Building Muscle on a Plant Based Protein Diet: How to Get Enough Protein Without Meat
Whenever proponents of a plant based protein diet talk about building lean muscle from plant proteins, they are quickly dismissed by individuals who hold the belief that animal products are the primary source of proteins.
This is belief is miscued, and, for lack of a better word, fallacious at best. The belief that plant based diets are not effective in building muscle is nothing but just a misconception.
A plant based diet refers to a dietary lifestyle that puts key emphasis on the consumption of whole, minimally processed plant foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fruits while limiting or avoiding the consumption of animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy.
The conventional belief that animal products are the only source of complete proteins is fallacious.
You can, as we will explain shortly, get complete proteins from plants.
This article purposes to dispel myths that animal products are the primary source of proteins and demonstrate that a plant based diet is equally as effective in providing your body with complete proteins. We are going to demonstrate that building muscles on a plant based diet is possible and achievable.
The Importance of Protein for Muscle Building
The truth of the matter is that protein is an essential nutrient that plays a significant role in building your body’s muscles. It is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle tissue. When you put your body to exercise and engage in resistance training be it bodyweight exercises or weight lifting, small tears are made in your muscle fibers.
What happens is that amino acids found in protein are responsible for repairing and rebuilding the muscle fibers hence leading to an increase in muscle size and strength.
The largely held belief over the years has been that animal products are the primary source of protein for muscle building. While this is true, plant based sources of protein are just as effective and can also provide the necessary amino acids integral to the repair and growth of muscles. Examples of plant based sources of protein include:
- Legumes such as lentils and chickpeas.
- Whole grains such as quinoa and bulgur.
- Nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and almonds.
If you are a vegan incorporating a wide variety of plant based protein sources into your diet is instrumental in ensuring that you get enough protein to build your muscles.
You should endeavor to combine a number of plant based proteins in your diet to get all the necessary amino acids necessary for muscle building.
That said, a number of plant based protein sources such as quinoa and soy are considered complete proteins (they contain all the essential amino acids instrumental in muscle building and repair.)
Plant Based Protein Sources
If you’ve just transitioned into a plant based diet, you probably are wondering about the common plant based sources of protein. These are:
- Soy products: Soy products are classified as complete sources of protein which means that they contain all the essential amino acids required for muscle growth and repaid. Examples of soy products include tempeh and tofu.
- Whole grains: Brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, whole meat, and quinoa are examples of whole grains and are a great source of plant based protein.
- Legumes: Examples include kidney beans, lentils, black beans, and chickpeas, and are a rich source of plant based proteins.
- Nuts and seeds: Examples include chia seeds, peanut butter, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. All these when incorporated into your diet are a great source of plant based proteins.
How to Incorporate Plant Based Protein Sources into Your Diet
Whether you admit it or not, the reality of the matter is that plant based protein powders and meat alternatives are a great and convenient way to increase your protein intake on a plant based diet. In that regard, let us take a look at the popular plant based protein sources and how you can effectively incorporate them into your daily diet for maximum results.
Soy Protein
If you need a complete protein source containing all the essential amino acids to aid you in muscle growth and repair, you can never go wrong with soy protein. To increase your protein intake, all you need to do is simply add soy protein powder to your baked goods, smoothies, and any other of your favorite recipes to increase your protein intake.
Hemp Protein
Made from the seeds of the hemp plant, hemp protein is also a great source of plant based protein. It is particularly important and a great nutrient-dense protein option because of its richness in essential fatty acids, minerals, as well as fiber.
Just like soy protein powder, you can also add hemp protein powder to your smoothies, baked goods, as well as other recipes you deem fit in order to increase your protein intake.
Pea Protein
Made from yellow peas, pea protein is a plant based protein powder rich in branched-chain amino acids that are instrumental in muscle growth and recovery. You can add pea protein powder to shakes, smoothies, or any other recipes of your liking to increase your protein intake.
In addition to plant based protein powders, meat alternatives are also a great way to boost your protein intake on a plant based diet. You can’t go wrong with popular plant based meat alternatives such as tempeh and tofu which, based on your tastes and preferences, can be stir-fried, grilled, marinated, or sautéed.
Consequently, plant based sausages and veggie burgers can equally provide your body with the required proteins on a plant based diet.
Combining Plant Based Protein Sources to Ensure Adequate Daily Protein Intake for Muscle Building
You will agree with us that you can’t rely on one plant based protein source and expect maximum results so far as muscle building and recovery are concerned. You need a combination of various plant based protein sources in your diet for maximum results.
The idea is, combining various plant-based protein sources serves to create a complete protein meal which basically means your body gets all the essential amino acids. Wondering how you can achieve this?
Well, here are a few examples of plant based protein combinations that will give you a complete protein meal.
- Eating a combination of brown rice and black beans are highly recommended as together they form a complete protein. Black beans are a good source of lysine while brown rice is a great source of methionine. Together when combined form a complete protein.
- Combining Tofu with broccoli creates a complete protein as they are both good sources of protein.
- A combination of Hummus and whole wheat pita bread form a complete protein. Whole wheat pita bread is a good source of methionine while hummus is a great source of protein owing to the fact that chickpeas is one of its main ingredients. Together, they form a complete protein that your body badly needs for muscle growth and repair.
- Quinoa and almonds: While quinoa is a complete protein by itself, there is no harm in adding almonds to a quinoa dish to boost its protein content.
In a nutshell, it’s highly recommended that you eat a combination or a variety of plant based protein sources to boost your protein intake and meet daily protein needs throughout the day.
The Bottom Line
To sum it up, there is no denying that despite the common misconceptions, a plant based diet can provide your body with all the necessary proteins instrumental in muscle building and recovery.
Having a well-balanced plant based diet with the right combinations provides your body with all the proteins, vitamins, and minerals essential for muscle building and maintaining muscle mass.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve just switched to a plant based diet. If you are keen on building your muscles, you have a wide variety of plant based protein sources at your disposal such as nuts, legumes, seeds, vegetables, and whole grains, to mention a few.
Making the right combinations of the various plant based protein sources is all you need to ensure your body gets the necessary nutrients to build muscles. Whether you are looking for hemp protein powder, pea protein powder, or soy protein powder, you can rest assured that we have it stocked at our Organic Village eshop.
Our plant-based protein powders are organic, contain all the necessary nutrients, and are designed to help you meet your muscle-building goals! Check us out today and enjoy plant based protein powders that are organic!
