Gaining Weight with Vegetarian Diet

Question
Dear Evelyn:

I am a 21 year old, female vegetarian. Due to significant life changes over the last year, I have lost a great deal of weight.  I recently started searching the web for meal plans that will enable me to build up to a healthy caloric intake; however, all of the plans that I have encountered rely a lot on meats and fish.  I was hoping that you could offer a vegetarian meal plan that would enable me to build up from where I am now (possibly under a 1000 calories on some days) to the point where I can start putting weight back on (around 3500 calories).  Thank you so much for your help.  I really need it.  
Thanks,
Wendy  

Answer
Dear Wendy,

3500 cals a day?! Are you going on an Arctic expedition??
You want to be aiming for 2000 seven days a week 365 days a year, that seems more realistic to me. An excess of that is going to make you feel stuffed, uncomfortable and ill: which will make you eat below 1000 again. So let's start slow and steady with some easy, delicious, nutritious steps you can keep up for life.
I don't even think it's going to be a matter of eating lots of rich foods (cream cheese, oily pastas and lots of cake!). It is about eating three well balanced meals a day that "tell" your body you are feeding it into a certain state (of health/weight balance). It starts with breakfast. Oats and dried fruits and full fat yoghurt of a top quality will send this message straight off and make your body feel champion in doing what it does best: using the energy it needs for daily activities and storing the rest for cushioning and (more or less) reserves (depending on your genetics and life circumstances). If you don't like muesli, try different wholemeal breads (barley/rye/spelt etc) and two good slices of it at least (not the fluffy, airy stuff). Drink full fat milk (cocoa will do too) with that, finish off with a banana, a bunch of grapes, some apricots, an apple, or at least or take this fruit along for a morning snack: because snacks are going to be your next buddies. Keep your mind on food all day long for a while, - but don't just nibble a bag of crisps or biscuits because in your case you'll feel like you've been eating a lot all day, but it won't add up and it definitely won't turn your body into a sensible combustion engine. Take an "elevenses" peanut butter or cheese sandwich with some more milk/yoghurt (better than a high-calorie sweet, fizzy drink) or anything with substance (smoothies would be better than an energy drink). It won't help if you have the occassional slice of birthday cake, because it's all about regular intake. So find an energy bar (lots of nuts and oats and dried fruit should do the trick) and take one along in your pocket to eat between lunch and dinner. If you unfortunately do, then don't drink too much coffee and tea (appetite suppressants). Drink water but not before meals or you won't feel hungry! Go very easy on alcohol (which has calories, but again, take away appetite for "building" foods).
If you can learn to cook with lots of olive oil in a mediterranean or middle eastern/turkish style. It's delicious and not bad for you either, plus quite calorie rich. Use BUTTER (not margarine) on sandwiches and nut spreads/sunflower/sesame spreads. Eat three or four rice crackers with the stuff as a "tapa" before dinner or actually make proper tapas: vegetable filopastry/spring rolls, goatscheese and cranberry+walnut appetisers; don't be afraid of slimming foods like celery and carrots: they make great sticks for an aioli or mayonaise dip, which does not need to be unhealthy if you don't mind a few calories and make it as fresh as possilbe. Have some olives while cooking, grill mozarella over tomato and basil. Use cream and cheese in a risotto.  In short, just have fun putting in the delacacies and "extras", others have to think twice about having, without putting too much pressure on "loads" and "fattening".
The main trick is simply: do not skip a single meal. If you can't do breakfast (like me - and I also fell to 800 cals at one stage because of never starting to eat, a time/stress thing) then prepare that museli and leave it on the counter or take it to work for when you have to have that coffee break anyway. If you love salads (like me) then put in lots of nuts and dried tomatoes and olives and seeds, feta, or kidney beans and other "chunky" stuff. Have good quality bread to mop up your pasta sauce, and make each meal an occassion to enjoy, be it fun, comforting, or just a healthy challenge (can get the ball rolling).
If your really make it a priority for you to eat regularly, you should manage to gain your proper weight by eating a normal balanced diet (not an excessive one, just a "luxurious" one). You are still young, but at my age, my health really did suffer from sudden decrease in calorie intake (not even so much the weight issue, but I was not getting enough nutrients). So I am delighted you are addressing the issue so seriously and sanely.
I wish you all the best and if you find beautiful energy "rich", high quality food I am sure you will enjoy plenty of it with renewed appreciation.
Love Evelyn.

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