It is possible to build muscle with a moderate amount of protein from plant sources, but it will be at a slower pace. The advantage is for better health, stronger bones, and improved immune system. All plants actually have protein, although many types have higher amounts.

Taking the time to do weight lifting improves a person’s strength and health. And, most people prefer to use animal protein sources to help build up their muscles faster. Some people, however, do not want to use animal proteins for health or ethical reasons. They either feel compassion for the animals and animal suffering. Or, they want to maintain heart and kidney health by choosing options that are free of cholesterol, foreign DNA, or saturated fat.

It is possible to build muscle with a moderate amount of protein from plant sources, but it will be at a slower pace. The advantage is for better health, stronger bones, and improved immune system. All plants actually have protein, although many types have higher amounts.

Beans, many vegetables, tofu, nuts, and seeds are all excellent sources. The secret is to get enough to eat for energy and then to get plenty of protein for building muscle on top of that. There are some good sources of wholesome carbohydrates that offer the good type of starch complete with fiber for good digestion. These types of food help a person to have energy and they also are decent sources of protein. Good examples are the whole grains, potatoes, beans, corn, and winter squash. For example, one cup of quinoa (cooked grain) has 11.0 grams of it.

However, when the goal is to build muscle, then a person needs to also incorporate plenty of higher protein plant sources. Some excellent choices would be all types of beans, nuts, tofu, and certain vegetables. See the chart below for a sampling of certain food items and the amounts of protein they contain:

1 cup cooked broccoli = 4.65 grams
1 cup cooked asparagus = 5.31 grams
1 cup whole wheat spaghetti = 7.46 grams
2 Tbsp peanut butter = 8 grams
1/4 cup almonds = 8 grams
1 cup boiled black beans = 15 grams
1 cup boiled lentils = 17 grams
1/2 cup firm tofu = 19.9 grams
1 cup sunflower seeds = 23.4 grams
1/2 cup Seitan = 24.0 grams

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine gives these recommendations for meeting daily protein requirements:
Grains -5 or more 1/2 cup servings averaging 3 grams of protein per serving
Vegetables – 3 or more servings; 1/2 cup cooked or juiced, 1 cup raw, averaging about 2 grams per serving
Legumes -2-3 servings of 1/2 cup beans, firm tofu or tempeh, 1 cup soy

Destry Masterson is a health and nutrition expert. She publishes articles for http://www.dailybread.com and recommends them for food storage.

Contact Info:
Destry Masterson – MyOnlineArticleWriting@gmail.com – Twitter: @DestryMasterson

Looking For More Information?

Make sure to explore other articles in the Food and Drink category or contact us to suggest a website or a service to review.