It is often said that you cannot be a successful bodybuilder and vegetarian. Well, I know lots of folk who build great physiques on a vegetarian diet, it just takes a little more consideration, especially in regard to protein quality. Now, here I am talking about proper vegetarians, i.e. lacto-ovo vegetarians, not those folk who eat tuna and still claim to eat a vegetarian diet!
Generally, vegetable proteins are of poorer quality than animal proteins. Milk and egg proteins can be eaten, so you may still take advantage of HBV proteins. The key to obtaining good protein quality lies in combining different protein sources.
True vegans will avoid all products of animal origin, so an adequate bodybuilding diet is really difficult. For a vegan bodybuilder, a strict regimen will need to be followed, especially to ensure that a varied diet is still consumed. Remember also that many quality supplements are derived from animal products, for example creatine, whey protein and meal replacement powders (MRPs), so you will have to avoid these. If you are in doubt about any product, check with the manufacturer. As there are so many exclusions in the vegan diet, I strongly feel that isolated soya protein is an absolute must for the vegan bodybuilder. Another viable alternative that is gaining popularity is pea protein.
Other great protein sources which vegetarians and vegans can enjoy are mixed beans, baked beans, hummus, tofu, quorn, textured vegetable protein (TVP), soya, coconut, oat and rice milk, and many more. Often these products do have a reasonable carbohydrate content too, useful for gaining weight, and are low in fat. Vegans would be wise to include seaweed or a vitamin B12 supplement daily, as without animal products their diets may be insufficient in vitamin B12.
Plan 1: Example menu plan for a vegetarian wishing to gain quality weight.
| Time | Food | Protein |
| Wake 7:30 am | ||
| 7:30 | 1 scoop whey protein in water | 20g |
| 8:00 breakfast | large bowl wholewheat breakfast cereal with 1/3 pint skimmed milk + sugar | 15g |
| 2 slices wholemeal bread toasted + olive oil spread | ||
| ½ portion weight gain drink with water and multidextrose powder | 22g | |
| 100ml orange juice + 1 tblsp olive oil | ||
| 10:30 | ½ portion weight gain drink with skimmed milk | 27g |
| fruit | ||
| 12:30 | 12.30 ½ scoop whey protein in water | 10g |
| Low fat cottage cheese (100g) | 12g | |
| or soya cheese (80g) | 15g | |
| 4 slices wholemeal bread + olive oil spread | ||
| salad | ||
| low fat yoghurt | 7g | |
| 15:00 | Full portion MRP made in half water + half skimmed milk | 48g |
| fruit | ||
| 17:00 | ½ portion weight gain drink with skimmed milk and multidextrose powder | 27g |
| TRAIN | ||
| 18:30 (after training) |
2 scoops whey protein in water | 40g |
| 19:30 | Quorn burger (150g) | 18g |
| Baked beans (150g) | 8g | |
| Reduced fat cheese (50g) | 14g | |
| either 2 medium jacket potatoes | ||
| or 200g boiled brown rice | ||
| or 350g boiled wholewheat pasta | ||
| vegetables | ||
| low fat yoghurt | 7g | |
| 22:00 | ½ portion weight gain drink with skimmed milk | 25g |
| 23:30 | 1 scoop whey protein in skimmed milk | 25g |
| 23:30 – BED | ||
| Total Protein | 340g | |
Plan 2: Example menu plan for a vegan bodybuilder wishing to gain quality weight.
| Time | Food | Protein |
| Wake 7:30 am | ||
| 7:30 | 1 scoop isolated soy protein in water | 20g |
| 8:00 breakfast | large bowl wholewheat breakfast cereal with 1/2 pint soya milk + sugar | 9g |
| 2 slices wholemeal bread toasted + olive oil spread | ||
| 1 scoop isolated soy protein with ½ pint oat/coconut/rice milk and multidextrose powder | 26g | |
| 100ml orange juice + 1 tblsp olive oil | ||
| 10:30 | 1 scoop isolated soy protein with ½ pint oat/coconut/rice milk and multidextrose powder | 26g |
| fruit | ||
| 12:30 | ½ scoop isolated soy protein in water | 10g |
| Hummus (200g) | 15g | |
| Mixed beans (200g) & salad | 15g | |
| 4 slices wholemeal bread + olive oil spread | ||
| Soya yoghurt (150g) | 7g | |
| 15:00 | 2 scoops isolated soy protein with ½ pint oat/coconut/rice milk and multidextrose powder | 46g |
| fruit | ||
| 17:00 | 1 scoop isolated soy protein with ½ pint oat/coconut/rice milk and multidextrose powder | 26g |
| TRAIN | ||
| 18:30 (after training) |
2 scoops isolated soya protein in water | 40g |
| 19:30 | Bean/soya burger (150g) | 18g |
| Baked beans (150g) + tofu mince (100g) | 16g | |
| either 2 medium jacket potatoes | ||
| or 200g boiled brown rice | ||
| or 350g boiled wholewheat pasta | ||
| vegetables | ||
| soya yoghurt | 7g | |
| 22:00 | 1 scoop isolated soy protein with ½ pint oat/coconut/rice milk and multidextrose powder | 26g |
| 23:30 | 1 scoop isolated soy protein in water | 20g |
| 23:30 – BED | ||
| Total Protein | 327g | |
*MRP stands for Meal Replacement Powder.
IMPORTANT – remember both diet plans are merely a guide and must not be stuck to rigidly. You must eat a variety of different protein sources, complex carbohydrates and fruit and vegetables every day, and drink plenty of water.
If you are still not gaining sufficient weight, increase portion sizes of protein and carbohydrate foods; if you are starting to hold a little body fat, reduce portion sizes of carbohydrate foods slightly. A little bit of junk food now and again will do no harm.
