Where do vegans get their protein from
That’s the million dollar question and most common question I get asked more frequently. There are plenty of vegan sources where you can get protein.
Vegans have to know their food / nutrition.
A healthy vegan diet should contain whole grains, healthy fats, beans, and lots of vegetables, especially leafy greens. There’s so much variety and flavour in the vegan diet.
As a vegan athlete I always add a variety of food in every meal. For breakfast I don’t just eat oats, I also add some healthy fats and protein. If you love adding sugar, add berries or dried fruit.
For lunch, broccoli (vitamin c, calcium and protein) with sweet potatoes (good carbs), tofu (protein), pumpkin seeds (protein, magnesium, fibre), crushed walnuts (omega3,good fats, protein) and a garden salad with 1 tbs of flax seed oil (omega 3).
How much protein do we need to build muscles?
The majority of research suggests those who are training regularly may need to consume more protein, it is recommended for every kilogram of body weight you should consume 1–1.5 grams of Protein per kilogram of body weight.
Top Vegan Protein sources
Sources 100g Protein
Peanuts 27g
Edamame 11g
Tempeh 19g
Almonds 21g
Lentils 1 cup 20g
Pumkin seeds 19g
Flax seeds 18g
Chickpeas 1 cup 19g
Walnuts 15g
Falafel 14g
Tofu 8g
Beans 1 cup 8g
Why choose a vegan lifestyle
Reduced saturated fats : Dairy products and meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from your diet, you’ll improve your health tremendously, especially when it comes to cardiovascular health.
Healthy skin: The nuts and vitamins A and E from vegetables play a big role in healthy skin, so vegans will usually have good skin health. Many people who switch to a vegan diet will notice a remarkable reduction in blemishes as well.
Eat Small meals
I eat 6 to 8 times per day which equates to roughly every 3 hours. I don’t eat big meals as they make me feel more tired. Small frequent meals promote more stable blood sugar and you feel more energized. It’s also important to keep a constant influx of nutrients (protein, calories, healthy fats, complex and low-glycemic carbohydrates) in our body to maintain a positive nitrogen balance. Not only will your metabolism and fat-burning capabilities increase, you will have the nutrients needed to fuel muscle growth and recover so you can workout harder the next time you hit the gym. Make every meal healthy and delicious.
Vegan protein sources for Muscle building
· Tofu,Tempeh,Edamame and soy milk.
· Lentils,chickpeas and Beans.
· Quinoa /Buckwheat
· Almonds/walnuts /Peanuts
· Chia Seeds / Pumpkin seeds / flax seeds
· Plant based Protein
Complex carbs
· Brown rice
· Quinoa
· Whole wheat pasta
· whole wheat bread
· Sweet potatoes
Healthy fat Sources
Flax seed Coconut oil
Almonds Peanuts
Olive oil Peanut Butter
Avocado Pumpkin seeds
walnuts Cashews
Vegetables low in carbs but high in nutrition
Broccoli Cucumber
Mushrooms Asparagus
Zucchini Spinach
Onions Cauliflower
Supplements
Plant Based Protein : There are plenty of vegan supplement brands out there to choose from but pea/rice blend protein is the best.
BCAA : Is one of my favorite supplements, it reduces muscle soreness after intense training and also helps protect your muscles from the catabolic effects of a low-calorie diet and can help you gain mass.
B12 : Vitamin B12 deficiency causes tiredness, weakness, weight loss, and megaloblastic Anaemia. Fortified food like breakfast cereals or Almond milk fortified with vitamin B12 are the best source to get B12 if you are vegan.
Apart from that you can have multivitamins or just B12 supplement.
Pre workout : I don’t take any pre workout supplements but I usually have Indian chai as a pre workout ( fennel, cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon) with almond milk.
Omega 3 : Chia seeds are the one of the best vegan omega 3 source out there. 28gm of chia seeds provides 4910 mg of ALA Omega 3 fatty acids.
Hemp seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds are the other good sources, so you don’t have to eat fish ?
Originally published at superveganfitness.com/on March 4, 2020.
