Bodybuilding on a vegan diet

When it comes to bodybuilding, the choice of vegan diet for getting a bizarre bodily proportion may seem abrupt to many people. People are conditioned to believe that only lean meat can provide essential proteins required for real muscle building, but this is not entirely true. A correct combination of vegetarian foods can provide all the essential proteins along with other nutrients to pack up descent muscles.

No matter how abrupt the idea may sound, it’s really possible to build huge muscles on a vegetarian diet—provided—few important aspects of bodybuilding are maintained. This includes getting enough proteins to recover muscular wear out, enough calories to make up for the energy loss, and of course enough nutrients for a healthy functioning of metabolism.

Pseudo Vegetarianism and Bodybuilding

While the original philosophy of a vegetarian lifestyle implies complete abstinence from consumption of animal products, the vegetarians of 21^st century seem to overlook certain ethical aspects of pure vegetarianism. The preference for this alternative lifestyle has increased in the recent years, with the primary concern shifting from conserving nature to sustaining health. Conditionally, We have different types of pseudo-vegetarians as follows:

Flexitarian—someone who basically eats vegetables, nevertheless can consume meat, eggs, and other animal products occasionally.

Lacto-vegetarian—vegetarian who consumes dairy products

Ovo-vegetarian—Vegetarians who consume eggs

Lacto-ovo vegetarian—vegetarians who consume both egg and dairy products

Vegans—vegans eliminate all animal products from their diet, including dairy and eggs.

Peschatarians—vegetarians who consume fish (maybe because they feel fishes aren't as adorable as a cow or chicken...lol)

Owing to such a large number of pseudo vegetarians, it’s really very difficult to prepare a ‘one-size-fits-all’ nutrition formula for bodybuilding. The best approach is to get acknowledged with the basic vegetarian sources of protein, carbs and other requisites,  and then prepare a nutrition chart individually suited to one’s lifestyle and food choices.

 

Vegetarian sources of macro-nutrients 

Here I’ve mentioned some important vegetarian diets rich in macro-nutrients that can be easily obtained in any food store.

Vegetarian sources of protein:

 

Beans, Nuts, Seeds

garbanzo beans
pinto beans
refried beans
soybeans
cashews
peanuts
sesame seeds
pistachio
tofu
lentils

Dairy

yogurt
cheddar cheese
egg
cottage cheese

Fruits and Vegetables

Avocado
broccoli
spinach
peas
artichoke
asparagus
beet greens

Vegetarian sources of carbs:

Whole breads
Beans
Berries
Leafy green vegetables
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Oatmeal
whole grain cereals
Apples

Vegetarian sources of fats:

Linoleic Acid (Omega 6 family)

Vegetables

Fruits

Nuts

Grains

Seeds

Safflower

Sunflower

Corn

Soya

Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega 3 family)

Flaxseeds (linseeds)

Mustard seeds

Hemp seeds

Walnut oil

Green leafy vegetable 

Don’t forget the micro-nutrients

Proper intake of micronutrients like calcium, zinc and phosphorus is equally important in promoting proper growth and development across the body and maintaining strong bones and muscles. Low calcium intake leads to muscular cramping thereby hindering performance, and deficiency of zinc can cause lower levels of testosterone. Typically in adolescents, testosterone crisis can impair the development of secondary sexual characteristics which includes muscle growth.

While dietary calcium is typically found in dairy-rich foods, some alternate sources include:

Spinach

Collard greens

Kale

Broccoli

Almonds

Vegan sources of zinc include:

Beans/Legumes

Beets and beet greens
Brazil nuts
Carrots
Dark leafy green vegetables
Nuts and nut butters
Onions
Peas
Pumpkin seeds
Seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Sprouts
Sunflower seeds
Whole grains and breads