Building muscle and achieving that strong, toned body is all the rage right now. While we know that nutrition plays an important role in our muscle growth, there’s a lot of conflicting information on whether it’s even possible to build muscle on a plant-based diet.Good news. It’s not only possible, but it’s also totally doable!
When people think of building muscle, they often conjure up images of lifting heavy weights, chugging protein shakes and eating steak dinners. The reason these things work is that building muscle requires resistance training, eating in a caloric surplus, and keeping your protein intake high. The good news is that if eating animal products isn’t your thing, you can still build muscle if you focus on both your nutrition and your workouts. Here’s how:
Image: Erin Moussallem
Eat Whole, Balanced Meals (most of the time!):
We should all aim to eat whole, unprocessed foods the majority the time. Typically the phrase, “whole foods” refers to foods that have not been factory processed and would include things like beans, legumes, fruits, veggies, etc.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re paying attention to your macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are your proteins, carbs, and fats. They provide your body energy in the form of calories, and to maintain a healthy diet we need to have a balance of all three. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that we get from food. Eating a balanced diet full of fresh veggies and fruits is the best way to get those micronutrients. When building a meal, think of color – I love to see a plate full of green, orange, red, etc!
Keep Your Protein Intake High:
Image: Erin Moussallem
Protein is key in building muscle. When we lift weights, we create microscopic tears in our muscles and protein helps grow and repair those muscles. Those who eat a vegan diet need to ensure they’re getting enough protein from things like beans, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Other traditional plant-based protein sources include things like tofu, tempeh, and seitan. These are fine to include on occasion but I typically suggest eating them in lower quantities since they tend to be more processed.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and your body needs them to break down food. It can be a little more challenging as a vegan to get all of these since they are most readily available in animal products, so it’s important to create variety in your diet when looking for protein sources.
Eat Up!:
If your goal is to build muscle, it’s essential that you’re getting enough calories. If you’re concerned your calorie intake isn’t high enough or you’re losing weight, spend 3-7 days tracking your meals to see what your macronutrients look like (using an app like MyFitnessPal helps with this!). Then make adjustments where needed.
Lift Weights:
You cannot build muscle without some form of resistance training. Lifting weights are the most effective way to start! If you’re new to strength training, find a personal trainer to help teach you proper form and aim for at least 3 strength training sessions a week, focusing on each muscle group.
Putting This Into Practice
The best way to sustain any type of nutrition plan is to have a plan going in. Taking just a little time to plan your meals, grocery shop, and prep a few things can save you time and stress each week.
Image: @elanagracephoto
Here are my top 3 Meal Prep Tips:
- Buy tupperware containers – purchase several large, medium, and small size containers. You’ll want a few different sizes since you’ll use larger ones for main dishes and smaller ones for things like salad dressing, snacks, etc.
- Plan to shop and prep two times a week. I find that this helps your food stay fresher, and doesn’t feel quite as daunting as trying to plan out and prep for an entire week’s worth of meals. Before you shop, plan out 2-3 breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you’ll make. Make enough servings so you can eat each of them a couple of times. Be sure to choose foods you like! Plan ahead and incorporate foods you find tasty (rather than things you think you should eat) and you’ll find you’ll enjoy your meal prepped meals so much more.
- Wash, prep, and cook your veggies! Veggies stay fresh in the fridge for a few days after cooking them and it’s great to have them on hand to mix in with your meals. I also love to buy microwavable veggies from places like Trader Joe’s. It’s so convenient to just pop a bag in the microwave for a few minutes!
It is possible to build muscle as a vegan, no matter what the critics say! While it might require a little more planning, some forethought and prep will get you the results you want. Now let’s get out there and build some muscle!
For more info or to connect with Erin check her out at www.livefitpdx.com and on IG @livefitpdx
