Vegetarian Muscle Builder

Hi there,

I've done a few bulking phases and am 100% vegan. I'd say you want to focus mostly on following a good fitness routine - the same as anyone on any diet would. Lifting to muscle failure repeatedly on a good schedule that hits all the major muscle groups, with a focus on compound exercises (if you're into that sort of thing).

On top of that, eat more calories than you are burning. There are a billion threads on how to gain muscle, so I won't go into that here. Just pick a good routine and stick to it.

For foods - brown rice, lentils, chickpeas, nuts (almonds, cashews, etc), nut butter, oats, quinoa - those are all great sources of protein.

I've found that a good balanced diet that is 500-1000 calories over my maintenance level works for gaining muscle, without too much fretting about getting enough protein. Just my own experience. I do drink brown rice protein sometimes, and occasionally eat protein bars.

Good luck!

jesusHchris wrote: »

Hi there,

I've done a few bulking phases and am 100% vegan. I'd say you want to focus mostly on following a good fitness routine - the same as anyone on any diet would. Lifting to muscle failure repeatedly on a good schedule that hits all the major muscle groups, with a focus on compound exercises (if you're into that sort of thing).

On top of that, eat more calories than you are burning. There are a billion threads on how to gain muscle, so I won't go into that here. Just pick a good routine and stick to it.

For foods - brown rice, lentils, chickpeas, nuts (almonds, cashews, etc), nut butter, oats, quinoa - those are all great sources of protein.

I've found that a good balanced diet that is 500-1000 calories over my maintenance level works for gaining muscle, without too much fretting about getting enough protein. Just my own experience. I do drink brown rice protein sometimes, and occasionally eat protein bars.

Good luck!

i'm sorry, but these are not great sources of protein.

• brown rice- 100 grams at 111 calories only has 2.6 grams of protein. Even if you ate 5x that serving size... that's what? 10 grams of protein?
• Almonds- 20 grams of almonds at 115 calories has a whopping 5 grams of protein. You'd have to eat over 500 calories worth of almonds just to get 20 grams of protein.
• Cashews- 20 grams of cashews are even worse. With a whopping 3.6 grams of protein for over 115 calories. You'd have to eat 500 calories worth just to get 18 grams of protein.
• Oats- Again, poor ratio of protein. For a 100 grams of oats it's a whopping 400 calories and only 17 g of protein.

The above are more-so great sources of carbohydrates and fats. The OP seems to only be vegetarian, so i'm assuming dairy is an option. Here's some good sources of protein for vegetarians.


Fage 0% greek yogurt (small cup): 100 calories and 18 grams of protein. You could easily eat two for 36 grams of protein.

• Tofu: for half a block of tofu you'd have 18 grams of protein and 160 calories.
• Seitan: for 50g of seitan you'd have 37.5 grams of protein and 185 calories.
• Whey Protein: for 30g you'd have 25 grams of protein for 125 calories.

This does not include all of the other protein sources like: protein bars (cliff, quest, etc.), pre-mixed protein shakes, eggs, faux meat products (morning star, quorn, boca, etc.), etc. etc. etc.

Vegetarian here. Tofu...so much tofu.

Just a quick point, you don't build definition you build muscle through a caloric surplus and you cut fat to gain definition. You'll want to concentrate on foods that have proteins that contain the amino acid Leucine as this is the amino acid that is involved in synthesis of skeletal muscle. If you feel you are lacking in that you can always supplement it directly with BCAA or Leucine supplements. Outside of that legumes generally have a decent amount of it and if you are lacto-oval then milk and eggs are good choices as well.

Nuts and whey...also amino acid supplements can help u

If you're vegetarian & wanting to eat more protein: Yes, definitely eat plenty of "big protein" sources like those folks have mentioned above (I'd add tempeh, BTW.)

But add the strategy of trying to get at least some protein in almost every category of dietary intake, across your entire meals and all your snacks. Review your diary, find foods that are giving you a fair number of calories, but little protein, and replace them with foods that you like that bring you a bit of protein.

Salad dressing? Make one with plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Need crunch on the salad? Seeds or nuts, not croutons. Snacks? Dry-roasted soybeans, crispy chickpeas, nuts or seeds. If you do dairy, drink milk. Thicken a "creamy" soup with pureed white beans instead of something starchy. Need extra flavor? Nutritional yeast, miso, more. Make a sauce for your stir-fry with peanut butter powder, soy sauce, and rice vinegar (plus seasonings of choice).

Eating rice? Eat quinoa or one of the more protein-y ancient grains instead. Pasta? Use chickpea pasta (texture similar to normal pasta) or edamame pasta (very different texture). Bread? Pick one with relatively more protein (I like the Ezekiel ones for tastiness, but there are lots of options that are even higher in protein).

Pick vegetables and fruits that have protein, in preference to those that don't. (These bring only small amounts, but what's the downside; and it's typically not complete protein, but eat a variety and that will balance out somewhat.)

By the end of the day, all these little things can add up to equal one of the "big protein" foods, and help round out your day.

For that kind of strategy, I've found this thread extremely helpful (it links to a huge spreadsheet of foods ranked by protein-calorie efficiency - just scroll past the meat/fish near the top, and you'll find veg sources):

Carbs and Fats are cheap. Here's a Guide to getting your PROTEIN's worth. Fiber also...

LatoyaNickee wrote: »

Anyone have tips for vegetarians that want to build muscle definition? I have been attacking eggs but what else can help facilitate?

Follow Katya on Instagram! She's a vegetarian bodybuilder and has had tons of success, plus she always posts meal ideas that look yummy