How to Build Muscle on a Vegan Diet

It’s a common misconception that you need to have meat in your diet to build muscles. Contrary to these beliefs, it’s possible to find many high protein vegan foods which will do the job just the same. Many elite athletes around the world have now turned to plant-based diets and have shown that you are able to create a tasty, varied meal plan for building muscles on a vegan diet. So if you are looking at moving to a vegan diet or you’re just wanting to cut down on your meat intake, these tips and tricks which will help improve your strength so you can get over the Tough Mudder obstacles that get in your way or get through our 21-day virtual fitness adventure, Tough Mudder Challenges.

What Should I Eat for Breakfast?

Breakfast is a meal that is strongly associated with eggs, bacon and milk so it can be difficult to imagine delicious high protein breakfast foods – but we have found them. Breakfast is a great time to be eating protein as it energizes and sustains you for longer, improving your focus and fuel your metabolism. Look to things like breakfast shakes filled with fruit, seeds, nuts and non-dairy milk, or replace eggs with tofu and create a scramble of tofu and your favorite high protein veggies – add some peppers for that extra spice. A high protein breakfast is a perfect pre-workout meal and integral to any Mudder heading to an event.

Planning is Important

If you want to bulk up and conquer Funky Monkey, it’s integral to create a meal plan for building muscle. Plan out a 7 day meal plan, this includes all the meals and snacks you want to be eating. Make sure the plan has lots of variety to keep it interesting, this will make it easier to stick to.  When building muscle on a vegan diet you need to be consuming high amounts of calories. Meals should include low GI carbohydrates like whole wheat pasta, oats for breakfast and pack in the legumes where you can. When snacking, eat healthy proteins such as nuts and fruit and try using nut butters like peanut butter.

Keep a Diary

It can be really useful to keep a food diary for anyone who is new to muscle building particularly if you have just moved to a plant-based diet. Writing things down makes it easier for you to remember what you did and didn’t like in any week. If keeping a journal isn’t your thing, there are also plenty of apps out there which help you track your diet and assist you with knowing how much protein or calories you have had and need.

How much Protein Do I Need?

The plant kingdom is filled with high protein foods, we just need to do our research into what these foods are, which ones you like, and how much you need. Have an idea of what you want to achieve from your diet and exercise and then do lots of research into how much protein you need to be consuming for the amount/type of exercise you are doing.

If you’re building muscle on a vegan diet with a Tough Mudder in your future, get your ticket today.