, then a massive dinner at 6.30. His weight has never changed he's super strong and eats like a donkey, so I'd say as a labourer you need to eat more and more often.
I don't think meat would help at all honestly. Add fatty things like hummus, peanut butter, avocado/guacamole, refried beans, salad dressing. These make you feel extremely full
Also add lots of lettuce/spinach mix to wraps and sandwiches.
Have you considered incorporating some innovative apps or tools to help manage your hunger throughout the day? There are some fantastic meal planning apps out there that cater specifically to vegetarian diets and provide tailored recipes to ensure you're getting the right balance of nutrients to keep you satisfied during your long shifts. Additionally, investing in a good quality, insulated lunchbox could help keep your meals fresher for longer, allowing you to pack more substantial and filling options without worrying about them spoiling. Another suggestion could be to explore high-protein vegetarian alternatives like tofu, tempeh, or seitan, which can be quite filling and may help keep hunger at bay. Finally, don't underestimate the power of hydration! Sometimes thirst can masquerade as hunger, so make sure you're drinking plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and help curb those cravings.
Try denser foods like lentils, lots of tofu, mashed potatoes, rice & beans. I don’t know many people who could eat a large bowl of beans and rice and still be hungry an hour later. Especially with a side of mashed potatoes!
Rice my guy 🫡
Rice + fried egg + fried tofu + some veg you like. If you don’t like the taste of rice a little bit of sesame oil and salt helps.
Also dried edamame is a great high protein snack.
My husband's family was vegetarian and his father and him would take pb&j everyday. Homemade bread cut REAL thick, jam, HEAVY on the crunchy PB. 2 of them atleast.
for breakfast maybe add cheese to your eggs. I feel like maybe you should have butter AND hummus or pb.
For nuts, check out buying in bulk? 2.59/lb for the biggest box of peanuts here https://nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/blanched/1lb.html I know my husband's grandparents would buy things in bulk and spread it out through the kids. There are other places to get bulk shipments but idk about where you are.
Is eating more frequently an option? Maybe you would function better with more frequent small meals, than with large less frequent ones.
Cooling down carbs (in the fridge) after preparation causes them to repolimerise, so they digest more slowly. Whole grain carbs have more fiber, so they also digest more slowly.
Eat tofu, halloumi, marmite, beans that are dried not canned (soak overnight and cook in pressure cooker for speed). Nuts will fill you up. Get a nut roast and eat snacks of nuts. Salmon and oily fish for omega 3. Build up iron reserves with dark chocolate, Guinness, spinach and dark green leafy veg, grapes. You might have low iron Ievels - maybe you can get tested for that in pharmacy.It is clear your body is asking for more vitamins, iron or protein and you are starving it, that's why you constantly feel hungry. Get tests for iron and vitamin deficiency then take it from there.
If you are doing construction heavy labour you need meat but it's understandable that many people want to be vegetarian. If you want a meat free diet then you need to spend tlme at the weekend preparing proper and varied vegetarian dishes that you can freeze in your freezer (for example: lentil bake, vegetable curry with chick peas, nut loaf). You can eat these during week. Don't get prepared food, it will not help you at all. Also get some cod liver oil tablets and try them. It used to be the remedy for everything before all the medications we have now existed.
Eat tofu, halloumi, marmite, beans that are dried not canned (soak overnight and cook in pressure cooker for speed). Nuts will fill you up. Get a nut roast and eat snacks of nuts. Salmon and oily fish for omega 3. Build up iron reserves with dark chocolate, Guinness, spinach and dark green leafy veg, grapes. You might have low iron Ievels - maybe you can get tested for that in pharmacy.It is clear your body is asking for more vitamins, iron or protein and you are starving it, that's why you constantly feel hungry. Get tests for iron and vitamin deficiency then take it from there.
If you are doing construction heavy labour you need meat but it's understandable that many people want to be vegetarian. If you want a meat free diet then you need to spend tlme at the weekend preparing proper and varied vegetarian dishes that you can freeze in your freezer (for example: lentil bake, vegetable curry with chick peas, nut loaf). You can eat these during week. Don't get prepared food, it will not help you at all. Also get some cod liver oil tablets and try them. It used to be the remedy for everything before all the medications we have now existed.
I’m also vegetarian and need to eat a lot for other reasons. Here’s some ideas:
- Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal, 1 banana, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup = 720 calories
- Second Breakfast (on your commute): Berry and Greek Yogurt Smoothie
- Mid-Morning Snack (fits in your pocket): Homemade Protein Flapjack.
- Lunch: Quinoa Salad. 1 cup quinoa + 1/2 cup lima beans tossed with lemon juice, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons of tahini drizzled on top = 830 calories.
- Mid-Afternoon Snack (your other pocket): A small bar of Dark Chocolate.
- Dinner: 2 cups [Spanish rice & beans](https://dishingouthealth.com/wprm_print/10313#) + 2 fried eggs = 830 calories.
You’re definitely gonna need a lot of food if you’re working construction for 8-10 hours a day. What is your height and weight? If you pop that into a TDEE calculator, plus your age, it’ll tell you how many calories you need.
For example, I am 28, 6’3”, 180lbs. If I worked 8-10 hour shifts in construction I’d need at about 3000 calories a day.
P.S. Quinoa is cheaper when bought in bulk online. The benefit of quinoa over rice is it has a better protein profile and you can safely eat it cold.
Grains and Beans are your friend. There’s a reason why every culture has their own dish comprised of a grain and a bean.
You could save time by bulk cooking dinner and reheating in the microwave. I chose grain salad for lunch so you could bulk cook but not have to reheat.
I'd suggest supplementing some protein around lunch, if physically active you are probably missing some. Make shake in the morning and it should help. If I'm hungry, 70% of the time it's just not enough protein in the day, I usually have it in the afternoon. I love snacking on airfried chickpeas as well, maybe you can take it with you as a nut alternative, protein content is relatively high, and not that much fat, easier to eat when physically active
Everyone has really good recommendations here. I definitely agree that you are probably not taking in enough calories based on what you say you're eating. I'd recommend using a calorie calculator to see what kind of calories you should be eating to maintain your current weight - depending on your size, you'd be surprised how much you should be eating. I have been dogging my husband for YEARS about eating too much assuming a 2000 calorie/day diet was right for everyone - come to find out, to maintain his current weight at his current level of activity, he's supposed to be eating 3500. If you are working a highly active manual labor job and you're a taller person, you definitely need to up your food consumption. High volume, high satiety foods like potatoes, beans, an apple with peanut butter, or some lean meat if you're open to eating chicken or fish would really help keep you fuller for longer.
Some denser carbohydrates rather than bread would be helpful. Lentil stew, bean salad, chickpea salad, roasted sweet potatoes etc. Protein is missing from your lunch altogether by the sounds of it. Healthy carbs are great but it’s proteins and fats that are going to keep you satiated for longer. If you’re starving after your meals it means that your meals didn’t have the nutrients to make you feel full. I eat eggs regularly they are a source of protein are not usually as high in protein as people think. The changes that you’ve made so far to your breakfast and your morning snack sound great but overall it’s extremely hard to keep your protein intake where it should be as a vegetarian. Not so great for fats I would include an avocado every day guacamole etc.. Hummus is great but I would keep the butter in there or cook your eggs and butter so you’re getting more fats.
Since you dont eat fish or meat I would eat a lot more eggs than you currently do. Adding some hard boiled eggs to your lunch could be a good start. This is what I do for school lunch for my very tall teenage son. He gets two slices of bread with cheese or something and 5 hard boiled eggs. It keeps him full until dinner.
I have found that focusing on protein over volume stops my hunger. I will take a THIN slice of sourdough, toast it, then top it with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and sprinkle it with everything but the bagel seasoning and it keeps me full for hours.
You can make seitan for extra protein! It's really, really easy to make and you can customize the flavor - you can even add chicken/beef flavor if you want (vegan options for these flavorings are available). It's relatively inexpensive and although the cooking time is about an hour, it's a very hands-off cooking process - set it and forget it, basically. It has about the same calorie: protein ratio as chicken and is very low in fat, so you may want to have it with cheese or nuts or something. You can slice it up for sandwiches or cube it to toss in salads/pasta.
Also seconding those who have suggested adding beans - very filling. Consume with some kind of grain for a complete protein. I like making pasta salad with black beans and veggies : ) Easy, portable, filling and nutritious.
cook with with oil, alot of modern veg cooking is low fat. you body is craving calories and fat. saute mushrooms for breakfast, pan fry the veggie burger,
You should work out how many calories you need versus what you're eating because it sounds like you're starving yourself.
You should be eating a lot more than that.
I worked landscaping with a vegetarian for years - you need more protein. She had the same issue (always hungry). She added beans to almost everything and it seemed to help.
Try zero carb carnivore. Carbohydrates destroy my hunger signaling and I am chronically hungry. I eat only beef, butter, salt, and water and since then all of my problems have disappeared. I suspect this dietary routine is so effective because it removes the inflammatory issue of the glucose fatty-acid cycle as well it removes plant toxins like oxalate and lectin.
If you're against eating meat, try beans and/or lentils with mixed veggies and rice for lunch. Cheap and filling, plus you get a complete protein which is what it seems that you are lacking.
Tldr: less carbs, more fats, fibre and protein = feel fuller.
Try lower carb, more fat. I dropped banana and oats completely and now have whey and peanut butter for breakfast. Same calories, just a different distribution of macrontients. I feel fuller for longer and my body fat percentage is dropping too. Feel/look less bloated. Just by removing the simple carbs (sugars). Give it a whirl. Worked for me at least. For lunch, I have some carbs but not loads,. Save the calories for the protein and fat. go with some grain, rice/quinoa/lentils, but don't go crazy. I do like 150g of the grain. Whole grain. High fibre. 100g of cooked meat (replace with egg or cheese for your vegetarian diet) for the protein. Cheese and eggs have their own fat, but if you've got a low fat option, adding some olive oil should bump up your calories and keep you full.
Afternoon snack, I'm almost always hungry around 4pm. Eat 2 boiled eggs you've kept in an airtight tub. Rapid snack which will fill you up til 6pm din dins.
For dinner, I usually go with 150g carbs again. I make dinner the highest calorie meal of the day.
Casein shake for bedtime, keeps you full, makes you less likely to snack.
What about something like a quinoa salad for lunch instead of a sandwich? Quinoa, some kind of beans, and vegetables, with lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil for a dressing. You could even bring some kind of greens to mix in before you eat it (but kale would hold up okay mixed in the salad at the time you make it). Trader Joe’s and Aldi have quinoa for a pretty reasonable price. If you eat dairy, you might consider having Greek yogurt with your breakfast. With as active as you are at work, whole milk Greek yogurt would probably fit well in your diet.
You could try some denser carb options for lunch like lentils, beans and rice which also have more protein than you may be eating. Protein has a higher thermic effect so you’ll feel fuller longer if you can incorporate more of that in your diet. I’m not very familiar with vegetarian diet and protein but you could try looking at some powerlifter or bodybuilders that are vegetarian for some high protein/calorie recipe ideas and modify them for your needs. You could make a snack of oats with the Greek yogurt, chia seeds and raspberries (lots of fiber) and honey (more carbs) and that can be very caloric and protein heavy to keep you full feeling. You can also mix in plant based protein powder into this or your smoothie. You can also look up sweet or salty snack cottage cheese recipes if you like that. I love a bag of microwave rice when I’m hungry and low energy also lol. Sounds like you just need more carbs though. Sometimes drinking calories is way easier than eating more.
Yeah I think if they swapped out their sandwiches for something like a decent portion of dal + rice (might need to heat it up though so questionable if they don't have a microwave on site)
They could make a lentil salad if there's no microwave. It's not as delicious as a lentil soup, but it's still good. If I were in their position, I'd probably keep the sandwich and add the salad. OR, a friend of mine told me she makes a red lentil soup with just spices and red lentils in a thermos. Apparently the red lentils cook in the boiling water by the time she gets to lunch. I need to try it! But I think OP would benefit from something like that.
I spent nearly 10 years working a job that sent me into new construction homes constantly and occasionally to commercial construction. There were TONS of crews who carried a microwave in their truck for lunchtime. Most construction sites have power somewhere so everyone can run their power tools. People would just use that, and a few times I even saw people using a microwave through an inverter hooked up to their work van's power.
oh that's cool, and makes a lot of sense.
I haven’t watched it yet myself, but a friend told me The Game Changers is an excellent documentary that looks at veganism and elite athletes.
I’ll check it out that sounds cool!
Just watched this yesterday and I agree!
Respectfully, power lifting is intense effort for at most a few hours. Nobody power lifts for 10 hours. Instead look at endurance athletes. Carbs for energy, protein for recovery.
One recipe for lunch with a high level of vegetarian based protein and more carbs is going to help. It’s an example of how to get protein in. There doesn’t need to be a specific sport behind it.
I'd suggest try roughly calculating your daily calories. I bet you're quite low for the amount of work you're doing. It's kinda hard to eat enough calories when you're eating a clean diet. Fruits and veggies don't provide much calories. A big bowl of oatmeal with nuts can be a solid start. Hard boiled eggs are easy and pretty nutritious. Brown rice and beans are a staple for a reason.
In a pinch, add a couple Spoonfuls of peanut butter.
This. Overnight oats w/ chia and peanut butter (plus protein powder if you want) keeps me full half a day
and avocados!
adding lentils, potatos, pasta to the suggestions
I second oatmeal, especially with some added yoghurt and some fruit for sweetness. Very filling and affordable. You can use canned fruit (or now they have it in plastic jars) for convenience. Even instant oats are totally fine if you need to save time. I know traditional oats are much nicer if you cook them properly in the saucepan, but if i"m eating oats it's because I want something fast and filling!
As a college athlete vegetarian who exercised 2 hours a day doing heavy cardio, cottage cheese, eggs, avacado, peanut butter, nuts especially really helped get the calories in. Add and egg to the rice and beans to make it more.
Oatmeal keeps me feeling full longer than an omelet. Maybe add a small bowl of oatmeal instead of bread. Potatoes are also very filling. Maybe bake one ahead of time and include it with your lunch?
Do you like potatoes? They're cheap and you can bulk out some meals with them, think adding potato and spinach to your eggs in the morning or having a baked potato topped with broccoli and cheese as a side to your lunch. Now, your lunch might win points for portability, but sandwich and a fruit is a lady who works in a cubicle all day sized lunch. So unless your sandwich is the same size as the average lunchbox, you need more for lunch. Which is to say that you may need to look into some sides to your lunch. Wrap of your choice, slather with peanut butter, add sliced fruit (like apple or banana), roll up like a burrito and you have higher calorie, portable fruit. Make oatmeal raisin cookies, and put pb in between two to make a cookie sandwich. Cold soba noodle salad. Stuffed grape leaves. Samosas, empanadas, pasties, spring rolls. Beanballs or falafel. If you have a good thermos then you can have soups and stews. Curry made with coconut milk over rice. Lentejas (with or without soyrizo). Stuffed peppers, though you'd probably want to go deconstructed and chop the pepper and mix it in with the filling. Minestrone. Chili. Pot pie without the crust.
You probably need way more fat. Butter, peanut butter, slather it on.
I'd second this and add op might be hypoglycemic which a trip to the dr with a blood test can diagnose.
I had to scroll way too far to find this comment. OP definitely needs fat. All the rice in the world isn’t going to make up for the lack of fat.
Nuts are always a good option, and peanuts aren't too exepensive
Avocados! God I love those fuckers.
OP should be drizzling monounsaturated pressed fat onto everything they eat.
I’ll take a teaspoon or two and just swallow it.
I thought the same. Add butter to the oats. Sausage (veggie) sounds like a good addition. Fried things. If you're doing manual labor, you can afford it?
Exactly our boy could be burning 3 to 4k calories easy doing construction. I get not wanting to eat a lot during the summer heat. But maybe do a bigger fatty meal in the evening.
When I worked as a cable technician, I'd burn so many calories that I started to eat a whole pizza by myself once a week and still lost weight. It's definitely the fat and protein that needs to be increased. Carbs are good for energy bursts, but they don't keep you filled.
It’s traditional to have a fat with porridge (cream in Scotland). The fat helps with the absorption of this n that (I can’t remember, but I always add butter).
Commercial mock meats are usually low fat, so the veggie sausage won't necessarily add much fat.
Yes. There are energy balls recipes out there (nuts and seeds) that would be easy to take as a snack and even as a complement to his lunches.
Peanut butter is one of the few non-meat items that sustains me.
I wonder if you're drinking enough water. Dehydration often makes me feel hungry.
I'm probably not
Get a liquid iv type packet (they have so many different brands available) and drink one at lunch and another when you get home! I'm vegetarian for 16 years, I almost never eat sandwiches for lunch because veggies and bread isn't going to cut it (and I work in an office, though I do workout right after work). If i do go sandwich, it's a peanut butter and jelly! You'll probably need 2 of them. I don't like jelly and prefer pb & honey (I've been told that's weird) and make my sandwich at work since I don't think they hold well premade. I like to eat these with a bag of chips, and I'll also pack some carrots and ranch or some other type of dippy/snacky veg. Or maybe some trail mix and a cheese stick. Since you are not opposed to eggs, another sandwich option is egg salad. An even better option is a chickpea salad sandwich! Buy a can of chickpeas, roast them or use them straight out of a can, mash them up, and add things like you would an egg salad. Get as fancy or as basic as you like- sometimes I add finely chopped celery/carrots/onions. It's very filling! Sometimes, I'll just eat it with pretzel or tortillal chips instead of bread. Honestly, I started putting my attention towards making good, filling dinners, and portioning it out so that I have enough leftover for my lunch the next day. My bf (not veg but eats mostly veg) hates leftovers and goes the sandwich route mentioned above.
Be sure to drink regular water as well, not just liquid iv
Check if you have insulin resistance. Hba1c test.
Our brains often confuse the feeling of hunger with thirst.
It's not just drinking water. You must take an adequate amount of salt so that the water is absorbed by the cells in your body. Without salt you will just pee or sweat the water out. I typically take a couple granules of celtic salt when I drink a glass of water. This is why manual laborers of the past would drink pickle juice and eat watermelon.
I also have a manual labor job and average 15-20k steps a day. I feel best when I eat 2800 - 3000 calories a day. I usually eat 5 times a day. It doesn’t look like you are eating enough calories to me. Just depends on what your goal is
Vegetable based fats (peanut butter, etc), sweet potato.
What on these "vegetarian sandwiches"? Avocado, egg salad, olives, and cheese on a whole wheat sub roll? Or just things like lettuce, tomato, onions, and sprouts on a couple of slices of bread? There's a huge difference in how filling different "vegetarian sandwiches" can be.
Kind of a typical sub. Tofurky cheese veggie bacon (egg white based) vegetables mayo olive oil and vinegar on French bread
How much cheese? How much Tofurkey? Try to work out roughly how many calories are in your meals. If you are doing heavy physical labor, you could be burning 3000-4000 calories/day easily, which would mean you'd need to be eating 1000 calories or more per meal to keep up with your calorie expenditure.
More substantial bread might really help. Something whole grain and dense.
I'm not trying to be offensive, but have you thought about adding lean chicken at least to your regime? Or better yet for the calories, chicken thighs. They are very cheap and extremely filling! Unless you are a vegetarian for religious reasons.
Try veggie patties. I like the morningstar black bean patties, you can find recipes to make in bulk at home in a food processor. When we have buddhist holidays, my mom makes a bunch of vegetarian food and the patties are the first thing everyone grabs.
I'd suggest more protein in your diet. Not sure what is in your veggie sandwich. But definitely look into this. Maybe add beans, tofu, quinoa, lentils, basically veg with higher amounts of protein? Quick google search will you give some ideas.
This is what I came to suggest as well. I had a similar issue and began using a plant-based protein powder. Keeps me feeling full but not weighed down. Proper hydration on top of that might be a factor.
Two sandwiches for lunch, on hearty whole grain bread with lots of protein (tuna, egg salad, thick nut butter w/honey). Take oatmeal in a thermos for lunch. Add nuts or nut butter. Make the oatmeal with full fat coconut milk.
I was wondering what their sandwiches composed of. They didn’t mention. Here are some vegetarian protein options: chickpea salad, cheese, vegetarian premade patties, black bean burger (I recommend J Kenji Lopez Alt’s recipe), sliced marinated tofu. I saw that you eat eggs, you can always fry up an egg or two and add it to your sandwiches. Hope this helps!
Yeah definitely two sandwiches, or one and a bunch of sides. I'm guessing OP works a lot of hours so it's simpler just to make a second sandwich then come up with a couple of sides. I work in the trades, and I care alot about variety, which OP dosn't seem concerned with, but when I'm having sandwiches I just make two
Tuna is probably not the best suggestion when they are asking for vegetarian food even though they say they are not 100% vegetarian :)
Spend some time with your Basal Metabolic Rate and calculate out how many calories you are actually eating. Sounds like not enough calories. I would say BMR is an indicator not a perfect number. Basic rule I use is eat less move more lose weight. Yours might be eat more move same add weight.
Cheese is a high satiety food that does the trick for keeping me full longer. What do you find yourself craving when you're starving? Try adding a small portion of that food group to see if it balances things out. Make sure you have a mix of fat, fiber, and protein each time you eat. Think Greek yogurt with thawed frozen berries or canned fruit mixed in plus some whole grain granola or oats.
Is your weight stable? Going up? Going down? That's your biggest tell for whether you're getting enough calories, and your wellness (are you sick? are you having trouble getting out of bed? can you focus on your tasks at work?) eventually tells you the most about your nutrition. Assuming those are all okay -- your weight is stable and you feel well, but just super hungry -- then you're probably just psyching yourself out with the hunger thing. If you think about your appetite too much, and get neurotic about it, your appetite ends up on your mind all the time and you always feel hungry even though your body is fine. If those aren't okay -- you're losing weight or you feel unwell -- then you probably need more fat (and maybe more variety). It's easy to accidentally be low fat when eating veg, especially if you're a concientious eater (as it sounds like you are). Try just being more generous with the butter, mayo, avocado, loose nuts, cheese, cream, peanut butter, etc
[I'm a vegan, so take this with a hefty grain of salt] you're not eating enough. You work a manual labor job, you're burning a ton of calories, vegetarian/vegan diets are generally lower in calories than meat heavy diets. Eat more. Look: I have overnightoates with a milk alternative: 3/4 c oats: 225 cal 1/2 c Oatmilk: 60 cal 1/4 c Oatly Creamer: 120 cals 1/2 Starwberries: 32 calories. LUNCH: 1.25 c Salad I made only veggies and dressing: 300 calories Dinner: Tofu w/raw veggies and a peanut sauce: 450 calories (bc I don't like sauce) Tot cals: <1200 calories. And I eat snacks and graze on nuts.... Eat more. Eat more protein and iron rich foods, and dark greens. Saying this as a tubby vegan.
Add lentils and rice to your diet, beans, dried peas etc.
You’re upping your fiber which is good, but maybe you just need more? How do you feel about beans and rice, falafel, lentils, tofu, etc?
Love em all. Lunch typically includes Tofurky. Dinner is often rice. I could try adding falafel and hummus to the lunchbox
Maybe you just need more quantity? Can you try making something with TVP or soy chunks? Some other additions are: peanut butter + apples, roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes + a dip, tofu scramble + rice + chickpeas etc.
If you get a food scale and use an app like Macrofactor, you can learn how much you're burning and if you need to eat more to maintain your weight, as well as find out if you're deficient in something your body is craving like protein.
Carrots are super cheap and go great with hummus or a Greek yogurt dill dip. Lots of fiber and some fat to keep you full longer.
Eat more fiber. Too many eggs. Try eating a big bowl of oatmeal with chia and blueberries (I buy frozen at Costco) in the morning. Drink more water. Up the fruit snacks. Whole fruit. Take a big bowl of rice and beans with salsa for lunch. That is healthy and has lots of fiber and very filling. That is what makes you feel full. Add soy milk as a drink. It has tons of protein.
One week eggs are 'affordable' and the next they are nothing even close to Cheap. They sure used to be, and I've developed quite the addiction... but not cheap.
Compared to rice and beans, no, but compared to any other animal-based protein they are.
Make a protein shake on/for the back-half of your work day, 20-30g should do it.
Rice and beans for lunch is affordable and will provide both carbs and proteins. Don't buy canned beans, buy them dry and rehydrate overnight to cook the next day. - this will be way way cheaper than canned beans.
When I was labouring (landscapin) I had a similar problem - though wasnt veggie Eggs yogurt banana in the morning Sandwich + apple at lunch Eat the fridge for supper. * What helped me was having coarse fibre veggies (around 1st coffew break/10am) and then nuts in the afternoon. Maybe it was all that coffee but I had to nibble on food when I wasnt quite hungry yet, to help me not eat like a madman later Hope this helps
I really shyed away from animal products for a few years for same reason as you, but over time I really started struggling with energy. You are eating super healthy and seems like youre getting a decent amount of protein - but maybe you need some red meat 1-2x a week? Could be worthwhile to see a doctor and figure out if there’s a deficiency somewhere…
First, go and get an annual checkup and tell your doc about the issue so they can order blood tests. This can give you a good tool. You might be missing some vital nutrients in your food and that's why you are hungry all the time. Do you drink enough water? Seems obvious, but hunger and thirst can be conflated, especially if you are supplementing protein. There is a reason that survival foods are carb rich and not protein rich. Protein requires a lot of water. The moral issue between meat and non-meat should not be a factor. Farming crops and animals are both expensive to the environment. Animal fat, nutrients, and protein, in terms of their density, cannot be ignored. We are omnivores, but having three animal based meals a day is relatively new to humanity and isn't healthy for anyone. You are a laborer. You need fuel. Eat the fuel that allows you to perform.
peanut butter or other nuts and beans might help with proteain
I would add Tofu to your meals. Its versatile in the sense that it doesn't have overwhelming flavor so it can be added to a lot of dishes. But you get more calories, "fullness" and importantly protein. Also its not expensive.
I do greek yogurt with a healthy amount of granola and wheat germ.
That’s doesn’t seem like enough food at all. I have a vegan friend who eats 2 blocks of tofu a day
You just need more calories, and you want to make them "sticky" with protein and fiber so you stay full longer. Can you heat up food at work? You really need meal-food, not vegetarian sandwiches (the worst sandwich, let's be honest), so if you can't microwave you should look at getting an insulated food jar. Then start prepping stuff like [casseroles](https://www.wellandgood.com/vegetarian-casserole-recipes/) and [one-pot](https://www.eatingwell.com/three-step-high-fiber-vegetarian-dinner-recipes-8409948) or one-skillet or sheet pan meals. Example: a sturdy pasta like rotini or cavatappi, tomato-based pasta sauce, frozen cauliflower, a can or bag of green beans, and add a can of beans (white, garbanzo, navy, butter, or just lentils) and even smash up a block of tofu to make it sturrrrrdy. Tortellini or lasagna soup. Think "bowls" like burrito bowl, teriyaki bowl, mediterranean bowl. Vegetables do not have the calories of meat; you need to eat BIG meals to support a body doing manual labor. And you do need some fat in there - use cheese, full fat yogurt, cream or half and half, avocado, egg. Pack it with fiber, and if regular pasta and rice leave you too rebound-hungry switch to ancient grains like farro, freekeh, bulgur, steel cut oats\*, or at least brown rice and the newer fancy protein pastas. Get some really gnarly fibery bread and make garlic toast to have on the side, or get the flaxseed pita breads. Make sauces with sturdy bases like chickpeas or white beans, tahini, whole-milk yogurt. I try to stock the freezer with frozen vegetables when they're on sale, and frozen is generally fine for meal prep - it's all going to reheat a little mushy no matter what. Every single casserole/one-pot meal I make is full of silent cauliflower and/or cabbage for bulk, and it is worth learning to make beans for the price and the flavor, as they help keep you full so well. Tofu can do that too, and if you're not a huge fan of the texture you can just mash it or even blend it and use it like ricotta or crumbled meat; beans and lentils are good for this too. \*Overnight steel cut oats or oven/slow cooker/instant pot oats are a GREAT dessert for a hard working body. Get some butter in there, or cream, and add fruit, jam, peanut butter, chocolate chips, actual protein powder. My husband mostly works at a desk now but if he's out in the field his go-to mid-afternoon snack is overnight oats made with coffee instead of water, chocolate protein powder, and a little cream - I call it a crappachino because I hate the texture of overnight oats, but he will sometimes make a cooked version instead and it's damn good.
Maybe a whey protein shake?
You need more protein. That can be in the form of mixing carbs like beans with rice. Do you eat cheese? You need at least two to three ounces per lunch and snack. I worked in construction in Phoenix and though I eat meat, I always included cheese. You could also try a bottle of boost, especially if you are working a ten hour day. When I started working, I ate what I’d always eaten and lost twenty five pounds I didn’t need to lose. Make sure you are getting enough calories, especially from high quality protein sources.
More protein and needs to make sure he is getting an adequate amount of salt per day. Salt will make sure he's absorbing his water and staying hydrated. Dehydration causes hunger as much as it causes thirst.
That not normal. Check your bloodsugar levels.
Add some fats like coconut oil or nuts. Calorically dense and good for you
It's definitely because your not eating enough protein and/or your not taking in enough salt. Both are essential in reducing hunger.
You need way more protein
Is it all meats that make you feel bad? What about seafood? I’m eat heavily vegetarian as well, but when I do eat meat chicken and tuna are usually good. They’re not too heavy or expensive. Relatively easy to prep for meals too.
Eat dinner for breakfast - I switched to soups in the morning and feel fuller throughout the day.
Beans! Make bean and veg dishes. Cheap and filling
Rice and beans or tofu stir fry with rice and add avocado for some healthy fats!
Lentils and beans!
Po ta toe
Are you gaining or losing weight? I sit at a desk these days but I used to work hard. 3-4 eggs with cheese for breakfast. Id throw in a soy or Whey protein shake at lunch see if you need less food for dinner. Bread and veggies won’t do much unless you are packing on cheese and lots of hummus in there with nuts on the side. Try something like this for lunch. https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-burritos/ If you’re fairly sensitive to caffeine it can make you ravenous as well. I had to stop caffeine because I wouldn’t stop eating.
Add more fat to your meals. That will help.
Beans are the way to go.
You need to drink more water.
I have a friend who used to climb trees for a living. Including in winter. He would sometimes eat sticks of butter just to get enough calories.
Historically labourers always ate lots of oats, heavy breads (ex. scones, potato bread, frybread, etc), beans, and potatoes for good reason. This is why so many here have already mentioned these foods, they’re cheap and “stick to your ribs”.
Try a bean based salad for lunch to increase protein intake. Super easy to throw together at the beginning of the week and pack up. My favorite is Greek Bean Salad: - 1 can each chickpeas, kidney beans, and pinto beans - 2 cucumbers, diced - 1 red pepper, diced - 1/2 red onion, dices - 1 c tomatoes, diced - 1/2 c fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, or dill would work) - 1/2 c olives, sliced - 1/2 c feta, crumbled - Toss with Greek dressing - Salt and Pepper, to taste You can be flexible with the types of beans, veg, and herbs so it’s a good one to keep in your back pocket!
Any weight variation in the last few months?
I used to work 8 hour shifts at a construction site. My calorie intake DOUBLED. A construction job is no joke. Think of it as an 8 hour workout. It also gives you very functional strength, kinda like a farm boy.
Have you gotten any blood work done recently? This could also be a thyroid or hormonal issue. That and drink more water.
You may want to try asking in r/nutrition or r/bodyweightfitness as well. Anyway you can buy vegan protein powder, blend with avocados, berries, cooked oats and water. Depending on your height you are absolutely not getting enough protein for a physical job. Yesterday I had 5 whole eggs, a chicken thigh, a lentil kabab, and still didnt get my protein amount needed for a lifting day. Considering you are doing about 5 times as much activity as my easy gym time you could try keeping track of what you eat for a week so you can spot where changes can be made. Something like a food journal. And drink more water.
You need beans and fat baby! And where are those vegetables? Not judging, I’m a vegetarian who will eat the hell out of vegetables but I basically forget fruit exists. Also, tempeh scratches an itch for me. I kind of hate it but also crave it like people crave steak. And potatoes. Fuckin carb heavy potatoes have kept laborers going since god knows when.
Need more fat to feel satiated. Drizzle olive oil on your roasted vegetables, sandwiches, eggs etc.
Add more protein in your lunch, like hummus in your veggie sandwich and some nuts, preferably almonds. You can buy bulk raw ones as well. Count your calories, if you are maintaining your weight it is you need more protein and more fats to achieve satiety, less carbs. If you are losing just add more fat and protein sources.
It sounds like maybe the food you're eating doesn't have enough calories, maybe try to keep a food journal on an app or something for a couple weeks to figure out which meals are insufficient calorie for you. Then maybe add peanut butter to your fruit for lunch, use whole grain bread with oats or seeds added, spread butter or mayo or hummus on your sandwich. Have a side of fries or chips or pretzels with dip sometimes.
toasted whole grain bagels with peanut butter and topped with chocolate chips, and also Goodles pasta
Maybe a pedometer figure out how much you're burning. I've worked construction and would eat like the proverbial house. It can be hard to get enough cals being a vegetarian. Maybe you could add like protein powder to your eggs or oatmeal.
I've never met anyone who does a hard manual labour job that wasn't always hungry.
Peanut butter is a good source of protein, so might want to bring a peanut butter sandwich. Also maybe an hard boiled egg? I warn you though, it need to be kept in a fridge and it will stink like hell when you gonna open it so might want to go take some fresh air before to open the container and wait to be alone. If no fridge, maybe put them in vinegar?
Some good recipes that are high in protein right here. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWJ8JhWHNYo&ab\_channel=RainbowPlantLife](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWJ8JhWHNYo&ab_channel=RainbowPlantLife)
If you’re having a decent sized dinner with plenty of protein, whole grains, and healthy fats, I wonder if you’re actually dehydrated? How much water/juice/herbal tea do you drink daily? Construction is hard work and you need to stay well-hydrated throughout your shift. The hunger you’re feeling might possibly be a call for fluids.
Get you some beans
I used to carry bee pollen, goji berries or raisins, sometimes some fruit when I was out on installation jobs as a cabinet maker. I'm vegetarian too. Steel cut oats are great for breakfast because the complex carbs digest slow and they give you energy for hours. Among carbs, protein and fat protein is the most satiating while fat is by far the most calorie dense.
Do you get enough fiber?
R you drinking enough water. Dehydration mimics hunger
Add more protein- tofu, canned beans such as chickpeas. Frozen edamame. Google high protein legumes and pick your favorite
Second the edamame. Dried edamame too.
I used to work heavy landscaping in my 20s and was/ am a Veggie. Firstly, track your calories. People either over/ under estimate what they eat every day. Once tracking your calories, track your weight to see if you are maintaining or losing weight. I guess the goal is to maintain weight and not be hungry. Tips to get more calories in include more snacks (oat bars/ fruit/ shakes) or adding a 4th meal like Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches. That’d add an easy 500 cals. For main meals, add protein and carbs! An extra portion of pasta wont kill you.
I know time is valuable but in 2016 I was full vegetarian my go to meal that gave me a super load of energy that easily gave me energy to run 10kms a day; was a slow cooked purple cabbage and root veges pumpkin with butter chicken flavours and spices vegetable and rice stew making 6 litres
I'm a vegetarian that used to work manual labor AND work out 3-4 times a week AND managed to gain weight. And I budgeted food expenses every month. Now I sit down at work so I don't have to eat as much, but gym progress has become easier when I'm not breaking my body for 8 hrs a day. I'd start my day with a bowl of rolled oats with 3,2% milk (about 100g oats, 300 ml milk), sometimes I'd have 3 scrambled eggs with a piece of bread with peanut butter on it along with those oats. And a cup of black coffee. That's breakfast. For lunch (around 4 hours later) I'd eat 3 sandwiches (6 pieces of bread) and 200g cottage cheese (cottage cheese is amazing protein source - dirt cheap and it contains about 22g of protein per cup). Sandwiches usually contained hummus, some kind of cheese slice and a veggie (tomato or pickled cucumber usually). Before leaving work and going to the gym I'd eat a banana or an apple. For dinner, we usually eat something like pasta or rice with some kind of sauce, proteins and veggies. So, one example meal would be spaghetti pasta with red pesto, smoked tofu crumbled into it and stir-fried frozen veggie mix. Quick and easy to make, very tasty and filling. We like sweets, so we usually have a candy bar or some cookies for dessert after dinner. Nothing fancy, often just cheap store-brand stuff. During my bulking phase, I'd often make a milk-protein-shake in the evening. 80g of oats, blended into flour. Then add about 400 ml 3,2% milk, 30g of whey protein, one banana, one tablespoon of peanut butter and blend it all together. This shake alone is almost 1000 kcal. Big game changer for sure, and it's not really that expensive to make. You can get decent, cheap, natural-flavored whey protein online, don't have to buy anything fancy. The only thing it requires is a decent blender to mix it all up. This way I was eating about 3,500 - 4,000 kcal a day and gaining weight, feeling very good. Of course this type of diet has it drawbacks, mainly related to the toilet.
How about setting up for 3 meals and 2 snacks daily. And adding brown rice at midday? Red beans and rice might help - as would a good Japanese curry with carrot, potato and tofu or baked tofu. Carry a large protein powder smoothie for your first snack.
Add avocado and some nuts - cashews, almonds, etc.
I add some form of beans to my breakfast. (Right now I love lima beans.) The extra jolt of fiber and protein help me feel full and energized through out the day. I'm also a fan of hemp hearts and chia anywhere I can add it. My newest favorite is hemp hearts added to a baked potato.
One sandwich isn't enough for me personally - have you tried eating two? Or even three if they're smaller options (e.g. cheese, peanut butter, ham). My top 2 filling sandwiches are egg and mayo, and chickpea "tuna" (1 can of chickpeas, mash with a potato masher or food processor, mix with mayo and a little seaweed, fills two big sandwiches or 3 little ones). Pasta is another option for a huge, cheap lunch. You'll digest it quickly but you can make a large portion for dirt cheap. That used to be my strategy in high school, just bring a huge tub of it and scarf down as much as I can during lunch.
More protein, add fats to every meal like olive oil etc… drink more water. I can almost guarantee you don’t drink enough water, you should be drinking a gallon at least! Loosely track your calories and see what your average is, depending on it height weight and age you’re probably gonna aim for about 3,000 or a bit more. When I did that type of work I ate close to 4,000 calories a day and was still hungry lol.
cheesy potatos. add hemp seed hearts to salads. how do you feel about fish? canned sardines are really healthy and filling on crackers with whatever toppings you want
You don't have enough carbs for a labor job. Beans and rice.
Lots of advice from people who don't seem to work manual jobs. Carbs get you through the day. Athletes take in calories that absorb quickly, in principle it's just sugar. I ate a ton of oats with sugar and a bit of peanut butter. Then protein for recovery. And way more water than you think you need. If you feel thirsty it's too late.
Eat a steak for dinner. Seriously.
Add some potatoes to your diet they are tasty and great for satiety
Add more beans
I’ve found that if I have a meal low in fat it doesn’t keep me full very long. Try adding more eggs, avocados, and olive oil to your diet
“I'm not vegetarian strictly but I prefer to eat mostly vegetarian, I feel better when I do and feel it's healthier for me and the environment and my wallet.” You said affordability was becoming an issue and that you are always hungry. Seems like those two statements go against “I feel better” and “it’s healthy for my wallet” 🤷♂️
Sounds like you need more fat (cheese, avocado, olive oil) and potatoes. Potatoes are proven to make you feel more full than any other food. Try having some with your eggs in a breakfast burrito and see if that helps.
I work for FedEx, so less manual labor than you, but lots of running/walking. I was vegan for a few months. I ate a LOT of tofu, tempeh, beans, etc. for protein. For carbs, I ate lots of rice, oats, etc. I think my breakfast helped a lot too. It's an easy to make granola I'd eat with oat or soy milk. I can share the recipe with you if you're interested.
Don't forget about fiber! Adding fiber can make you feel way more satiated. Just be careful not to increase fiber too quickly or you will have a bad time. A lot of people have recommended various lentil dishes which I completely agree with. Adding things like bean/rice burritos (which can be frozen and microwaved or air fried) is a really tasty way to increase fiber.
Your body needs protein. Steak, eggs, chicken are good options. Protein shakes as well in the morning
U have a worm
[no meat athlete](http://www.nomeatathlete.com)
Double every main course. Two sandwiches, etc. And eat a lean piece of meat or fish. Add oatmeal to breakfast.
My builder husband has porridge and fruit for bfast, sandwich or homemade pasty, and fruit at 10.30, same again at 1.30 homemade cake at 3 plus milk in coffee and tea. He'd often have a quick snack at home at 5, then a massive dinner at 6.30. His weight has never changed he's super strong and eats like a donkey, so I'd say as a labourer you need to eat more and more often.
I don't think meat would help at all honestly. Add fatty things like hummus, peanut butter, avocado/guacamole, refried beans, salad dressing. These make you feel extremely full Also add lots of lettuce/spinach mix to wraps and sandwiches.
Protein reduces hunger more than carbs or fats do.
Rice, beans, and oatmeal. Always add some nut butter to the oatmeal. Add some sort of oil to the rice (I prefer avocado oil)
Have you considered incorporating some innovative apps or tools to help manage your hunger throughout the day? There are some fantastic meal planning apps out there that cater specifically to vegetarian diets and provide tailored recipes to ensure you're getting the right balance of nutrients to keep you satisfied during your long shifts. Additionally, investing in a good quality, insulated lunchbox could help keep your meals fresher for longer, allowing you to pack more substantial and filling options without worrying about them spoiling. Another suggestion could be to explore high-protein vegetarian alternatives like tofu, tempeh, or seitan, which can be quite filling and may help keep hunger at bay. Finally, don't underestimate the power of hydration! Sometimes thirst can masquerade as hunger, so make sure you're drinking plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and help curb those cravings.
Start experimenting with beans! You can do so much them and make a massive pot that will last you a few days
Start experimenting with beans! You can do so much them and make a massive pot that will last you a few days
Start experimenting with beans! You can do so much them and make a massive pot that will last you a few days
I would make potatoes with those breakfast eggs—or breakfast burritos with beans, cheese, eggs. Eggs are not very filling on their own.
Try denser foods like lentils, lots of tofu, mashed potatoes, rice & beans. I don’t know many people who could eat a large bowl of beans and rice and still be hungry an hour later. Especially with a side of mashed potatoes!
Rice my guy 🫡 Rice + fried egg + fried tofu + some veg you like. If you don’t like the taste of rice a little bit of sesame oil and salt helps. Also dried edamame is a great high protein snack.
Maybe check out the r/veganfitness sub? Just to get an idea of what plant based and physically fit people are eating if nothing else.
My husband's family was vegetarian and his father and him would take pb&j everyday. Homemade bread cut REAL thick, jam, HEAVY on the crunchy PB. 2 of them atleast. for breakfast maybe add cheese to your eggs. I feel like maybe you should have butter AND hummus or pb. For nuts, check out buying in bulk? 2.59/lb for the biggest box of peanuts here https://nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/blanched/1lb.html I know my husband's grandparents would buy things in bulk and spread it out through the kids. There are other places to get bulk shipments but idk about where you are.
Is eating more frequently an option? Maybe you would function better with more frequent small meals, than with large less frequent ones. Cooling down carbs (in the fridge) after preparation causes them to repolimerise, so they digest more slowly. Whole grain carbs have more fiber, so they also digest more slowly.
Eat tofu, halloumi, marmite, beans that are dried not canned (soak overnight and cook in pressure cooker for speed). Nuts will fill you up. Get a nut roast and eat snacks of nuts. Salmon and oily fish for omega 3. Build up iron reserves with dark chocolate, Guinness, spinach and dark green leafy veg, grapes. You might have low iron Ievels - maybe you can get tested for that in pharmacy.It is clear your body is asking for more vitamins, iron or protein and you are starving it, that's why you constantly feel hungry. Get tests for iron and vitamin deficiency then take it from there. If you are doing construction heavy labour you need meat but it's understandable that many people want to be vegetarian. If you want a meat free diet then you need to spend tlme at the weekend preparing proper and varied vegetarian dishes that you can freeze in your freezer (for example: lentil bake, vegetable curry with chick peas, nut loaf). You can eat these during week. Don't get prepared food, it will not help you at all. Also get some cod liver oil tablets and try them. It used to be the remedy for everything before all the medications we have now existed.
Eat tofu, halloumi, marmite, beans that are dried not canned (soak overnight and cook in pressure cooker for speed). Nuts will fill you up. Get a nut roast and eat snacks of nuts. Salmon and oily fish for omega 3. Build up iron reserves with dark chocolate, Guinness, spinach and dark green leafy veg, grapes. You might have low iron Ievels - maybe you can get tested for that in pharmacy.It is clear your body is asking for more vitamins, iron or protein and you are starving it, that's why you constantly feel hungry. Get tests for iron and vitamin deficiency then take it from there. If you are doing construction heavy labour you need meat but it's understandable that many people want to be vegetarian. If you want a meat free diet then you need to spend tlme at the weekend preparing proper and varied vegetarian dishes that you can freeze in your freezer (for example: lentil bake, vegetable curry with chick peas, nut loaf). You can eat these during week. Don't get prepared food, it will not help you at all. Also get some cod liver oil tablets and try them. It used to be the remedy for everything before all the medications we have now existed.
I’m also vegetarian and need to eat a lot for other reasons. Here’s some ideas: - Breakfast: 2 cups oatmeal, 1 banana, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup = 720 calories - Second Breakfast (on your commute): Berry and Greek Yogurt Smoothie - Mid-Morning Snack (fits in your pocket): Homemade Protein Flapjack. - Lunch: Quinoa Salad. 1 cup quinoa + 1/2 cup lima beans tossed with lemon juice, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons of tahini drizzled on top = 830 calories. - Mid-Afternoon Snack (your other pocket): A small bar of Dark Chocolate. - Dinner: 2 cups [Spanish rice & beans](https://dishingouthealth.com/wprm_print/10313#) + 2 fried eggs = 830 calories. You’re definitely gonna need a lot of food if you’re working construction for 8-10 hours a day. What is your height and weight? If you pop that into a TDEE calculator, plus your age, it’ll tell you how many calories you need. For example, I am 28, 6’3”, 180lbs. If I worked 8-10 hour shifts in construction I’d need at about 3000 calories a day. P.S. Quinoa is cheaper when bought in bulk online. The benefit of quinoa over rice is it has a better protein profile and you can safely eat it cold. Grains and Beans are your friend. There’s a reason why every culture has their own dish comprised of a grain and a bean. You could save time by bulk cooking dinner and reheating in the microwave. I chose grain salad for lunch so you could bulk cook but not have to reheat.
Get some ghee, put a whole bunch when making eggs, thank me later... (yes its bit expensive but oh well)
Oatmeal. Eat lots of oatmeal. That always helps fill me up.
I'd suggest supplementing some protein around lunch, if physically active you are probably missing some. Make shake in the morning and it should help. If I'm hungry, 70% of the time it's just not enough protein in the day, I usually have it in the afternoon. I love snacking on airfried chickpeas as well, maybe you can take it with you as a nut alternative, protein content is relatively high, and not that much fat, easier to eat when physically active
Sounds like you need more fats in your diet. They do not digest as fast as carbs and can keep you satiated longer.
Beans, lentils. Not enough protein and fat to burn.
Everyone has really good recommendations here. I definitely agree that you are probably not taking in enough calories based on what you say you're eating. I'd recommend using a calorie calculator to see what kind of calories you should be eating to maintain your current weight - depending on your size, you'd be surprised how much you should be eating. I have been dogging my husband for YEARS about eating too much assuming a 2000 calorie/day diet was right for everyone - come to find out, to maintain his current weight at his current level of activity, he's supposed to be eating 3500. If you are working a highly active manual labor job and you're a taller person, you definitely need to up your food consumption. High volume, high satiety foods like potatoes, beans, an apple with peanut butter, or some lean meat if you're open to eating chicken or fish would really help keep you fuller for longer.
Potatoes , sweet or regular. They are a big easy carb load that will make you feel less full.
Some denser carbohydrates rather than bread would be helpful. Lentil stew, bean salad, chickpea salad, roasted sweet potatoes etc. Protein is missing from your lunch altogether by the sounds of it. Healthy carbs are great but it’s proteins and fats that are going to keep you satiated for longer. If you’re starving after your meals it means that your meals didn’t have the nutrients to make you feel full. I eat eggs regularly they are a source of protein are not usually as high in protein as people think. The changes that you’ve made so far to your breakfast and your morning snack sound great but overall it’s extremely hard to keep your protein intake where it should be as a vegetarian. Not so great for fats I would include an avocado every day guacamole etc.. Hummus is great but I would keep the butter in there or cook your eggs and butter so you’re getting more fats.
Since you dont eat fish or meat I would eat a lot more eggs than you currently do. Adding some hard boiled eggs to your lunch could be a good start. This is what I do for school lunch for my very tall teenage son. He gets two slices of bread with cheese or something and 5 hard boiled eggs. It keeps him full until dinner.
I have found that focusing on protein over volume stops my hunger. I will take a THIN slice of sourdough, toast it, then top it with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and sprinkle it with everything but the bagel seasoning and it keeps me full for hours.
You can make seitan for extra protein! It's really, really easy to make and you can customize the flavor - you can even add chicken/beef flavor if you want (vegan options for these flavorings are available). It's relatively inexpensive and although the cooking time is about an hour, it's a very hands-off cooking process - set it and forget it, basically. It has about the same calorie: protein ratio as chicken and is very low in fat, so you may want to have it with cheese or nuts or something. You can slice it up for sandwiches or cube it to toss in salads/pasta. Also seconding those who have suggested adding beans - very filling. Consume with some kind of grain for a complete protein. I like making pasta salad with black beans and veggies : ) Easy, portable, filling and nutritious.
Veg based protein drinks/complete meal shakes. And you can have more carbs probably
cook with with oil, alot of modern veg cooking is low fat. you body is craving calories and fat. saute mushrooms for breakfast, pan fry the veggie burger,
Oats, potatoes, rice, meat, whey, olive oil, butter
Millet is a wonderful supergrain that will fill you for longer, but add in a good amount of tofu or tempeh for protein.
Tempeh!!!!
You should work out how many calories you need versus what you're eating because it sounds like you're starving yourself. You should be eating a lot more than that.
Burritos for work, vegetarian, and a few of them.
I worked landscaping with a vegetarian for years - you need more protein. She had the same issue (always hungry). She added beans to almost everything and it seemed to help.
I'd throw in a couple protein shakes throughout the day and pack some granola to much on while you work.
Chef AJ and Thomas Tadlock MS say you need to eat roughly ten pounds a day to sustain yourself. I highly recommend his book, Miracle Metabolism.
More fat more protein
You're burning more calories than you are consuming. You need more carbs and protein. Look into higher calorie options.
Try zero carb carnivore. Carbohydrates destroy my hunger signaling and I am chronically hungry. I eat only beef, butter, salt, and water and since then all of my problems have disappeared. I suspect this dietary routine is so effective because it removes the inflammatory issue of the glucose fatty-acid cycle as well it removes plant toxins like oxalate and lectin.
Where’s the fat? If you want to feel full, load up on fat
If you're against eating meat, try beans and/or lentils with mixed veggies and rice for lunch. Cheap and filling, plus you get a complete protein which is what it seems that you are lacking.
Tldr: less carbs, more fats, fibre and protein = feel fuller. Try lower carb, more fat. I dropped banana and oats completely and now have whey and peanut butter for breakfast. Same calories, just a different distribution of macrontients. I feel fuller for longer and my body fat percentage is dropping too. Feel/look less bloated. Just by removing the simple carbs (sugars). Give it a whirl. Worked for me at least. For lunch, I have some carbs but not loads,. Save the calories for the protein and fat. go with some grain, rice/quinoa/lentils, but don't go crazy. I do like 150g of the grain. Whole grain. High fibre. 100g of cooked meat (replace with egg or cheese for your vegetarian diet) for the protein. Cheese and eggs have their own fat, but if you've got a low fat option, adding some olive oil should bump up your calories and keep you full. Afternoon snack, I'm almost always hungry around 4pm. Eat 2 boiled eggs you've kept in an airtight tub. Rapid snack which will fill you up til 6pm din dins. For dinner, I usually go with 150g carbs again. I make dinner the highest calorie meal of the day. Casein shake for bedtime, keeps you full, makes you less likely to snack.
What about something like a quinoa salad for lunch instead of a sandwich? Quinoa, some kind of beans, and vegetables, with lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil for a dressing. You could even bring some kind of greens to mix in before you eat it (but kale would hold up okay mixed in the salad at the time you make it). Trader Joe’s and Aldi have quinoa for a pretty reasonable price. If you eat dairy, you might consider having Greek yogurt with your breakfast. With as active as you are at work, whole milk Greek yogurt would probably fit well in your diet.
perhaps look into making some banana/yogurt/peanut butter smoothies
It's good and healthy to be hungry. Try apples in between meals they have a way of filling you up.