Full Day of Eating - Vegan Plant Based Bulking
EAT TO GROW
FULL DAY OF EATING WHILE BODYBUILDING ON A VEGAN / PLANT BASED DIET - WITH RECIPES
Before I started bulking, I really didn't understand how much whole food needs to be consumed to put on significant muscle mass. When I started my first bulk, I was excited to say the least. More food! More eating! What's not to love? Well, almost a year of bulking later... I see things from a different perspective. It's not that I don't view eating as positive or that I don't enjoy it, it just needs to be stated that it is work. Eating like this takes effort. There is food prep, dishes to do, meal timing, and of course the actual act of eating the food. Putting on lean muscle mass at a healthy but still fast pace takes planning. I find "Full Day of Eating" videos and articles helpful, especially for beginners to bulking, because they show a snapshot of what a full day is really going to be like.
This post shows a typical day of eating for me on my current bulking diet. My current diet is plant based and vegan. No meat and no dairy. My meal plan and macros are based off my goals of putting on 1-1.5 pounds a week of mass (mostly lean mass but fat is inevitable). These calculations are based on weekly weigh ins and my macros are adjusted according to the weight I'm gaining. I usually only ramp up my calories by about 50-100 a week depending on how I'm gaining. My stats for this meal plan are below...
STATS FOR MY FIRST 12 WEEK BULK OF 2018
1/20/2018 - 4/7/2018
Height: 5' 7"
Starting Weight: 157 lbs
Goal Weight: 170 lbs
Daily Caloric Intake: 2,250 - 2,850
Macro Split: 24% P 53% C 23% F (varies)
Time Lifting: 6+ Hours a Week
Cardio: 15-20min x 3-5 week
Body Fat: 15-17%
For my workouts, click here.
To see what I was able to accomplish in one year of bulking and bodybuilding training, click here.
MEAL 1
Supercharged Coffee
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Tbsp Raw Honey*
1 Tsp MCT Oil
1/2 Tsp Ashwagandha Powder
1/2 Tsp Reishi, Chaga, or Lion's Mane Mushroom Powder
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Soymilk
16 Oz Fresh Brewed Coffee
MACROS
P: 2, C: 10, F: 5, kCal: 90
HOW TO MAKE
To view the full article on this coffee, click here.
*Note: Honey isn't considered Vegan but many plant based eaters include it.
MEAL 2
Bulking Oats with Vegan Protein Shake
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Quick Cook Oats
1/2 Cup Sliced Fresh Banana
1/4 Cup Pitted Dates Chopped
3 Tbsp PB2 Peanut Powder with Premium Chocolate
1 Tbsp Dark Chocolate Chips
1 Tbsp Hulled Hemp Hearts
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Cacao
1 Tsp Maca Powder
1 Tsp Acai Powder
Pinch of Pink Salt
Pinch of Cinnamon
10 Oz. Water
1 Serving Vegan Protein Powder (KOS Brand)
1 Scoop Glutamine (Kaged Muscle Brand)
MACROS
P: 47, C: 125, F: 23, kCal: 855
HOW TO MAKE
Place oats and 1.5 cups water into a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
Add in the chopped banana, dates, cacao powder, maca powder, chia seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir and cover while it simmers on low heat for about 5min.
Stir the powdered peanut butter with water until it forms a medium thick paste.
Shake up water, protein powder, and Glutamine in a shaker.
To plate... Place the oatmeal in a bowl and top with açaí powder, chocolate chips, and peanut butter.
MEAL 3
Protein and Veggie Bowl
INGREDIENTS
3/4 Cup Jasmine Rice (made ahead of time)
1 Serving Morningstar Chicken Strips (vegan)
4.5 Oz. Firm Tofu
2 Cups Broccoli
1/3 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup Edamame (frozen, out of the shell)
1 Tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
MACROS
P: 52, C: 65, F: 14, kCal: 600
HOW TO MAKE
Heat a skillet on medium high. Once hot, spray with cooking spray.
Cut the tofu into rectangles and place in the pan, large side down.
Place the Chicken Strips in the pan.
Cut the broccoli into florets and chop up the pepper. Add these to the pan, over the strips.
Add the Edamame into the pan.
Sprinkle some salt and all purpose seasoning over everything.
Flip the tofu to brown on both sides. Stir the other ingredients around.
Add a little water once everything is brown to gently steam the veggies.
Lastly, add in the pre-cooked Jasmine rice and put a little more water in to steam that.
Add Liquid Aminos to taste and serve with some wasabi sauce.
MEAL 4
Fresh Fruit
INGREDIENTS
1 - 2 Cups Chopped Fresh Fruit (Pineapple, Orange, Pear, Apple, Grapes, etc)
*Nutrition below will be for 2 Cups of chopped fresh Pineapple.
MACROS
P: 2, C: 44, F: 0.5, kCal: 165
MEAL 5
Preworkout Drink
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 Scoop Glutamine (Kaged Muscle Brand)
1.5 Scoop Creatine HCl (Kaged Muscle Brand)
8 Oz. Water
MACROS
P: 1, C: 15, F: 0, kCal: 65
MEAL 6
Postworkout Shake
INGREDIENTS
10 Oz. Water
1 Serving Vegan Protein
1 Tbsp Cacao Powder
1 Scoop Glutamine (Kaged Muscle Brand)
*I rotate between this KOS brand and Vega "Protein and Greens". Both these vegan protein supplements have added vitamins, good macro ratios, and are decently priced. I prefer the taste of the KOS.
MACROS
P: 21, C: 9, F: 2.5, kCal: 140
MEAL 7
Whole Grain Noodle Bowl
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cup Whole Grain Rotini (uncooked)
1 Serving Chicken Strips (vegan)
1 Serving Gardien Brand Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
1 Cup Broccoli
1/3 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Tsp Coconut Oil
Salt to Taste
Chiplote or Dijon Mustard
MACROS
P: 52, C: 100, F: 22, kCal: 750
HOW TO MAKE
Bring about 2-3 Cups of water to a boil. Add in noodles and cook to instructions.
Heat a skillet on medium high. Once hot, spray with cooking spray.
Place the Chicken Strips and Seven Grain Crispy Tenders in the pan.
Cut the broccoli into florets and chop up the pepper. Add these to the pan, over the strips.
Sprinkle some salt and all purpose seasoning over everything.
Add a little water once everything is brown to gently steam the veggies and strips.
Drain noodles. Add to bowl with coconut oil and salt to taste.
Add everything else into the bowl and mix. Serve with some chipotle or dijon mustard.
FULL DAY OF EATING TOTAL MACROS
Protein: 177g, Carbs: 370g, Fat: 67g, kCal: 2,675
I hope this post gives you a good snapshot of what it's like to eat a plant based diet for bulking and bodybuilding!
For more recipes please follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Also, check out the Nourish posts from the blog for more recipes and nutrition tips.
Thanks for stopping by! I am not a nutritionist but I am a nutrition junkie. I love looking for new recipes that help me achieve optimum health and wellness. I hope you enjoy these and if you have something to add or share, feel free to leave a comment.