Muscle building is a big and important topic for many people. Over the last few years, a healthy lifestyle in combination with sport has become more and more central in the lives of many people. For many, sport is a balance between work and school; for others, sport is more than just a balance and serves to build muscle, for example.

Especially when it comes to building muscle, nutrition is one of the biggest factors, along with strength training. For people who eat a vegetarian diet, it is often difficult to find the right protein sources. In today’s blog post, we explain how you can already pay attention to the right nutrition and protein intake at breakfast and show you how you can best build up your muscles with a vegetarian diet.

How to build muscle

There are white and red muscle fibres in the body. The white muscle fibres, which are mainly in the legs and chest, contract quickly, generate a lot of power, but also fatigue slowly. The red fibres are mainly in the abdomen and neck muscles, contract more slowly, but are just as enduring.

There are a few basic rules when building muscle. Muscle building happens when you exercise beyond the limits of your ability. The goal is to fatigue the muscle and give it new stimuli. During the recovery period, the muscles adapt to the new level. That’s the theory.

But it is not that simple. Because strength training alone will quickly take you to the limit in muscle building. Because: strength training is a very important asset in the entire process of muscle building, but without the right nutrition your muscle will eventually “stand still” and no longer grow larger.

Richtige Ernährung Muskelaufbau
With the right diet and sport to build muscle quickly

Proteins are so important for building muscle

Proteins are proteins. The term proton is from the Greek and stands for “the first, the most important” and from this the term protein has been derived. Our body does not have a protein store and therefore it is extremely important that we supply it with proteins on a regular basis. Proteins provide building blocks for muscles, organs, blood but also enzymes and hormones.

Proteins are the cornerstone of every muscle. Without proteins there is no muscle building. The higher your training intensity, the higher your body’s protein requirements. So it can quickly happen that you need to consume not just one gram per kilogram of your body, but 1.5 grams, for example.

Nutrition is a key part of any training plan. So when you’re building muscle, it’s important to pay attention to it. Our recommendation is to consult a specialist to find the right option for you so that you don’t make any mistakes. A well-balanced nutrition plan will make it easier for you to avoid any mistakes.

Tip 1: Meeting your calorie needs is very important for building muscle

That’s why it’s important to eat the right foods. Without the right nutrients, even the best strength training is useless. You should always make sure that you meet your calorie requirements or have a surplus.

To achieve this, you should use our Verival calorie calculator. This can help you calculate the calories you need. You can then use this data to determine how many calories you need to eat.

Tip 2: Sufficient protein intake helps you build muscle

The right proteins are essential for successful muscle building. You should eat about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your body weight. The right foods with a high protein content are therefore also very important in your diet if you want to build muscle.

Tip 3: Start the day with the right proteins at breakfast

To start the day with the right proteins, it is important to eat a hearty and healthy breakfast. Oat flakes, porridge, crunchy or muesli are often very protein-rich breakfast products. With our breakfast products from Verival, especially with our sports products, you already have the right shot of protein ready for the day in the morning.

Proteinquellen beim Frühstück
The right protein sources make it easier for you to build muscle

Tip 4: With your own body weight, training is possible everywhere.

People often fail at training because of the most minimal things. For example, going to the gym is often one of the biggest obstacles! But you don’t always have to go to the gym to work out. It is often enough to do workouts at home with your own body weight. Having small weights around the house will certainly make it easier for you to start your workout on some days.

Tip 5: Eating the right foods for the best muscle-building results

If you want to build muscle, it is not only important to do a lot of strength training. The right diet is far more important and above all more difficult. Because not all calories are the same.

For people who want to work steadily on their muscles, it is essential to pay attention to their diet. Good fats, nutritious products, vitamins, minerals – all these things are important for building muscle. That’s why we recommend talking to a professional about the right diet for you.

These are the best sources of protein in a vegetarian diet

The misconception that vegetarians can eat too little protein without meat still persists. However, this is absolutely not true. Even with a meat-free diet there are enough alternatives to get protein.

With eggs, various dairy products, pulses, but also grains such as oats or nuts, you have more than enough protein sources to choose from. It’s not always meat that provides the really great amount of protein.

250 grams of yoghurt, for example, often provides up to 30 grams of protein! That’s as much as in a hand-sized chicken breast fillet.

Beans are also an incredible source of protein. The soybean is the winner among the beans. With 33 grams of protein per 100 grams, it is unbeaten, closely followed by lentils and peas, each with 23 grams of protein per 100 grams.

So if you want to eat a protein-rich diet, you don’t necessarily have to eat meat. The environment thanks us all in any case.

The 3 best vegetable protein sources for muscle building

For many people, a vegetarian lifestyle is no longer enough. More and more people are giving up animal products completely and going vegan. But what about protein in this lifestyle? Is that even possible? Of course – and it’s just as easy as you might think.

There are plenty of plant-based sources of protein. As already mentioned, pulses like beans are probably the clear winner among vegetable protein sources. But nuts should not go unmentioned either.

Haferflocken als Proteinquelle
Oat flakes as a source of protein

Nuts and seeds

With their many fats, nuts should only be eaten in moderation, yet they contain a lot of protein. Peanuts are the clear winners in this category. With their 26 grams per 100 grams, they are at the top. Almonds are just as healthy and rich in protein, with 19 grams of protein per 100 grams. Walnuts come next with 14 grams.

Vegetables

In general, vegetables are also perfect as a source of protein! Broccoli and spinach are the front-runners here. If you think 3.3 grams and 2.2 grams of protein per 100 grams are not much, you are wrong! Because 100 grams of broccoli have only 17 calories – which means that more than half are proteins.

Oat flakes

Oat flakes are also a perfect source of protein. Especially when it comes to breakfast, it is important to make sure you get the ideal start to the day. This is just as important for competitive athletes as it is for people who only do sport as a hobby! Proteins are the be-all and end-all to help you build muscle. With oat flakes you start the day not only healthy, but also very rich in protein. Oat flakes offer 13 grams of protein per 100 grams.

If you want to learn more about our breakfast products with protein, you should visit our shop directly. We are sure to have the right product for your diet! To inspire you to have a protein-rich breakfast, here’s a little recipe.

Print Recipe
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Basic recipe: Oatmeal

A simple basic recipe for the popular porridge that has become an integral part of most breakfast tables.
Prep Time2 mins
Let porridge steep3 mins
Total Time5 mins
Calories: 320kcal

Ingredients

  • 250 ml milk or a plant-based alternative
  • 50 g oat flakes
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

Instructions

  • Heat up the oat flakes with a pinch of salt and the sweetener of your choice (honey or agave syrup) in the milk or plant-based drink (do not forget to stir well).
  • Let the porridge steep for 3 minutes.
  • Put the porridge into a bowl and sprinkle it with cinnamon.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal

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