It's All Protein Lesson 2

If you eat meat… read this anyways!

Who gives a crap if you're a vegetarian? Not me, and certainly not your workout. Your muscles aren't going to adopt the philosophy "oh you don't eat meat… then don't worry about your protein."

If you want muscle and a great body then find ways to add it to your diet that still stick to your morals. There are plenty of ways for veg-os to get protein in.

Can You Be A Vegetarian And Still Gain Muscle?

Sure lean meats such as chicken, turkey, pork and buffalo are awesome sources of protein. They are often the backbone of a muscle builder's diet, but if you are a vegetarian it is still possible to get the protein you need without turning to the animals.

Being a vegetarian will make you want to pay more attention to your protein intake simply because naturally you are probably not getting as much protein in your diet as a meat-eater. But that doesn't mean you can't get enough protein for muscle building, it just means you have to be more conscious of your diet.

There are several different levels of vegetarians, so let's break it down to see where you fall in the mold and how hard you will have to work to add protein to your diet.

1. Vegans: the strictest of the vegetarians. They avoid fresh foods (meats) but also try to stay away from dairy, eggs, leather, fur, and products that have been tested on animals. You have to really think hard about getting your diet up to muscle building par.

2. Pescatarian: these guys avoid all meats except fish. This is a pretty common form of being a vegetarian and many people use it as a stepping stone towards becoming a vegan.

Fish is a great source of protein, just make sure that if you regularly consume fish to check mercury levels. Generally, the larger the fish, the higher the mercury. Fish are low in calories, loaded with healthy omega-3s and a great protein.

3. Semi-vegetarians: they are considered "flexible" because while they mainly practice a no meat vegetarian diet they will occasionally bend and eat meat. These vegg-os practice their lifestyle most likely because of health reasons (instead of moral).

If you eat chicken as many semis do… this is key for protein.

4. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians: the most common of all… while they do not eat any meat products such as beef, pork, poultry, or shellfish, they do eat eggs and dairy products. Because eggs are such a great protein source it will be pretty easy for lacto-ovo-vegetarians to get a healthy dose through diet.

There are a few other classifications of vegetarians, but those listed above are the BIG 4. Obviously you can tell that vegans will have to pay more attention to getting protein than the rest since they are less likely to have good protein sources throughout the day in their normal meals.

As I said before, being a veggie lover doesn't limit your ability to pack on the muscle. It does mean that when shopping you need to be aware of high quality protein items that you can include on a daily basis with every meal. That is right, if you want to put on muscle you will need to have protein with every meal.

Generally the recommendation for protein consumption when adding on lean muscle is 1.6-2.0 g/kg of bodyweight (1 kg = 2.2 lb)

There are plenty of non-animal protein sources. It just takes education to learn what to look for. So lets get right down to it. Here are some great plant protein sources that you should add. On top of these, a whey protein supplement works great too (or soy protein shakes).

Soy: this is the big dog of plant protein. It is the only plant source that is considered a complete protein. It offers all the essential proteins that your body requires from a healthy balanced diet. For the record, 1 ounce of soybeans have 10g of protein. Soy is very versatile because of all the ways it is packaged: tofu, soy milk, soy protein, edemande, and more.

Nuts: I am addicted to raw almonds. They are not only a great source of unsaturated fats but they are a decent protein source. 1 ounce of almonds contain 6 g of protein and 13 g of unsaturated fats (and 1 g of saturated). The down fall is that they are pretty high in calories so make sure to limit your servings to the appropriate size. Never eat straight from the carton because before you know it you have eaten the whole thing! If you need a great lunch idea go with peanut butter sandwiches, no matter how old you are they are great.

Egg white: For those egg eaters out there, this is the golden child of your diet. Egg whites are a great way to make sure you are getting loads of healthy protein without getting tons of calories and fat. To build muscles try adding egg whites to your breakfast and to your last meal of the day. 1 cup of liquid egg whites (=4 eggs) can have up to 30 g of protein!

Beans: beans are very hearty and a great meat substitute for tons of dishes. Beans are low in fat, a great complex carbohydrate source and a good protein source. The example for this one is kidney, just because they are my favorite, but 1 cup of kidney beans have only 144 calories and 15 g of protein. Add them to the top of your salad next time! Garbanzos, navy, lentils and black beans are great too.

Spinach: It is not a huge protein donator but it is a great food. It should be the stable to your salads. While normal lettuces do not offer a whole ton of benefits, spinach is packed with vitamins, minerals, and even has 1 g of protein per cup. Always have this power-food in your fridge.

Those are the great groups of plant protein. If you are really serious about your muscle building programs then I strongly recommend checking out protein shakes too. This goes for vegetarians and nonvegetarians.

Just to make sure you are getting what you need, carry a book around with you and track your protein intake for 3 days in a row. If it comes out in the recommended bracket then congrats, if not the ramp it up.

You don't want to miss this last protein lesson... Soy is in the news all the time, one day the miracle food the next the worst thing ever, how about whey protein versus soy protein?

Get more information about exercises to lose weight and make sure you check out our fitness courses podcast where we talk about current fitness events and give you help to get great results.

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