Introduction:
Vegan muscle building is possible without any problems. There are more and more people and athletes who eat vegan. Nevertheless, the overall share is still low. Under nutrition plans II you will also find vegan plans. As a vegan, you need to plan your diet a little better and be careful not to get certain deficiencies. I’ll show you what nutrients to look out for when switching to a vegan diet.
Converting from mixed-foods to vegan:
It’s a lot easier than you think.! In the end, you only have to replace animal foods with suitable vegan foods. I myself eat significantly less animal foods than I used to and don’t notice any difference. The sources of carbohydrates, fats (except fish), minerals & vitamins remain the same as described under food sources. It’s only with protein sources and certain nutrients that we have to worry about.
Vitamin B12:
Vitamin B12 is the only supplement that is mandatory for vegans. It is only absorbed in significant form through animal foods. You need to take vitamin B12 pills regularly.
Omega 3 fatty acids:
Omega 3 fatty acids are divided into ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is found in vegan foods like flax oil. EPA and DHA in fat fish like salmon and not in vegan foods. The body can convert limited, but in many people sufficient amounts of ALA into EPA and DHA. To be on the safe side, you could take omega 3 tablets. In the past, these were only available from fish oil, now also vegan from algae. For ALA, put flax oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts into your diet.
Protein:
The impression has arisen that a vegan diet leads to a too low protein intake. That’s true if you’re just fruits and vegetables. That’s why I always emphasize a balanced diet. Carbohydrate sources like rice or fat sources already contain protein. If you then mix in nuts, seeds, tofu, legumes, protein powder etc there is no problem. Let me make you an example with this meal:
As you can see here, you have 38g of protein in a purely vegan meal. The main source of protein is tofu, but the other ingredients also add protein. I have also listed vegan protein sources under the food sources chapter.
Generally:
With the exception of vitamin B12 and certain omega 3 fatty acids, a vegan diet provides you with everything you need. Specifically, in practice, many vegans do not need more than one vitamin B12 supplement. This is only ever true if you vary your food sources. Mix vegan foods through, take a vitamin B12 supplement and you should have no problems.