In recent years many people have adopted a vegan diet for its professed health benefits or after learning about the environmental impacts of the animal farming industry. This has not only attracted ordinary people but also bodybuilders. A vegan bodybuilding meal plan mainly consists of fruits, vegetables and plant-based proteins.
However, some people believe it is impossible to get enough proteins to build muscles on a vegan diet. This is not true; the only challenge is that plant-based proteins tend to lower quality than animal-based. So for a vegan diet, you must ensure proper planning to ensure sufficient protein and calories intake for muscle gain. To implement a vegan bodybuilding diet, it is helpful to plan out 5-7 days of meals to guarantee you have all of the ingredients.
Becoming vegan is the most important and direct change we can immediately make to save the planet and its species.
Chris Hedges
A vegan bodybuilding diet has different advantages to your health. It is proven that vegan diets lead to reduced heart disease risk. This is attributed to low intake of saturated fats and cholesterol found mainly in whole creamy dairy, poultry skins and fatty meat.
A vegan diet has also been linked with reduced risks of various cancers, for instance, colorectal cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.
The following are a variety of meal plans for vegan bodybuilding:
Day one
Breakfast: A glass of protein smoothie which constitutes of bananas (89 calories and 1.1g protein per 100g), peanut butter (31 calories and 1g per 1 tablespoon/5.3g), oat milk (57 calories and 1 g protein per 100ml) and cocoa powder (12 calories and 1.1g protein per tablespoon/ 5.3g).
Snack: Mixed nuts comprised of almonds (579 calories and 21.15g per 100g), cashews (553 calories and 18g protein per 100g), peanuts (567 calories and 26g protein per 100g) and walnuts (654 calories and 15g proteins per 100g)
Also Read: Who needs Red Meat! Is Veganism the Way Forward?
Lunch: Coconut bean curd stir-fry made of bean curd (76 calories and 8g protein per 100g), soba noodles (99 calories and 5g protein per 100g) and edamame (122 calories and 11g protein per 100g)
Dinner: teriyaki tempeh (193 calories and 19g proteins per 100g) with broccoli (35 calories and 2.8 g protein per 100g)
Day two
Breakfast: a glass of protein blueberry oatmeal made of instant oatmeal cooked (68 calories and 2.4g protein per 100g), vegan protein powder (174 calories and 17g protein per 1 scoop/43g) and blueberries (84 calories and 1.1g of protein per I cup)
Snack: maple glazes pecans (140 calories and 2g calories per ¼ cup / 2g)
Lunch: tofu stir-fry made of extra firm bean curd (76 calories and 8g protein per 100g), rice noodles (190 calories and 3.2g protein per 1 cup/ 176g), and zucchini (15 calories and 1.1g protein per 100g)
Dinner: lentils (116 calories and 9.02g protein per 100g) with sweet potatoes (86 calories and 1.6g protein per 100g)
Day three
Breakfast: vegan tofu scramble, which consists of fresh spinach (7 calories and 0.86g protein per 176g) and tofu (76 calories and 8g protein per 100g)
Snack: tempeh vegan sandwich made up of tempeh (162 calories and 15g protein per 84g), slices of whole wheat bread (252 calories and 12g protein per 100g), cucumber (15 calories and 0.7g proteins per 100g) and raw lettuce tops (21 calories and 2g protein per 100g)
Lunch: vegan burrito bowl made with rice (121 calories and 3.54g protein per 100g), beans (127 calories and 8.7g protein per 100g) and vegan taco meat (174 calories and 19.58g protein per 100g)
Dinner: a black-bean veggie burger made of black beans (132 calories and 9g protein per 100g), lettuce (21 calories and 2g protein per 100g) and burger buns (279 calories and 9.8g protein per 100g) with sweet potato fries (86 calories and 1.6g protein per 100g)
Day four
Breakfast: tofu scrambled with toasted bread made of extra firm tofu (76 calories and 8g protein per 100g), spinach (7 calories and 0.86g protein per 176g), slices of whole wheat bread (252 calories and 12g protein per 100g) and avocado (160 calories and 2g protein per 100g)
Snack: mango and spinach smoothie made with mangoes (60 calories and 0.8g protein per 100g), raw spinach (7 calories and 0.86g protein per 176g) and almond milk (56 calories and 1.1g protein per 100g)
Lunch: seitan sandwich made with seitan (126 calories and 25g protein per 100g), cucumber (21 calories and 2g protein per 100g), lettuce top (21 calories and 2g protein per 100g) and slices of whole wheat bread (252 calories and 12g protein per 100g)
Dinner: veggies sushi rolls (206 calories and 6.6g protein per 100g), Miso soup ( 24 calories and 2.4g per 100g ), edamame (122 calories and 11g protein per 100g) and wakame salad (150 calories and 1g protein per 100g)
Day five
Breakfast: protein oatmeal made with instant oatmeal cooked (68 calories and 2.4g protein per 100g), vegan protein powder (174 calories and 17g protein per 1 scoop/43g), soy milk (52 calories and 4.48g protein per 100g), banana (89 calories and 1.1g protein per 100g) and peanut butter (31 calories and 1g per 1 tablespoon/5.3g)
Snack: roasted chickpeas (353 calories and 18.64g protein per 100g) with red pepper flakes (5.7 calories and 0.2g per 1 tablespoon/ 1.8g)
Lunch: lentil loaf made with lentils (116 calories and 9.02g protein per 100g), kidney beans (127 calories and 8.7g protein per 100g) and broccoli (35 calories and 2.8g protein per 100g)
Dinner: sweet potatoes (86 calories and 1.6g protein per 100g) with lettuce (21 calories and 2g protein per 100g), corn (96 calories and 3.4g protein per 100g), black beans (132 calories and 9g protein per 100g), cashews (785 calories and 24g protein per 100g) and avocado (160 calories and 2g protein per 100g)
The critical thing to note make sure you take enough water daily and about 2000 calories a day.
Do not shy away on the off chance that you have continuously needed to be a vegan bodybuilder. Follow my above meal plans and I do not doubt that you will get stronger and build more muscles.
