There's nearly not enough attention given to people aiming to gain weight and especially those who are vegetarians. The whole idea of gaining weight can be simplified into the basic criteria of consuming more calories than your maintenance calories. Now one can certainly gain weight by indulging in fast foods, packaged snacks, sugary drinks and foods laden with preservatives like ice cream and so on. But the idea behind this list is to encourage people to add more healthy vegetarian dishes in their day to day life and promote more sustainable eating habits that'll prove beneficial in the long run. Ditching oily foods for healthy fats, simple carbohydrates for complex carbohydrates and removing sugar for more healthy alternatives will certainly help you get there.
Just a friendly disclaimer before we move on, no food is bad nor should it be completely discarded. It is our eating patterns we ought to look more closely into rather than drawing a line in the sand and calling a harmless vegetable "bad for health". Moderation is key and responsibility for self is important in making the right choices, be it in life, or in food.
Breakfast
Given how it is the most important meal of the day, the first thing you put in your body upon waking up, it has to be healthy, filling and nutritious. Here are a few vegetarian choices for your morning meals
1. Oats with Milk, Banana and Almonds
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A classic take on the rajma chawal, but avoid making the rajma decadent in this case. The rajma should be of the consistency of baked beans sans the elaborate seasonings and flavour enriching fats. Try using brown rice as it is a more complex form of carbohydrates than plain white rice and provides energy more consistently than the latter. Pair the dish with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and you're golden!
Post-Lunch
Have a classic glass of sattu or a weight gainer shake or simply invest in a protein powder from the host of choices that are available in the market.
Dinner
Steamed or boiled vegetables makes for a light dinner that won't interfere with your sleep or digestion. It is always recommended to avoid meats or heavy dishes during dinnertime, and a fibrous and nutritious spread of vegetables is certainly the way to go! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, peas, anything goes! Season them with black salt and black pepper and that's all it takes for a healthy but filling dinner option.
Before bed
A glass of warm milk before bed makes for a perfect nightcap. Milk has adequate levels of magnesium and casein protein, which helps improve a person's sleep. Along with this, milk is packed with minerals, vitamins as well as tryptophan – a hormone that plays an important role in the production of serotonin and melatonin, all of which contributes to a good night's sleep.
