Veg diet for building muscles: Here's all you need to know - 24 Mantra Organic

Let’s face it, we all wish to have a toned, muscular body. But most people believe that building muscles can be difficult when on a no-meat diet. However, that is not completely true as several veg diets can help gain some extra muscle weight. Since protein is the building block of muscles, having a vegetarian diet, especially the organic kind, high on protein can provide the same results without being heavy on the belly. In this article, we will look at some veg diet for building muscles.

A well-planned veg diet for building muscles includes food that contains sufficient plant-based protein – no meat required. Such foods include legumes and lentils, grains, soy products, nuts, and seeds.

Types of protein

For decades, the conventional belief that eating meat is the only way to build muscle has remained unquestioned because meat contains all nine amino acids in the right proportion as required by the human body. In simple terms, proteins are classified into two categories: complete and incomplete proteins.

A complete protein is one that includes all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids cannot be made by the human body itself and, therefore, needs to be supplemented through food. Incomplete protein, on the other hand, doesn’t have all nine amino acids. Most plant-based proteins have incomplete proteins except quinoa, soy, hemp, and chia. In contrast, all animal proteins are complete proteins. That is why, when following a veg diet for building muscles, it is vital to have a variety of plant-based protein in small quantities.

How much protein does the body need?

The amount of protein needed by the body for muscle building depends on exercise and body type. However, in general, to increase muscle mass, it is recommended that the person regularly lifts weights or has a stringent training routine and consumes protein, especially organic, in the range of 1.2-1.7 grams per kilogram of the bodyweight daily [1] – as organic food is generally free of harmful chemicals. This level of protein is easily met through diet alone and does not usually require additional protein supplements.

Vegetarian Food Sources Rich In Protein

As mentioned earlier, a veg diet for building muscles needs different kinds of protein from plant sources. Here are some examples of protein-rich vegetarian food:

• If you are a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian, implying you don’t eat meat, poultry, and fish but have eggs and dairy products, then having paneer, cheese, milk, and boiled eggs at each meal should be sufficient to meet your protein needs.
• For a Lacto-vegetarian, you can opt for milk and Greek yoghurt since it is high in protein and low in fat and carbs.
• If you are an Ovo-vegetarian, then having egg whites is all you need to meet your daily protein requirement.

Here is the list of vegetarian food with the amount of protein they contain:

Tips to build muscle on a vegetarian diet

Veg diet for building muscles can be easy if you follow these simple tips:

• Figure out your daily protein requirement to track your success. After all, you cannot improve what you can’t measure.
• Eat at least five to six small meals every day. Don’t just eat food rich in protein, but also include whole grains, nuts, vegetable oil, fruits, and water.
• To fuel your muscles, make sure more than half of your calories are from quality carbs.
• Include good fats in your diet such as almonds, olive oil, walnuts. Avoid fried and otherwise greasy food.

So there you go folks; that was our take on a veg diet for building muscles. Hope you found it informative.

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