8 voluminous meals without meat

We haven't gone completely soft - clean meat is the best source of protein for bodybuilders. Chicken breast, turkey, tuna and pure beef are all excellent, and you should eat them often. Protein supplements, especially from whey or casein, are also highly recommended. They are very easy to ingest and are quite helpful for building muscle.

With that out of the way, let's look in another direction. Consider adding these few meat-free options to your diet.

Every meal has a unique amino acid profile, and the richer your diet is, the better your health and volume results will be. The eight meals we'll present here have other unique benefits as well. Knowing when to include them can help you quite a bit.

This is a list of the most traditional meatless meals and their benefits for your training goals.

1.Eggs

Eggs are such a bodybuilding classic that we don't even think of them as a meatless protein source anymore. Boiled eggs are easy to transport and can be added to pretty much anything.

The whites digest quickly, making them an ideal choice for pre- and post-workouts. You'll need to eat up to ten of them before your workout to really benefit (there are four grams of protein in one egg white), but they can also be bought individually and pre-cooked. The yolks are packed with lecithin and healthy fats (also saturated fats). It's not good to consume them before or after a workout because they slow down digestion. However, they are very good in meals.

The great advantage of eggs is that they contain almost no carbohydrates. The whites are basically pure protein and the yolks are really just protein and fat. This allows us to handle the ratio of nutrients in the diet well.

2. Milk

Milk is one of the best sources of protein because it is easy to ingest large doses. The recommended daily allowance of protein is around two grams per kilo of weight and there are 32 grams of protein in a litre of milk.

Fat-free milk, of course, contains no fat and the 1.5% variant has relatively little. Whole milk is fattier (much of it is saturated fat), which adds quite a few calories. This is a good choice for bodybuilders who need a few extra calories.

The lactose in milk is a simple carbohydrate, but it doesn't digest as quickly as other fast carbohydrates like glucose (dextrose). This means that milk is fine around workouts, but not perfect. Fatty milk is obviously digested more slowly, which is not ideal around training.

3. Cheese products

We have a variety of cheese products. They vary mostly in the amount of fat. There are a few bodybuilders who mainly look to cheese as a protein source, but it's definitely not bad. Low-fat cheese in particular offers a good ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat to calories.

Cottage cheese would probably be the best in this category, as its main ingredient is casein, a slow milk protein that's good for when you won't have access to food for a while (like before bed). It's a little less suitable around workouts. Here you want some faster options.

4. Nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds contain enough protein, fiber, and so many healthy fats that not many whole foods can match them. Walnuts and sunflower seeds are among the best choices.

Nuts are an excellent snackbecause they are multi-purpose o carry well. You can survive on them until your next meal, add them to your next meal, or eat them before bed. The fiber and healthy fat content will slow digestion, and the amino acids from the nuts will last longer while you sleep to protect your muscles.

The amount of protein in different nuts and seeds varies quite a bit. Walnuts have just over 4g of protein in 30 grams, sunflower seeds have over 5g in the same amount, almonds have over 6g, and peanuts (technically a legume) have almost 7g of protein in 30 grams.

5. Beans and legumes

Beans and legumes have plenty of fiber and relatively enough protein. They do contain carbohydrates, but these cancel out the high fibre content, which means that after beans and pulses there isn't as sharp a rise in blood sugar as with simple carbohydrates. However, they are not considered an ideal source of protein because they are not "complete" - they do not contain the full spectrum of amino acids.

However, this is not a problem if you consume proteins from other groups. For example, cereals such as rice are good for legumes. Rice is good at replenishing amino acids that legumes lack. Combining, for example, black or red beans and rice will create a complete protein meal. As long as you have at least a little of all the amino acids in the dish, it doesn't matter that there is more of one of them (eating foods like milk, soy and eggs therefore helps make legumes an effective meal).

The biggest advantage of beans and legumes is their rich fiber content, which is lacking in most bodybuilding diets. Considering their reasonable protein content, they are worth adding to your diet. 110g of beans contain an average of 9g of protein.

6. Soybeans and tofu

Soybeans and tofu have been frowned upon by the bodybuilding world for some time now. Early research on soy showed that it helped with female problems, but rather took away men's ability to build muscle. However, recent studies have shown that soy is a rapidly digestible protein that is almost as effective as whey. Soy supplements are currently experiencing a big comeback.

Soy dishes may also be making a comeback, but their benefits are elsewhere compared to soy protein alone. In addition to their protein content, they also have plenty of fiber and healthy fats.

This makes them slower to digest than soy itself, and they are useful before bedtime. They are then less useful around workouts. Have your soy protein after your workout, but save the soy dishes for other parts of the day.

You'll either love or hate soybeantofu. If you can't handle its taste or reputation, don't eat it. However, if you learn to prepare it properly, you'll be surprised how good it is - it takes on the flavor and texture of many other foods and is often used as a meat substitute. If you like it, or at least can stand it, try adding it to your diet. It has plenty of healthy fats, a moderate amount of fiber, and is a good source of protein.

7. Yogurt

Yogurt is one of those foods that you either eat very often or not at all. It's a relatively good source of protein, but it's not exactly an established staple of the bodybuilding diet. However, it does have advantages over most of the foods on this list: it has a large amount of beneficial bacteria that can help the efficiency of your digestive system. They can also boost your immune system, which will repel disease and improve recovery.

Think of the pounds of sugar added to most yogurts. This may be fine before and after a workout, but at other times you want a minimum of added sugar. If you can't handle the taste of white yogurt, try adding juice, soy protein, or chunks of fruit; blend the whole thing up and you have a post-workout shake.

8. QUINOA

Quinoa is considered a superfood even though it's technically not a grain at all. In fact, it's the seed of a leafy plant, distantly related to spinach. It has an excellent amount of protein and does not lack essential amino acids compared to other cereals - a characteristic it shares with other cereals such as buckwheat and fenugreek. The World Health Organisation rates the protein in quinoa as at least equivalent to that in milk.

Quinoa offers more than other cereals when it contains high levels of potassium, riboflavin and B vitamins. It is also a good source of magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese and has some folate.

Quinoa is an ancient product that has recently been rediscovered in the USA. It has a light taste and can replace almost any cereal. 170g contains 11g of protein.