Hi Michele,
Fasting (vegan style) often tempts us into eating more carbs for a variety of reasons...ie: we are still hungry, we don't know what else to eat, we don't feel satisfied, we don't cook up enough vegetables and varieties of veggies, etc.
Legumes are the best bet for protein..lentils, chick peas, white beans, kidney beans. I find that if you prepare them in a recipe with vegetables and olive oil, they are very satisfying. The Greeks really have this trick down pat in their cuisine. Other cuisines that come to mind are Chinese and Indian.
Shrimp is a really delicious helper for the fast too. You can do so much with it.
A small amount of healthy (or not so healthy!) carb along side a large legume/veggie/olive oil recipe will make the protein complete. A half cup of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potato, white potato, polenta, are examples of good accompaniments.
The past two years I have also started adding a small amount of sliced almonds or walnuts to many of these cooked dishes. I find it adds flavor, health, crunch and makes it more satisfying. When your body feels satisfied with the proper ratio of good nutritious ingredients, you will not crave the carbs as much.
For snacking, my husband and I like to eat shelled pistachios, dried fruit, fresh fruit, plain rice cakes with hummus or peanut butter and jelly or honey, etc.
It is true that many people gain weight on this vegan fast. I have, and I certainly notice increasing bulging of stomachs on religious people as Lent progresses, even though they are wearing rassa!
The key, to those years when I have kept my weight down, was alot of preparation and shopping beforehand to what I was going to eat each day. I will never eat anything without ample vegetables in the recipe or along side.
Here are some ideas for quick and yummy veggies:
Prebought coleslaw mixed with Asian dressing and sliced almonds.(this is by far the easiest and quickest when you are on the go and have only a little time to eat, and it goes to work or school nicely prepacked in a tupperware)
Frozen french string beans (I buy a large bag from Trader Jo's for under $2.00)..take out a few, heat some olive oil in a frying pan and saute them for about 5-10 minutes. Add some sliced almonds and saute at the end. Season with salt.
Baby brussel sprouts (I buy these frozen too): Turn the oven to 400 degrees, put the frozen brussel sprouts in a shallow oven dish, toss with a tablespoon olive oil, some salt, and bake for around 40 minutes.
You can do the same roasting of veggies with many other veggies: potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, onions, turnips, carrots, baby peppers (seeded) etc..
The beauty of this is that it takes only five minutes or less to prepare them for baking, and then for 40 minutes or so you can tend to doing something else. The other beauty of this is that you eat a lot more vegetables in this way..they go down really easy.
I hope thes ideas have helped!
Also, remember that peanut and almond butter are a faster's friend! A little goes a long way in filling the belly and satisfying (due to its combination of protein and fat). If you don't want to put it on a carb, then eat it with apple slices or a banana! (or with dark chocolate for a nutritious 'treat')!
