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Maintaining a healthy lifestyle on a plant-based diet is quite simple, but gaining and muscle building can prove to be a difficult task for some. Figuring out the correct balance of proteins, carbs, and fats then applying the correct servings for your body size is the best way to lose weight and gain muscle.
Don’t worry about crunching the numbers yourself, the USDA has a great nutrition calculator where you can calculate daily nutrient recommendations for your weight. Make sure to select “Daily Calorie Needs”, “Carbohydrate”, “Protein”, and “Fat”.
Once you have determined your personal recommended daily intake, it’s time to learn the right foods and supplements to buy. Whether your whole food is plant-based or vegan for the animals there’s a plethora of protein-packed choices in your local Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or Sprouts. You can also make your own protein powder at home!
To start you’re going to need to buy some protein powder, something versatile that can be used as pre or post-workout, with a good carbohydrate-to-protein ratio.
Here are some suggested products:
Plant-based proteins are often criticized for the fact that they lack complete protein sources and contain fewer branch chain amino acids (BCAA’s) than animal-based protein powders. BCAA’s stimulate protein synthesis, which in turn promotes muscle gain. To build muscle mass your rate of protein synthesis needs to exceed your rate of protein breakdown, this is what BCAA’s help with.
BCAA’s can be taken pre-, peri, or post-workout because they are a free-form supplement, meaning they require no digestion are quickly absorbed by the bloodstream, and are available for use by many metabolic functions. Great BCAA powders to try include Naked Nutrition. Type Zero and a Plant Aminos + BCAA combo.
High-Protein Foods
Now that you’ve gotten the supplements and information you need to increase your results at the gym, it’s time to talk about food. Real, plant-based, protein-packed foods. There are many protein-packed, processed vegan foods that are great for meeting protein guidelines but tend to have extremely high sodium content.
Brands like Gardein, Beyond Meat, and Boca make meatless products reminiscent of your favorite foods that you loved before you went vegan. Some vegans like to steer clear of mock meat products because of the high sodium and saturated fat levels, but they are still great alternatives to their meaty counterparts.
1. Edamame
Zucchini and Edamame Miso Soup/One Green Planet
One of the healthiest unprocessed proteins you can eat is edamame. Edamame is the soy plant’s seed, which you’ll find still in the pod or shelled. You can eat it after being steamed shortly. Most grocery stores carry frozen soybeans and other great soybean products like edamame spaghetti. Edamame packs an impressive 18g of protein per serving and can be used in recipes like Zucchini and Edamame Miso Soup, Cilantro Edamame Burgers, or as it is for a snack.
2. Tempeh
TLT: Tempeh Lettuce Tomato Sandwich/One Green Planet
Tempeh is a great option for minimally processed protein. It’s made of whole cooked, fermented soybeans and then pressed into a block. Tempeh and tofu are very versatile but can be intimidating to use if you’re unfamiliar with the flavor profiles. The texture is similar to cooked beans and the flavor is unfamiliar but mild and easy to manipulate with marinade or seasoning. When compared per serving, tempeh is looked at as the healthier version of tofu because it has more fiber, protein, and vitamins. Tempeh is great for cooking Breakfast Scrambles, plant-based BLT Sandwiches (pictured above), and Raspberry Glazed Holiday Roasts!
Some cooks recommend steaming or simmering the tempeh before cooking, then adding marination/spices and continuing cooking. Whether you choose to bake it, grill it, fry it, or sautee it you can pack it with flavor if you follow these steps.
3. Tofu
Tofu Créme Brûlée/One Green Planet
Tofu is tempeh’s more popular cousin. Its mild flavor and texture make it more versatile. Tofu consists of curdled soy milk, similar to cheese processing. Curdled milk is then drained and then pressed into blocks. It’s known for its chameleon-like quality because it can be used in a wide variety of recipes from decadent Tofu Creme Brulee (pictured above), to Tofu Egg Breakfast Sandwiches and even Tofu Lasagna.
4. Black Beans
Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas/One Green Planet
Something that is a little more familiar to everyone’s palette is black beans. They are great at absorbing flavor and have an impressive 15 grams of protein and only 227 calories per serving. Whether you’re in the mood for something simple like Black Bean Burgers, or something a little more complex like Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas (pictured above) you can find endless recipes with great nutritional value on the Food Monster App.
Snacking is many people’s Achilles heel in the dieting world. Whether you’re vegan or not, household snacks like chips, and crackers are often high in saturated fat, sugar, and calories.
5. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are great choices when looking for a high-protein, low-calorie snack.The nutritional value is affected by salt and roasting, so purchase raw nuts and seeds in bulk. Some of the best nuts to eat include raw Pine Nuts, Almonds, and Pistachios.
Seeds are a great source of fiber, protein, and unsaturated fats. They’re great to use as salad toppings in oatmeal or as they are for a quick snack. Flax Seed, Hemp Seeds, and Pumpkin Seeds are among the best seeds to consume when trying to gain muscle.
When snacking and eating meals keep in mind your daily recommended intake of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. If looking to build muscle, slowly increase your daily intake of protein and stay away from saturated fats and sugars. Protein powders and mock meats are great when you need a quick go-to fix of protein. But, the bulk of your protein should come from whole food plant-based products like edamame, beans, and raw nuts.
Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
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