Building Muscle on a Vegetarian Diet
When most of us think of ways to make significant changes to reduce carbon emissions, we think of big purchases like solar panels on our roof or buying a Tesla. That’s not necessarily the case. While doing both those things would make an impact, a relatively simple in theory way to reduce your carbon footprint while saving money would be to change to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Livestock (meat and dairy) make up 15% of global emissions, and switching to a vegan diet can reduce your footprint by 20%. Now you might be thinking, “I CAN’T DO THAT I WOULD LOSE ALL MY MUSCLE”. Or that it sounds like a great idea, but I don’t know where to start since you eat meat every day. And I get it; I thought the same way, I used to have chicken one to two times a day. But after some research, I found you can eat a vegetarian diet and still be a bodybuilder and gain muscle mass. You can actually grow muscle with this diet too.
How to get Started
I made the switch to a more vegetarian diet after a nasty food poisoning incident with some chicken. I quit cold turkey that weekend and haven’t gone back since. I’ll admit it was a little tough at first, especially around the holidays with the family since you don’t have that much control of the food being made. But after a few weeks I got used to it and haven’t thought of going back. Yes, there have been times where I crave chicken strips, but that’s mainly just because I was hungry in general. If you don’t think you can last without a burger, try a plant-based burger from a restaurant that has them. Whether they are much healthier is debatable, but it might curb the craving. Depending on where you live will make this harder or easier to change. Living in a more urban environment that already caters to vegan/vegetarian diet can make the transition a lot easier. Now I’m not suggesting you quit right away like I did. That’s probably the hardest way to do it. You can start by doing a Meatless Monday, then adding Wednesday, Friday, and eventually the rest of the week. This will help you gradually get used to eating differently and time to try out different recipes.
Besides reducing my carbon emissions, what’s the benefit?
Well, quite a few. It can be one of the healthiest ways to eat since it pushes you to eat more whole-grain foods, fruits, and vegetables for calories. In studies done, eating a vegetarian diet lowered your risk of heart disease, cholesterol, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer risk. If you are young, you may take this into account if you have a family history of any of these. And if you’re older and showings signs of risk in one of these categories, it may be something to talk with your doctor about. Now you don’t need to go full vegetarian to see benefits; a Mediterranean diet (focused on plant foods and meat sparingly) lowers the risk of chronic illnesses.
How will I make up for my missed protein?
While this a constantly debated topic, most bodybuilders, in general, agree that getting one gram of protein per pound of lean body weight will help you put on lean muscle. That should be your goal. So if we take an example of a 185lb guy with 15% body fat. His lean body mass is 157lbs, so he needs a 157g of protein a day. Here is an example day of what he could eat for protein that would get him to that goal.
Sample Daily Meal
Breakfast- 31g protein
Omelet with onions, peppers and mushrooms(4 eggs)
Snack-26G Protein
Jar of Oats, Fruit, nuts, peanut butter, and soy milk
Lunch-20G Protein
Mushroom Lentil Burger
Afternoon Snack-39g
Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Shake
*only one scoop of protein powder
** #3 on link below
Post Workout-21g
Vegan Protein Powder Smoothie
Dinner-22g
Spaghetti Squash with Tempeh
Daily Total-
Calories-2736
Protein-159g
Carbs-267g
Fats-118g
Protein- 23%, Carbs 37%, Fat- 38%
Servings of Fruits provided (4 servings recommended by USDA): 4
Servings of Vegetables provided (5 servings recommended by USDA): 5
Here is a chart explaining what a serving of fruit or vegetable is.
Most macronutrient breakdowns for bodybuilding recommend 30% of calories from protein and fats and 40% from carbs. This comes out to be a little bit higher in the fats, so slight tweaks could bring the fat percentage down. The recommended calories needed for the 185lb guy example is between 2500-2800 calories depending on various online calculators for bulking. The goal here is to show you can hit protein targets on a vegetarian diet while bodybuilding without the use of a lot of supplements.
One perk about being vegetarian is that there an abundance of different protein sources that you can use to get what you need. You aren’t stuck to chicken for most of your meals.
The key for a vegetarian being a healthier alternative is to make sure your diet is balanced. A diet of cheese pizza and Doritos is technically vegetarian. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help make sure you get adequate nutrients and have you feeling your best.
If you are unsure if you want to try being vegetarian or vegan, start by slowly swapping out a few meals a week with different proteins. Maybe swap out the steak for fish or get just black bean burrito and leave out the chicken at your local Mexican grille.
What about meals and recipes?
Today there is a lot of information out there about becoming or trying vegetarian. Here are some articles you should check out to continue on your journey for green gains.
If you are interested in switching to a Vegan diet, which eliminates all animal products, then below is a place to start. There a number of bodybuilders that are vegan as well, proving you can see results in the gym without meat.
I hope this article inspired you and gave you information to try a different eating style and to see if its for you.
Note: I am not a dietician or medical expert. I’m just some guy on the internet. Yes I did some research and live this lifestyle, but this should not be taken for medical advice as you should also consult a professional to get their opinion on making this lifestyle change.
