If your goal is to gain muscle, by now you probably understand that exercise and protein are critical. Your body will only change when the demands (exercise) and the fuel (nutrients) change. Breakfast is your first opportunity of the day to introduce the nutrients you’ll need to fuel muscle growth.
For those looking to gain muscle on a plant-based diet, things get a little more complicated, though not because you can’t get protein through plants but rather because the system isn’t set up to offer a wide array of options. Plant-based eaters need to focus on calorically dense foods like avocados instead of low-calorie plants like lettuce, and they should ensure that they eat enough protein to fuel their muscle growth.
Plant-based protein
If your goal is to build muscle, you should aim to eat between 15 and 30 grams of protein at breakfast. That's the equivalent of 3 eggs or 100 almonds if you’re sticking to a plant-based diet. There’s a wide variety of plant-based foods that are high in protein including; beans, peas, lentils, grains, nuts, and seeds. It's best to get your protein from these whole foods but protein powders can help in a pinch. Pea protein and pumpkin seeds are terrific sources of vegan protein powder so look for those in your supplements and avoid soy-based products. Quality matters too so look for organic.
Gains beyond protein
To maximize the gains of your training you also need to eat carbohydrates. Multiplying your body weight (lbs) by 2.5 gives you a good carb target in grams for the day. For most people, that’s around 400 grams per day. If you’re eating a plant-based diet, you can think about your daily carb goal as 11 bananas but for your sanity, you’ll want to diversify your intake with organic potatoes, oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, and other minimally processed sources. Chip away at your carbohydrate goal at breakfast with at least 50 grams.
High protein plant-based breakfasts for building muscle
- Vegan Scrambled Eggs
- Vegan Quinoa Breakfast Frittata
- Brave - Overnight Breakfast - Peanut Butter Banana
- Pre-made packets make prep easy for a protein-packed plant-based breakfast on the go.
- Each meal has 450 calories, 20G of plant-based protein, and about 50 grams of carbs.
- Includes a compliment of plant-based protein and carbohydrate sources from; organic gluten free rolled oats, organic chia seeds, organic hemp seeds, organic pea protein, organic banana, and organic peanut butter powder.
