This is the most frequently asked question by a lot of people “Should I start eating all sorts of nonvegetarian food to gain muscle “ And! I quickly respond saying it is not necessary.

Traditional body-building diets have a lot of recommendations of nonvegetarian food items which includes eggs, chicken, fish and red meat which favours the meat lovers to achieve the desired result. However, muscle building for a vegetarian is equally possible if the diet is planned intelligently.

DOES BEING A VEGETARIAN AFFECT MUSCLE GROWTH?

It is very true that protein is the main and the most important nutrient which leads to muscle build-up. For a vegetarian one can seek class one protein through milk, cheese, paneer, and curd etc. Apart from these whole beans like kidney beans, chickpeas, sprouts, peanuts and almonds etc which also add to the nutritional requirement of a person leading to an active lifestyle. Also, vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants help in speedy recovery. The Sooner you recover, the sooner will you be able to restart your workout.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DOES YOUR BODY REQUIRE?

It is recommended to intake around 1-1.3 gm of protein per kg of your body weight. For a vegetarian, it’s easy to supplement with carbohydrates as most of the vegetarian protein sources are rich sources of carbohydrates and fibre naturally. In case one feels that the protein intake through these food resources, then I recommend that one uses a good brand of protein powders. Eg: Whey Protein.

So the bottom line is one can build and maintain muscle mass on a meat-free diet. Doesn’t matter if you’re vegetarian or non-vegetarian, you can meet your needs while still eating a balanced diet.