Can You Gain Weight Eating Only Vegetables?

Weight gain happens when you regularly consume more calories than your body needs.
Whether the calories come from meats, dairy, nuts, sweets or anything else, even vegetables, the result is the same. A pattern of putting away excess calories inevitably turns into excess body weight.

Misconceptions

• Because vegetables are typically low density foods, meaning they generally contain only a few calories relative to their weight in grams, it might seem like weight gain would be impossible in a diet comprised of just vegetables. But while weight gain is improbable with this type of diet, it's certainly not impossible. You're simply able to consume greater volumes of food for fewer calories on an all vegetable diet.

Types of Vegetables

• Though most vegetables are classified as low density, not all are. Some beans, for instance, are classified as high density foods. High density foods are rich in calories relative to their weight in grams.

Effect of Calorie Excess

• Regardless of the source of the calories all surplus calories get converted and stored in the body, in the form of either glycogen or fat, as a fuel reserve. This produces either water weight gain or fatty weight gain, respectively.

Other Factors

• The source of the vegetables that make up your diet, and your method of preparing them, also affect the amount of your caloric intake. Fresh vegetables are generally lower in calories than canned or processed vegetables. The ingredients you use to prepare your food (such as butter, oil, or dressing) will also contribute calories to your diet.

Other Considerations

• You must also consider the possibility that you may not be getting enough calories or nutrients from your all-vegetable diet. Starving your body of calories tends to make gaining fatty weight easier if your diet changes and your calorie intake suddenly increases.