Skip to content
Wellness Blog
5 Plant-Based Foods That Can Help You Build Lean Muscle
What do elephants, horses, Venus Williams, and Colin Kaepernick all have in common? They’re plant-based eaters who exhibit incredible strength and endurance. If you’re a plant-based eater wondering if you can build lean muscle, these magnificent herbivores and world-class athletes are a testament that you most certainly can. Plant-Based Protein for Muscle Gain When it comes to building lean muscle, protein reigns supreme. But protein doesn’t need to come from animal sources. A 2017 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that plant protein and animal protein equally benefit your muscles. Increased protein intake, animal or plant, contributes to greater strength and muscle mass gains when coupled with resistance exercise. Protein is also needed to recover from training and to repair and grow muscle tissue. Adequate protein helps your body maintain muscle mass, too. Carbs and Fats Building lean muscle from a plant-based diet is about more than just protein. You need quality carbohydrates and healthy fats as well. Carbohydrates are vital for sustained energy, athletic performance, and overall muscle building. They help to increase your glycogen stores, which you need to power your workouts. And they refuel your body post-workout. Healthy fats provide satiety and help you store energy, absorb nutrients, synthesize protein, and maintain healthy hormone levels. 5 Plant-Based Foods that Promote Lean Muscle The following five plant-based foods are rich in macronutrients (proteins, carbs, and fats) as well as micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants), and can help you on your way to building lean muscle. 1. Can You Say Quinoa? Quinoa is an ideal food for building muscle as it’s naturally gluten-free, yields about 8 grams of protein per cooked cup, and roughly 40 grams of complex carbohydrates. It also provides 5 grams of fiber, which ensures sustained energy and helps with satiety. Quinoa is rich in important minerals such as magnesium, manganese, and phosphorous. Magnesium plays a role in muscle contraction, boosts energy levels, and helps to reduce muscle cramps and fatigue. Manganese helps with protein and amino acid digestion. Phosphorous is needed for the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. Be sure to enjoy other whole grains, including brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, and spelt, to name a few. 2. Top-Seeded Hemp Hulled hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts) deliver quality protein (about 9 grams per ounce) to your body along with the perfect ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Hemp contains a complete profile of essential amino acids. They’re a bounty of micronutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E. Try them on salads, hot cereals, or in rice dishes or a smoothie for a protein boost. Enjoy other nutrient-dense, protein-rich seeds such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. And don’t forget nuts – almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, and more – similarly provide your body with protein, healthy fats, and a host of vitamins and minerals. 3. Your Go-To Tofu Made from condensed soy milk, tofu is an excellent source of protein and a fantastic meat substitute. A half-cup serving yields roughly 10 grams of protein and all nine of the essential amino acids your body needs. It’s also a good source of calcium and iron, which support proper muscle function and bone health. Numerous studies have demonstrated the link between soy protein consumption helping to promote fat loss while preserving muscle mass and supporting lean body mass gains. Enjoy it scrambled for breakfast with onions and spinach, use it in a vegetable kabob, stir-fry or casserole. It’s versatile and easy to flavor. You can try other soy-based products, including soybeans, soymilk, miso, tempeh and edamame. The beans and edamame are great sources of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, protein, and zinc. 4. Get a Pulse Pulses include low-fat protein-, nutrient- and fiber-rich beans such as kidney beans, black beans, mung beans, pinto beans, and garbanzos (chickpeas), as well as lentils and split peas. Lentils and split peas lead the pack in terms of protein content. Pulses also contain important vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and folate. What’s more, they’re inexpensive, highly versatile, and relatively simple to make. Use them in a soup, in hummus, add them to a salad, or combine them with rice. 5. How Sweet It Is One of the healthiest foods on the planet, sweet potatoes, can be eaten at any meal. They’re the perfect complex carbohydrate. The sweet potato’s low glycemic index stabilizes blood sugar and reduces insulin resistance while fueling the body before or after strength training. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant responsible for aiding growth and repair of the body’s tissues, which includes muscle. Remember, all potatoes (provided they’re not fried) are great sources of complex carbohydrates. And they do offer some protein! (A medium-sized russet potato contains about 4 grams of protein.) In addition to these foods, there are many vegetables that contain protein, albeit in smaller amounts. Bananas and dried fruit are other terrific sources of complex carbohydrates and key minerals. Combine them with nuts and seeds for a power-packed snack. Bottom line: plant-based eating gives you myriad options for strengthening your body. There’s no reason a plant-based eater can’t reach optimal levels of fitness!  At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
Learn more
What Are the Best Types of Plant-Based Milk?
We all know that milk is good for building strong bones and teeth, right? The dairy industry has gone to great lengths to convey that message, especially to parents concerned for the health of their children. But is the ever-expanding selection of milk alternatives in the dairy section proof that cow’s milk is unhealthy? And, are non-dairy options, like soymilk, any better? Let’s take a closer look… The Trouble with Milk Despite being high in protein and important vitamins and minerals – like the B vitamins, calcium, and phosphorous – cow’s milk also carries a unique sugar called lactose. Beginning as early as 1 year of age, fewer than 1 in 3 humans produce sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down lactose and properly digest milk. Without enough lactase in your gut, lactose remains undigested and becomes fermented by bacteria in your intestines, resulting in an array of gastrointestinal issues that are commonly referred to as lactose intolerance. But even if your body can break down lactose, it’s converted to galactose and glucose, which elevate blood sugar and can cause an unhealthy inflammatory response. Milk also carries a protein called casein, which has gluten-type properties. Casein is an excitotoxin in the brain that can cause problems for many people, even if they aren’t lactose intolerant. When left unchecked, excitotoxins can lead to brain inflammation and neurodegenerative issues. Some other milk proteins have a high potential to cause allergic reactions. By some estimates, 2-3% of kids under the age of three are allergic to cow’s milk. Many people avoid milk because it contains animal products. Others are concerned about possible contaminants like antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. All are valid reasons to move on from cow’s milk and seek out a healthier alternative. Unfortunately, that search often leads to soymilk. The Trouble with Soy Soymilk comes from soybeans or soy protein isolate. It’s typically thickened with vegetable oils to enhance taste and give it a creamy consistency. Soy is often marketed as the miracle food that can replace dairy. This is grossly inaccurate. In truth, unfermented soy can contain substances harmful to your health, including: A high concentration of lectins which are carbohydrate-binding proteins that can damage the cellular lining of the intestines and contribute to leaky gut, poor absorption of nutrients (including other proteins), and the death of intestinal cells Anti-proteases, proteins which block the body’s protein-digesting enzymes Condensed tannins, which reduce the overall digestibility of soy proteins Large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, which in excessive amounts can lead to systemic inflammation A substantial amount of phytic acid, which is believed to reduce intestinal absorption of vital minerals These various antinutritional soy factors can contribute to long-term health problems. For all these reasons, it’s best to look elsewhere for a replacement for cow’s milk. 4 Healthy Plant-Based Milk Options You’ll Go Nuts Over 1. Almond Milk Almond milk has a smooth texture and a mild, nutty flavor. It’s often added to coffee, teas, and smoothies or used in desserts, baked goods, or in a bowl of cereal. Though almond milk is low in protein and fiber (due to the removal of the outer skin), it’s also low in calories and fat and is a natural source of vitamin E. 2. Cashew Milk Made from whole cashews or cashew butter, cashew milk has a sweet, creamy, and nutty taste, which makes it ideal for thickening smoothies and as a coffee creamer/sweetener. It’s low in carbohydrates and sugar and has less than one third the calories of cow’s milk. Unfortunately, cashew milk is relatively low in protein. 3. Coconut Milk Though it’s in the name, coconuts can only broadly be considered a nut (botanically speaking, they’re a fibrous, one-seeded drupe). Coconut milk has one-third the calories and half the fat of cow’s milk, but also has less protein. Coconut milk contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may aid in weight loss, help reduce high cholesterol, and stoke the metabolism. 4. Macadamia Milk Fairly new to the market, most of the nuts in this milk (which only make up 3% of the beverage, the rest is water) come from Australia. Macadamia milk is creamier and richer than many other non-dairy milks and is perfect for coffee or smoothies. Though lower in protein than cow’s milk, macadamia milk has about half the fat and is a rich source of monosaturated fats, which may help regulate blood cholesterol levels. Other Plant-Based Milks If you have a nut allergy, you might want to try one of these other plant-based milk options. Oat Milk Oat milk is made from, you guessed it, oats. It’s high in total fiber as well as beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that helps to lower cholesterol (particularly LDL cholesterol) in the body. Unfortunately, some manufacturers add ingredients like salt, oils, and gums to their products to improve their taste and texture. Rice Milk Rice milk comes from white or brown rice and water. Like oat milk, rice milk contains added ingredients to enhance its flavor and consistency. Rice milk is the least allergenic of non-dairy milk, but has twice the carbohydrates as cow’s milk, and contains high levels of inorganic arsenic. Lesser known is hemp milk (though derived from the hemp plant, hemp milk only contains trace amounts of THC), and quinoa milk, which is made from the seed of the gluten-free quinoa grain. For those seeking non-dairy options, there are many types of plant-based milk to choose from, with more being added all the time. Whether necessitated by health decisions or just a desire to switch things up, these are just a few alternatives to cow’s milk you can use in your foods, beverages, and smoothies. Try one of the milk varieties above and let us know what you think below.  At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
Learn more