Vegan Nutrition with Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen.

My boyfriend and I have recently become vegan. I was vegetarian for three years previous he however was omnivore with a less than healthy eating habits but extremely high metabolism. My question is this; He has been losing weight very rapidly and I have been actually gaining weight! Which is really quite to opposite of what we would like to happen. Do you have any tips for us?

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Congratulations to both of you for making a change to a diet that will likely benefit you, and the planet, with a bit of tweaking. Without more details about what you are eating, and even if you're both eating the same foods, it's hard for me to comment specifically. Taking a look at the composition of what you are eating might give you clues about why your boyfriend is losing weight and you are gaining.

I am curious about which foods you are including now that you didn't before. It seems to me that you'd have eliminated dairy and eggs and that would make your diet lower in calories, unless you are substituting something for those products, perhaps vegan versions of meat products, processed vegan foods and more of them.

If your boyfriend wants to maintain, not lose, weight, he may need to include more foods with healthy fats such as avocado, olives, nuts, seeds and nut and seed butters more often. I'd recommend that he eat frequently throughout the day and continue to choose healthful foods.

You, on the other hand, would be better off snacking often on vegetables throughout the day to cut calories.

If you are both trying to maintain your weight while you eat a healthy vegan diet, you will likely have to make adjustments along the way. Consulting with a Registered Dietitian or nutritionist might be helpful.

Visit Jill's website TheVeggieQueen.com and her blog theveggiequeen.blogspot.com.

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Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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