This is how you pack your day menu with vegan proteins for more muscle mass!
Written by A.L. Oosterling BSc sports dietitian, NSCA-CPT, ISAK
Proteins play a vital role in muscle growth and maintenance. The more muscles you have, the more protein your body needs to maintain them. How much protein you need to build muscle varies per person. The general advice for muscle building is to consume between 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight daily. However, this advice may vary depending on factors such as age, weight, protein origin (protein quality) and total calorie intake.
In this day menu, Personal Trainer Niels shows how he would eat 250g of vegan protein for muscle building supporting his active lifestyle. Some background information: Niels is 30+, 186 cm tall, has a muscular build, has a standing profession and weighs around 100 kg. He is not a vegan, but regularly eats vegan in order to maintain a balanced and healthy diet.
Why is (vegan) protein important for muscle building?
Before we delve into the vegan protein meals you can eat to get enough protein, it’s important to understand why protein is so important for muscle building. Proteins are the building blocks of muscle and play an essential role in the repair and growth of tissues in the body. If you want your muscles to grow and get stronger, you need to make sure you get enough protein.
Breakfast with vegan protein– The alternative to eggs
Breakfast is an important meal to start your day well and to provide your body with the necessary nutrients. Here is a delicious and protein-rich vegan breakfast that can give your muscle building that extra boost:
Tofu Scramble and Oats
Nutritional value: 1000 Kcal | 60 g protein | 97 g carbohydrates | 33 grams of fat
Ingredients for the tofu scramble:
- 325g (organic) tofu, crumbled
- Vegan Mayo (Niels used: Remia mayolijn)
- Tomato passata
- A splash of unsweetened almond milk
- 30g spring onion
- Optional: black salt (kala namak). The sulfur gives Kala Namak an egg flavor.
Ingredients for the oatmeal:
- 120 gr oat made with hot water
- 100 g frozen blueberries
- 80 gr frozen mango
Vegan high protein pasta (bolognese style)
If you like pasta, you can also enjoy a tasty vegan pasta with a lot of protein. Here’s an easy and delicious recipe:
Wholegrain Spaghetti with Vegan Minced Meat
Nutritional value: 844 Kcal | 65 g protein | 114 g carbohydrates | 8 grams of fat
Ingredients:
- 120 gr (raw weight) whole wheat spaghetti
- 200 gr vegan mince (soy based, but you can also opt for seitan)
- 100 gr mushrooms
- 100 gr red bell pepper
- 100 gr red onion
- 275 gr classic pasta sauce
Tip: Do you prefer a pasta without vegan mince? Then use 60g regular whole wheat spaghetti and 60g protein pasta. 60g uncooked weight protein pasta provides 33g vegan protein.
Vegan protein shake for after your workout
A vegan protein shake can be a convenient way to take protein with you to the gym so you can start your recovery as quickly as possible after your workout. Here’s a delicious recipe for a vegan protein shake:
Chocolate flavored vegan protein shake with a hint of coffee
Nutritional value: 363 Kcal | 40 g protein | 27 g carbohydrates | 13 grams of fat
Ingredients:
- 400 ml water
- 40 gr SUPPLEAM Tiramisu Vegan protein powder
- 25 g mixed nut butter (without peanuts)
- 1 banana
Vegan protein-rich meal without soy
For dinner you can enjoy a nutritious meal without soy that is rich in protein:
Kidney beans with rice and broccoli
Nutritional value: 546 Kcal | 24 g protein | 100 g carbohydrates | 2 grams of fat
Ingredients:
- 200 gr white rice (cooked weight)
- 200 gr canned kidney beans (or other legume)
- 10 gr nutritional yeast
- 100 gr broccoli
- 100 gr red onion
Oats with vegan protein powder
If you’re in need ofsome more protein and calories after dinner, this next meal could be for you. In this vegan day menu, Niels chose a healthy protein-rich oatmeal with fruit and nuts.
Vegan Protein oatmeal with walnuts, nut butter and mango
Nutritional value: 979 Kcal | 60 g protein | 91 g carbohydrates | 42 grams of fat
Ingredients:
- 120 gr oats made with hot water
- 40 gr SUPPLEAM Vegan protein powder in Going Bananas
- 30 gr walnuts
- 25 g mixed nut butter (without peanuts)
- 80 gr frozen mango
Conclusion
With these simple protein-rich vegan meals you can eat 250 grams of vegan protein per day for more muscle mass. By combining plant-based protein sources and optionally supplementing with a high quality vegan protein powder that is packed with essential amino acids, you can feed your muscles with sifnificant amounts of vegan protein without using aninal based products. Of course, this also requires strength training!
