Vegan nutrition means that everything consumed comes from plants, not animals. Products like milk, eggs, caviar, and honey all come from animals so are not vegan foods. "Vegan" does not automatically mean healthy. There are vegans who are clinically obese because all they eat is potato chips, french fries, and cookies all day long. "Vegan" can also be incredibly healthy also if one follows a nutritional regimin like Dr. McDougall suggests. In my opinion, it doesnt get much healthier nutrition than getting all ones calories from minimally processed legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits.
The problem is that even very high protein foods like soybeans only have a very small percentage of their calories from protein which becomes a huge issue for a vegan bodybuilder trying to gain muscle mass without getting fat. Getting enough protein without blowing the calorie budget for the day requires foods that have been processed somewhat like defatted peanut flour, pea protein powder, or wheat gluten in order to get enough protein without blowing the caloric budget. Its a fine line to walk to get enough protein while minimizing the amount of processed foods you use. It also can be tough to get enough vegetables if all your calories are being put toward protein sources.
Health Benefits of Vegan Nutrition
The leading two causes of death in America are
heart disease and cancer according to the Center For Disease Control. Eating plant based (vegan) nutrition can lower the risk of heard disease, hypertension, and cancer. This is powerful. Just by simply changing what you eat, you can reduce your risk of dying from the #1 and #2 leading causes of death. Please discuss this with your physician.
Create Your Custom Vegan Meal Plan
In just 10 seconds you can create an optimal vegan bodybuilding meal plan for fat loss and muscle gain. This software will plan out healthy meals with the proper portion sizes to help you achieve your fitness goals in the minimum possible time. You can bulk, cut, or just maintain your weight with a very simple and healthy nutritional plan. This meal planner is for those who are serious about their health and nutrition - athletes, bodybuilders, models, and weekend warriors alike. Simply answer the questions and click on the button labeled "Create Instant Meal Plan".
The Best Meal Plan For Vegan Bodybuilders
Lets look at the reasons that the meal plans produced by CustomMealPlanner are the best for vegan bodybuilders wanting to gain muscle:
- High in protein. Vegan bodybuilders are often held back because of insufficient protein. These meal plans are very high in protein.
- Protein diversity. Every meal plan contains several different sources of protein: rice, soy, pea, and wheat.
- Omega 3 fatty acids. Every meal plan will have lots of omega-3 fatty acids from either ground flaxseed or chia.
- Iron and Calcium. All the meal plans produced will have significant amounts of spinach to reduce the need for these supplements.
Sixpack Abs
The majority of vegans will have to cut at some point. The goal on many peoples minds with this cut is to achieve sixpack abs. With the free
CustomMealPlanner there is no guesswork involved, your meal plan will tell you exactly how many days it will take you to get sixpack abs!
Special Nutritional Concerns For Vegans
Because vegan bodybuilders have to work very hard nutritionally to get enough protein without blowing their caloric budget, it can be even more difficult for them to get all the micronutrients they need. Although I am not a person who ever recommends supplements, for vegans it is definitely something to consider if you are not able to get them from plant sources.
There are some vital micronutrients that are plentiful in animal products and much harder to find in plant products. Vegans need to pay particular attention to vitamins D and B-12, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as zinc and iron. If they are not present in the meals being eaten then appropriate supplements should be consumed.
It is also very important to point out here that your physician is a vital part of your bodybuilding team when you are a vegan. Getting yearly blood work is probably a very good idea to make sure that you do not have any nutritional deficiencies which could cause problems.
