When
you think of a vegan, what’s the first image that comes to your mind? Is it a
dreaded, gangly, tie-die wearing hippie? When most people think of vegans, they
think of earth loving hippies protesting about animal rights. While there are
certainly vegans out there who fit this stereotype, there are vegans from all
other walks of life as well. Yes, this means you too, bodybuilders! If you
can’t wrap your head around bulking up while living on a diet of fruits,
vegetables and grains, check out this vegan bodybuilding meal plan. There’s a
lot more to the vegan diet than you may be aware of! And there’s a lot more to
bodybuilding than chugging glasses full of raw eggs and eating bland
meat (oops, I’m stereotyping again…)
Ready
to hit the gym? Check out Udemy’s course on muscle
building before you go. It’ll give you all the tips and
tricks you need to maximize your results!
The Basics
Your
body requires a certain amount of calories and nutrients just to remain alive.
While the amount of calories necessary to maintain your weight varies from
person to person, it’s important to know that in order to gain muscle, you must increase your calorie intake.
This, in turn, increases your intake of fat, protein, carbohydrates,
etc. Depending on your gender, height, weight, age, fitness routine
and overall health, you’ll need different amounts of protein, healthy fats,
carbohydrates and calories. The best way to figure all of this out is to visit
a nutritionist; he or she can analyze your body type and determine what your
daily intake should be in order to reach your goal in a natural and healthy
way. The trick is getting the right ratio of protein to carbs, calories to
fact, etc in order to effectively gain muscle and lose fat.
Sources of
Protein
Protein
is one of the key nutrients necessary for developing muscle. And yes, vegans
and vegetarians do eat a lot of protein, even
without meat! The recommended daily amount of protein is 0.8g per pound of body
weight for an athlete. For those involved in extreme strength training,
many advise that you consume 1.0-1.5g per pound of body weight in order to
effectively gain muscle. If you weigh 160 pounds, that’s 160-240 grams of
protein in a day! (The recommended daily amount of protein varies from person
to person). While this seems like an extremely excessive amount, keep in mind
the amount of calories that you burn off in a day of training. More calories
burned = more calories required to gain muscle = more protein consumed.
There
are a surprising amount of sources of protein that don’t come from an animal
and you’ll learn to love them all.
- Soy beans –
One cup provides 29 grams!!
- Lentils – One
cup provides 18 grams.
- Chickpeas –
One cup provides 15 grams.
- Sprouted grain
bread – Two slices provide 10 grams.
- Quinoa – One
cup provides 9 grams.
- Peas – One cup
provides 9 grams.
- Spinach – One cup provides 7 grams.
- Hemp seeds –
One tablespoon provides 5 grams.
Many
vegan meals contain a handful of these sources of protein, offering the
same amount of protein as meat in a more colorful, exciting package.
Healthy Fats
and Carbohydrates
Healthy
fats are necessary for proper weight loss. Though this may seem
contradictory, your body tends to hold onto fat if you’re not consuming enough.
By choosing to eat healthy fats like those found in nut butter, avocados, nuts
and coconut oil, you are helping your body continue lose weight and
gain muscle.
While
many people believe that you should boost your protein intake and limit your
carbs and fat to a minimum, this ends up hurting you in the long term.
Carbohydrates are necessary for the energy you need to work out. Though you
should avoid processed carbs, you should get healthy complex carbohydrates from
foods like sweet potatoes, beans, brown rice and rolled oats.
A Basic Daily
Meal Plan
Breakfast
Breakfast
should include a source of protein, and hemp seeds are a wonderful choice. Whip
up a large smoothie made with frozen bananas, spinach, kale, a couple
tablespoons of hemp seeds and soy milk. If you have it on hand, you can swap
hemp protein powder for the hemp seeds and save your seeds for a light snack
later on in the day. If you need something extra, eat a piece or two of your favorite
fruit.
Snack
Eat
a handful of nuts to get in your healthy fats – almonds and walnuts are
especially healthy. If you’re looking for something more filling, try eating
your favorite nut butter (almond is, again, a great choice) with sprouted wheat
bread.
Lunch
Lunch
should be a healthy mix of proteins and
complex carbs. Choose some quinoa or brown rice with broccoli
and sweet potato. If you ate nuts for your snack instead of nut butter on
bread, you can make a sandwich out of sprouted wheat bread filled with hummus,
tomatoes, cucumbers, and all of your other favorite vegetables. If you’re
feeling up to the challenge, you can easily make a big batch of your own hummus
out of chick peas, tahini, lemon juice and a handful of your favorite spices to
use in meals throughout the week.
Snack
Add
in some more healthy fats by eating an avocado. If you’re desiring more
protein, snack on a vegan protein bar.
Dinner
A
veggie burger crumbled on a salad is the perfect mix of healthy and hearty.
Choose a mix of spinach, kale and your favorite type of lettuce, then add on
vegetables high in nutrients such as tomatoes, beets and carrots. Veggie
burgers can be made out of anything from black beans and chick peas to lentils
and sweet potatoes. Choose a dressing that isn’t high in unhealthy fats, or
better yet, make your own out of balsamic vinegar and a splash of olive oil.
Snack
Finish
off the day with celery sticks dipped in your favorite nut butter, or sip on a
simple hemp protein shake.
The
real trick is eating smaller meals throughout the day so that your body is
getting a constant supply of the proteins, carbohydrates, fats and calories it
needs to keep moving. You shouldn’t follow this exact diet every single day
(odds are you’d get pretty bored of it quickly), but the basic idea behind each
of the six small meals and snacks should remain the same. It’s about avoiding
simple carbs and sugars, and filling your body with tons of different vitamins
and nutrients. Mix and match your favorite fruits, veggies, grains, nuts and
seeds to create many different meals.
Most
importantly of all, keep drinking water!! Drink at least one 8oz glass of water
with every meal, and an extra one when you wake up and right before you go to
sleep. Your body will function so much better if you keep it hydrated.
Building
Muscle
While
eating healthy and understanding what your body needs to properly gain muscle
without steroids or excessive supplements is important, your workout regimen is
just as important. You won’t gain any muscle simply by eating all the right
foods! If you want to gain muscle and lose fat, you’re going to have to work
for it. Motivation, determination and dedication is key to success.
Are
you ready to gain muscle, lose fat and maintain an overall healthier lifestyle?
Udemy’s fitness training course will
help guide you through proper nutrition and training techniques to get you on
the right track! And if you think you’re too busyto
commit to this sort of lifestyle, we’ve got solutions for you too
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