Key foods for vegetarians to build muscle

The question "what options are there for vegetarians who wish to build muscle?" recently came to me after reading some comments on my thread, Key foods for building muscle. This got me thinking because I had never really thought about that seeing as I am not a Vegetarian. So I did a little research and I am here to show you all what I discovered. This is not a step by step guide for building muscle just a guideline on what to eat. Saying that I would also like to ask that any one who tries these foods along with a regular weight training regimen would tell me how they succeed! Now lets get the ball rolling!

To start out let me say that there are many protein choices for vegetarians to lead a healthy life style and it is VERY important to work a variety of these into any vegetarian diet. However, this hub will be focusing on the muscle building foods. I say this because there are very few complete protein sources. When I say complete I mean a protein that has all of the Branch Chain Amino Acids for building muscle. The best sources of this is most lean meats, but seeing as this is a vegetarian hub I cant use these as examples. A good goal for protein intake per day for any one looking to build and maintain muscle is 1 gram or more per pound of body weight. This may seam daunting however I will go over some vegetarian supplementation that can swing those numbers closer to what they should be. Also it is vital, as with any fitness lifestyle, to be eating at least 5 times a day. This keeps your metabolism in fat burning mode as well as allows your body to shuttle proteins and nutrients to your muscles quickly after a strenuous work out!

The main compleat protein source for vegetarians is soy. Soy beans are considered by the Food & Drug Administration to be a complete protein. This makes them a fantastic choice for vegetarians. There are so many soy products out there that are unique and great muscle building foods. In fact I am sure that most vegetarians are more familiar with many of them than I am. However one essential muscle building tool is soy protein supplementation. Supplementation is just that, supplementing or adding to an already solid diet to make up for gaps that are sometimes unavoidable. Soy protein powder is a great replacement for whey protein. I would recommend using it as a meal replacement shake and definitely a post workout shake. Protein shakes are lean as well as very quick and easly acessable. Another great supplement for you is soy protein bars. I don't know how well they taste however I do know that protein bars are a great quick fix for a meal. Again there are many soy products out there so find ones that suit you and keep mixing it up!

The next source of muscle building protein for vegetarians is Nuts. Most nuts contain good protein however the one that I will focus on is almonds. Almonds are a tasty and satisfying crunchy snack that is chock full of protein. Almonds are a great snack by themselves and a fantastic substitute to peanut butter. Almonds are high in protein and calcium. So go out and buy your self a bag of dry roasted almonds to have as a snack during your busy day or to accompany any meal or salad you might have.

The next subject I will touch upon is supplementing B12 as well as creatine. I will start off with creatine since that seams to be a touchy subject in the world. Creatine is NOT steroids. It is also NOT harmful in any way as far as I have seen through reading many studies. Creatine is naturally forming in red meats, primarily beef. Since as vegetarians you are not consuming and creatine I would recommend supplementing 5g of creatine mono-hydrate every day after your workout. Creatine is very key in building muscle as well as how the muscles function. I will not go into how it works right now but that will be reserved for a future hub. Secondly I would suggest investing in B12 supplements as this also comes from meats. B12 gives us natural energy as well as aids in building repairing and preserving muscle.

There is much more to be learned about living a vegetarian lifestyle, and I am still learning the resources that are out there. I will add on to this hub whenever I discover something new about vegetarian muscle building.

If there are any questions please check out my other hubs, Healthy weight loss tips for the average Joe, The importance of a healthy diet, and Top ten weight lifting exercises for overall fitness. If there are any further questions drop me a comment or a messege.

Thanks, Revortay1