High Protein Vegetarian Meal Plan – Build Muscle and Tone Up!
- Updated on Sep 28, 2022
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Let’s be honest, vegetarians have a harder time following a high protein diet than people who eat meat. I’m here to change that.
If you’re trying to build muscle on a vegetarian diet, I’m sure you’ve asked yourself “how can I get enough protein?”. Muscle mass doesn’t happen on its own.
Equally, if you’re trying to lose weight and tone up with a high-protein diet, I bet you’ve asked yourself the same question.
Losing weight and building muscle mass are two completely different beasts. Because of such different desired outcomes, two different types of meal plan are needed. Don’t worry, both are free!
Jump to
How to download our free high protein vegetarian meal plans
Ready to get started? Simply sign up in the box above or visit this page to get your free copy of the high protein meal plan.
From there we’ll send you an email with a choice of meal plans. Simply pick weight loss or muscle-building and we’ll do the rest. So keep an eye on your inbox and get ready to enjoy a week of tasty meals!
Muscle Mass vs Weight Loss
Building muscle mass or losing weight and getting that really ‘toned’ look are two separate goals.
Each requires a different amount of calories. However, both require higher amounts of protein.
To make the plans clear and easy to use we have made two separate versions of our plans. You’ll have the choice of either (or both) when you sign up in the box below.
Naturally, they are both suitable for females and males, or indeed, any gender.
We focus on delicious high protein vegetarian meals
A great breakfast followed by an easily packable lunch and a solid dinner is the easiest way to a well-balanced protein intake and the building blocks of a healthy life.
The recipes were developed by us specifically for this high protein meal plan, and each recipe is a tried and tested favourite, guaranteed to work every time.
We’ve created these meal plans in a way that most of the general population can use them. But of course, you should be following your own needs.
1. Here’s the first day of the high protein meal plan for weight loss. We kick things off with:
Main Meals:
Breakfast: Veggie Baked Beans (355 kcal, 20g protein)
Lunch: Cottage Cheese Pancakes (419 kcal, 29g protein)
Dinner: Mushroom Stew with Coconut (464 kcal, 20g protein)
Snacks:
Protein Shake (120kcal, 23g protein)
Fruit of Choice (100kcal, 1g protein)
Daily Total:
Main Meals: 1238 kcal, 69g protein
Snacks: 220 kcal, 24g protein
= 1458 kcal, 93g protein
How much protein is in the meal plans for weight loss?
The bare minimum someone needs to stop protein deficiency is accepted as 0.8g per kilogram of bodyweight (or 0.5g per pound).
We’ll use a bodyweight of 60kg¹ (132 lbs)
So 60 x 0.8 = 48.
48 grams protein
That’s an absolute minimum of 48g protein to stop protein deficiency and stop any negative effects from a lack of protein.
¹60kg (132lbs) is used as the weight of an average woman when any extra fat is discounted. Excess fat does not require extra protein and as such is not included in the calculations.
Anything above 48 grams helps to skew weight loss in a positive way by shedding a better ratio of fat to muscle. The more muscle we hold on to, the better.
That’s because the more protein you eat, the more full you feel (the satiety effect). That means you’re less likely to eat more of other stuff throughout the day.
And, wonderfully, in turn – the more muscle you can keep, the more calories you will burn in your regular day to day activities.
This is because muscle burns more calories than fat!
It’s an amazing virtuous circle.
If you can get up to 60g a day, you are doing great!
It can be tricky as a vegetarian however – no lean meats, no fish. It’s especially tricky to get there at only 1500 calories. Our best protein sources (like dairy) are often fat heavy. More that later.
It’s why we’ve spent the last two years redesigning our recipes from the ground up to be so high in protein at a lower calorie cost.
We know it simply works the best for weight loss, and as it becomes a lifestyle it stops the dreaded yo-yo effect.
Our weight loss plan goes all the way up to 85g a day!
Remember every gram above 48g protein works in your favour. With this much protein in a healthy diet you are skewing successful weight loss massively in your favor.
2. Here’s the first day of the high protein meal plan for muscle building. We kick things off with:
Main Meals:
Breakfast: Banana Egg Pancakes (504 kcal, 28g protein)
Lunch: Bulgur Kidney Bean Salad (649kcal, 23g protein)
Dinner: Easy Broccoli Stir Fry (634 kcal, 29g protein)
Small Snacks:
Protein Shake (120kcal, 23g protein)
Nuts and Fruits of Choice (306kcal, 7g protein)
Big Snack:
Standard Muesli (521 kcal, 22 g protein)
Daily Total:
Main Meals: 1787kcal, 80g protein
Small Snacks: 426kcal, 30g protein
Big Snack: 521 kcal, 22 g protein
So, depending on your calorie needs you can easily adjust the meal plan with the snacks.
- Only need around 1800kcal? Stick with the main meals and some light snacks
- Need roughly 2200kcal? Go for the main meals and two small snacks (1800 + 400 = 2200kcal)
- Is 2700kcal about right for you? Have the main meals and all snacks (1800 + 400 + 500 = 2700kcal)
Easy!
How much protein is in the meal plans for muscle building?
We always make sure you’ll get a minimum of 75g, 95g and 115g, depending if you skip or munch the suggested snacks. They also take fat and saturated fat into account to ensure you are getting healthy meal plans, which we haven’t found anywhere else.
You might think that the protein share in our meal plan is still not high enough. After all, it doesn’t reach the 1g protein/lb rule often promoted in the bodybuilding world – although that’s a contested issue, as you’ll see further on down.
We are an evidence-based site and use the latest research when considering how much protein should be in the plans.
So let’s do two things first: see what high-protein options you have and read up on how much protein you really need.
Let’s go.
Subscribe to get our FREE 7-Day Vegetarian High Protein Meal Plan
So which high protein vegetarian foods are best?
Let’s dive into the various veggie protein sources and see what they can do for us. Below is a list of high-protein vegetarian foods that should be on your radar.
Dairy Products
If you eat a bowl of yogurt with oats as a snack and some cheese in a sandwich or in a salad then you’re already having a decent amount of dairy.
The jury is still out on dairy in terms of overall health benefits. It’s a source of saturated fat and the current guidance is that we should reduce our amount of saturated fat consumption – it should not make up more than 10% of the calories in our diet.
There is evidence that reducing saturated fat lowers the risk of heart disease and so until new evidence suggests otherwise we should aim to reduce it.
Legumes
I generally build a cup of legumes into my day.
I find that enough really and here’s why: the more beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils you eat the more of a fart festival you’ll be.
Get used to a small amount a day and work your way up from there.
Second, even though legumes are considered to be super healthy in mainstream medicine, there is some controversy about the dangers of their high phytic acid content.
Phytic acid makes it more difficult for your body to absorb nutrients like iron, zinc and calcium.
BUT: if you cook legumes properly you reduce the phytic acid amount to a safe degree. Same goes for canned legumes.
Still, like with everything – better not to overdo it, moderation is just fine.
This simple lentil tabbouleh is one of my favourite recipes from the meal plan. Let me share it right away!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup brown lentils, cooked (roughly one 15oz can)
- 2 cup vegetable broth (divided)
- ¾ cup instant couscous
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 green onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 sprigs mint, fresh (chopped)
- 3 sprigs parsley, fresh (chopped)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (or 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 small tomato (diced)
- ½ medium cucumber (diced)
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- hummus and flatbread
Instructions
- (Skip this step when using canned lentils). In a small pot add the lentils and 1 ½ cup vegetable broth. Once the liquid boils, cover, lower the heat and cook until the lentils are soft.1 ½ cup brown lentils, cooked, 2 cup vegetable broth
- Meanwhile, add the couscous into a bowl. Pour in roughly ½ cup of hot vegetable broth until the couscous is just covered. Let sit for 10 minutes.¾ cup instant couscous
- In a small bowl add onion, garlic, mint, parsley, water, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Mix and rest until needed.1 green onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 sprigs mint, fresh, 3 sprigs parsley, fresh, 1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil
- Dice the cucumber and tomato and add to the couscous.1 small tomato, ½ medium cucumber
- Once cooked, mix in the lentils and dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon to taste. Done. Nice!salt and pepper to taste
NOTES
Nutrition
Soy Products
Soy belongs to the family of legumes. And it is undoubtedly a great source of protein. And plant-based protein at that.
But it deserves a separate paragraph as it’s used in so many meat replacement products. There has been concern over the years that soy might be bad for us – but an evaluation of the literature on soy suggests it is beneficial for us for lots of reasons.
It can help lower our cholesterol, risk of heart disease and of certain cancers.
As always, moderation is key. But there doesn’t seem to be any issue with soy being part of a balanced, healthy diet.
Grains (Bread, Pasta, Rice, Oats, etc.)
Grains are a great way to accompany almost any dish. Be it oats in your yogurt, pasta on the side or a slice of bread for your soup. Plus they contain a decent amount of protein.
Of course, ramping up on grains also increases your calorie count a lot due to their high carb content.
That again can lead to fat pads above your muscles 😉 . So be mindful of how much of them you eat – but don’t be scared of them, either!
When it comes to bread, pasta and rice, I always recommend whole grains over the more refined white sources. You’ll get a higher amount of protein, and more nutrients, too.
Nuts & Seeds
It’s great to have them in your diet, not only for protein but as they are often rich in other nutrients like iron and omega 3. But nuts also seem to be linked with a reduced overall risk of mortality – making them an awesome snack!
By increasing your protein intake through nuts, you’ll move up your overall calorie intake a lot as they are incredibly nutrient dense – so although they’re super tasty, maybe just keep them to a handful!
All sorts of nuts and seeds qualify here. Think chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds. Peanuts, cashews and almonds.
Eggs
Eggs are an excellent tool for vegetarians to build muscle. They have a good amount of protein in them, and they’re incredibly versatile.
They’re another one of those foods which got a bit of a bad reputation over the years but current evidence doesn’t seem to support that view.
A recent large scale review suggested that although there may be some negatives to consuming eggs, the positives seem to outweigh them.
When looking at it as a whole, our opinion is that eggs do fit in a diet as part of a healthy lifestyle. That is, in someone who generally has a good diet and exercises regularly.
I personally stick to 2-3 eggs a day at most and source my eggs carefully from an animal rights perspective.
Green Vegetables and Leafy Greens
The more the merrier. We should try to get some greens on our plates every day, ideally twice.
From a protein perspective – you’ll have to eat loads! No way can I munch two bunches of broccoli a day for 18g of protein.
From a health perspective they’re seriously awesome though, and they should be included in almost any healthy vegetarian’s diet!
As vegetarians these are the best of the options we have when we’re looking for protein. As you can see many of the sources are best in moderation.
This is reason enough for me to put the first priority of our vegetarian high protein meal plan on balance.
If you focus first on adding as much protein as possible it is likely to result in an unbalanced diet, which might lead to health problems.
How much protein do we need?
The RDA, recommended daily allowance, is at a minimum of 0.36g of protein per pound of body weight (0.8g per kg bodyweight).
By percentage that would be roughly 10% of your daily caloric income. Note that is the minimum requirement for a non-active sedentary person to avoid a protein deficiency and get sick as a result. That means a full-on couch potato would just get by on that daily intake.
But how much protein does an active person need?
Of course this depends on your goals. But in general you can safely say if you want to build muscle you need more protein than that basic daily recommended allowance.
A higher protein intake is also likely to be beneficial for weight loss.
So, if you’re an active person, who does sports regularly, a healthy recommendation would be between 0.75g-1g of protein per lb of bodyweight per day (about 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kg bodyweight).
By percentage that would be roughly 20-30% of your daily caloric income.
This is based on studies that have investigated the rates of something called muscle protein synthesis (essentially, new muscle being created) and how it differs depending on protein intake.
The more protein the better?
In the bodybuilding world often times 1g of protein per pound is recommended in order to make sure you don’t lose any “gainz”, but the validity of this rule has been doubted in the past.
The most recent research suggests anywhere between about 0.70g of protein per pound of body weight up to 1g of protein per pound seems to be the sweet spot for building muscle.
There are also concerns about the dangers of high protein diets in those with a long term health condition like chronic kidney disease – if you have any medical reason why you think a high protein diet might not be safe for you we would advise you to speak to your doctor.
Although there isn’t a definite consensus as to what the optimum amount of protein a day is for building muscle, we’ve made sure that the protein intake in our meal plan falls in line with the latest research.
And sure, you could have a bit more protein – but we’ve made sure there’s enough of it while still keeping the overall quality of the diet high.
Bottom Line
I have to admit that the question “You’re a vegetarian? But where do you get your protein, bro?” is not such a bad one after all – especially if you’re pursuing fitness goals.
But just filling up a meal plan with vegetarian high protein recipes and then just sending you off is not my style. This post has been prepared to give you as much information as possible for a vegetarian seeking a high protein diet.
For a vegetarian it is definitely possible to get in loads of protein in a healthy diet and this is what we’ve done with our healthy meal plan.
FAQs about this Vegetarian Meal Plan
We’ve answered some common questions we received about the meal plan, but if you can’t find an answer please let us know in the comments.
What if I don’t want to make one of the meals?
If you don’t like some of the recipes or just want to skip one, no problem! Make whatever else you like. You could also pick another meal on the plan and repeat it.
How many people is the plan designed for?
The meal plan is designed for one person and the nutrition and grocery list is based on this. You can easily adapt it though if you’re cooking for more than one though. Each meal in the plan links to the recipe on our website. The recipes include a handy tool that lets you enter how many servings you want to make and it will automatically update the ingredients needed – nifty huh? Just make sure to also update the grocery list in the plan where necessary.
Are there different versions of the meal plan?
Yes, there are three different versions, set to 1800kcal, 2200kcal and 2700kcal. You can also easily modify them by adding or removing snacks or meals.
Can I still drink alcohol whilst following the plan?
This is completely up to you, but for best results we recommend avoiding sugary soft drinks and alcohol, and sticking with water, tea and coffee instead. Although soft drinks and alcohol do contain calories, they are often known as ’empty calories’.
I recommend getting your calorie intake up to scratch with real foods – you’ll take in far more healthy vitamins and nutrients that way. My plan is to give a realistic meal plan that is both healthy and sustainable.
Of course, small amounts won’t ruin things, either. But remember your goals and you’ll hit them all the quicker 🔥
When should I start with the high protein vegetarian meal plan?
Begin whenever you like!
Can I use this for bodybuilding?
This report on bodybuilding and protein shows that bodybuilders should be aiming for a diet of about 0.63-0.77g protein per lb.
One of the three plans would likely be suitable to use as a vegetarian bodybuilding diet plan pdf, depending on bodyweight.
You should also tweak it to your exact requirements, and think about adding an extra protein shake to hit that 0.77g per pound if needed.
Depending on your weight that may take you even higher – up to the 1g per pound level.
Conversely, a heavier person may need a second shake to reach that level. Whey protein powder or a vegan protein powder would be just fine.
Which vegetarian food has the highest protein?
Pumpkin seeds, peanuts and cheese have the highest amount of protein per calorie.
Is this vegetarian diet plan healthy?
Yes. These plans are carefully constructed around our nutritional needs. We take great care to make sure you get plenty of protein, while also getting fatty acids, healthy fats, essential amino acids and lots of vitamins and nutrients.
Animal protein (through animal products like eggs and dairy) is included, as is plenty of plant protein.
We also keep the saturated fat down to guideline levels, and we generally stay away from meat substitutes as they are often very heavily processed.
The plans are also carefully checked by James, our Nutritionist. He is also in charge of staying on top of the latest research and guidelines, so you can be sure our plans are up to date, and indeed healthy.
Life after the meal plan
Your high protein diet journey probably won’t end after 7 days. We’re confident many of the recipes in our meal plan can become staples in your household, but we realise that you may want to shake things up and try new dishes once you have the basics down!
We’ve got hundreds of delicious and healthy recipes online already. Just use the search on our main page to find your next favourite, or click the link below to browse our high protein selection.
Need more? Try out our weekly vegetarian high protein meal plans!
You can also sign up for weekly high protein vegetarian meal plans to be sent right to your inbox every Thursday!
Find more high protein vegetarian recipes on our site
See you in the gym!
Disclosure
We would like to take a moment to note that this post is for information purposes only. It does not claim to provide medical advice or to be able to treat any medical condition. It makes no claims in respect to weight loss or building muscle, either in terms of the amount or rate at which said could be achieved. If you have any concerns regarding your health please contact your medical practitioner before making changes.
Tons of ways to get all the nutrition we need! Great guide!
Really great diet chart will start following it from tommorow and hopefully will see some positive results
Ah, that’s great to hear! Enjoy the meal plan, Tanishk!
Hello! This is the only meal plan I am not able to download in this website… Is it still available?
Go Indian food way to make vegetarian wholesome food, v v delicious.
I agree, there is some awesome high-protein Indian food out there!
Meal plans are such an awesome gift to your readers! I have done a few and they are very time consuming, especially with a shopping list, but so amazing! Love your version of high protein!
Took quite a while to put it together, true 😉
Thanks for the props, Sophia!
Maybe I’m an idiot, but I can’t see a link to download a meal plan. Where is it on the page, lol
Hi John! Nope, you’re no idiot. There’s a box to enter your email address, and we’ll send it to you through there 🙂
It seems like there’s no danger in getting a high percentage of plant-based protein.
it definitely helps with muscle recovery, in my experience.
Definitely!
my boyfriend needs to read this! we are constantly arguing about plant-based protein not being ideal 🙁
Hahahhaa, I know these kinda discussions. This blog post could really help him out 😉
Great meal plan! to be honest, I’m vegan and I never worry about how much protein I’m eating throughout the day. If anything, I usually consume more than the daily recommended allowance. It’s all about eating a variety of whole foods.
Will it work?
Thank you so much for this.
Great post! enjoyed till the end 🙂 My family became vegan since month, we are not at all worried about our protein consumption…
Thanks Uma! Wow, that’s really cool! How many family members are you talking about? 😀
That’s a great meal plan and I do try to include lots of different source of vegetarian protein. I feel the day I have a protein rich diet, I feel most energetic 🙂
I’m looking for a diet plan but I’m getting confused and unsure what plan to go with. Is their anyone on here following any of these plans ? If so how’s your results ?
Haha, Dipak. Your post sounds like you’re the last person on the internet 😉
But no worries, I’m around as well!
I used this plan to build muscle and it works, absolutely (I’m 184cm tall, now at 77kg, formerly at 73kg). Here’s the gist, when it comes to building muscle for “amateurs”: Go to the gym regularly (at least 2x a week). Eat 4 times a day, 5 times with a snack. At the end of the day the tricky thing for most people is to eat enough calories in general, not just to eat enough proteins. Don’t focus too much on the proteins, just make sure you don’t skip any meals. Then you’ll see results.
Thanks Hauke ! Seems like a better plan for me.
Hey, I think it’s kind of weird to assume that females goals are only to lose weight/tone up, I’m a female who actually wants to build muscle and I know many others do too. It’s not just something for men 😉
Fair shout and I think your right! I would also agree that it’s wrong to assume all men only want to build muscle. Unfortunately there’s just not enough space to be entirely politically correct. 🙂
Some really useful info here, thanks… For those of us heading in to our 50s 2500 cals sounds a lot but at the same time maintaining muscle mass is important. Is there a way to maximise a vegie diet to this end whilst reducing the cals..?
Glad you found the content helpful, Mike!
I understand you’re considering adding more protein to your diet while keeping the calories low? I’d say the simplest way would be a high quality protein powder. That would give you the biggest bang per gram. Otherwise I find it relatively tough to increase the protein intake further than in this meal plan without “overeating” on eggs, lean dairy products or soy products. Adding a significant amount with leafy greens or broccoli is quite tough too.
My questions would be: what’s your current protein intake ratio? And are you worried it’s not enough to maintain muscle mass?
Thanks for the reply Hauke, I’m realistic about the changes lay ahead as I get older, muscle loss being a factor. There’s much info around some suggesting protein is hard for the body to deal with as we get older, I’ve also heard veggie protein is good for women but not so good for men, soya especially. I never made a decision to go veggie yet it seems to have happened naturally over the last 5 years. I could go on and on, anyway my goal is to maximise overall nutrition at lower calorie intake and am hoping that can be done on a vegetarian diet. I’m no expert but what you’ve written here rings true with me. Thanks
Sure thing, Mike! It really sounds like you are eating pretty well and are now trying to further optimize. That would require some testing and more research from your side to see what works for you and what doesn’t. There are some vegetarian/vegans out there that focus more on (maintaining) high performance on a vegetarian diet. Check out Brandan Brazier, Rich Roll or Mat Frazier from nomeatathlete.com. I also like content from Ben Greenfield, he’s not plant based though. Would be cool to hear back from you at some point in time to see how things are going, if you find the time. All the best 🙂
We are always being vegetarian since childhood and my brother is bodybuilding they don’t consume meat and eggs still won the competition. Plant based diet is best, don’t kill animal love it.
That’s great to hear Guru. It shows anything is possible with a plant based diet!
Dear HurryTheFoodUp,
As a vegetarian, I just started researching a way to grow more muscle and I really want to give this a try. Thank you for the meal plan!
I have one question: on page 6 of the meal plan, you write “Banana Egg Pancakes with 1
tbsp flax seeds, 1 tbsp peanut butter | 100g yogurt with oats and 1 tsp maple syrup (500 kcal, 23g protein, A)”.
Does this mean that if I mix all this together, I get 500 kcal with 23g of protein?
OR does this mean that there are two versions of which I can choose: (1) a pancake with flax seeds and peanut butter, and (2) a pancake with yoghurt, oats and maple syrup ? It is just that the vertical line | gets me confused 🙂
A similar thing happens to me with the snack proposal. When you talk of “fruits , like banana, apple”, does it mean I can eat as much of banana / apple that I want?
Sorry for these questions, I really believe your meal plan is very helpful, and I simply want to do it as good as possible 🙂
Thank you once again and greetings from Belgium,
Wim
Hi Wim! Great questions. Yes, the 500 cal is the pancake with the ingredients, and then a yoghurt with oats and maple syrup on the side. So 500 cal is everything (the pancake is about 400, and the yoghurt+extras is 100). With the snacks, we generally class one fruit (like a banana or apple) as suitable for a snack. I hope that clears things up, good luck with the meal plan! 🙂
Super, so you mean a “pancake with peanut butter and flax seeds” with a topping of yoghurt and maple syrup?
I just started this morning, breakfast was a great start 🙂
Actually, I meant the yoghurt separately, but that’s a much tastier idea!! Great stuff 🙂
Thanks for the amazing High Protein Meal plan. Completed the full week and feeling good…digestion is still getting used to all of the fibre 🙂
A question about the Nutritional Information and quantities.
On the meal plan the Chickpea Spinach Salad is stated as having 22.5g protein and the leftovers are for the next day.
The website recipe page states the recipe as being 2 servings however it says that the protein is a total of 22.5g for the 1 salad of 2 servings.
Does this mean that a full salad (2 servings) is consumed per day to get the 22.5g protein?
If the salad is split it would actually be around 12g protein for half the salad.
Thank you in advance for any clarification.
Hi Nick, that’s great to hear! Really pleased to hear how well you’re feeling. Yes, fiber can take a while to adjust to 🙂
Very good question – and the answer is that it’s 22.5g per serving. If you make the complete batch it’s 45g, and so you can eat half each day to intake 22.5g protein each time. The 2 servings part should be ‘changeable’ – there’s a slider you can use to make the ingredients for 1 serving or 10, (it’s default is set to 2) but the nutritional value of the card at the bottom should stay the same. Does that make sense? Let me know if it doesn’t 🙂 Thanks again for your question!
Thank you for the clarification. Yes that does make sense.
Been on this meal plan strictly for 3 weeks. Feeling high vitality. Lots of energy to workout harder in the gym. Losing substantial body fat too. Too early to gage muscle growth but it’s looking positive.
Are you considering creating any additional High Protein Meal Plans?
I’d be happy to pay a decent amount for another 2 or 3 week meal plans for a bit more variety. Many others may do too.
It’s so easy with you meal plans, it has grocery list and recipes. That way we don’t need to waste time planning out our meals.
Hi Nick,
Hauke here! Sorry for the late reply, it’s been a bit busy around here the last couple of days. Kat and Dave gut their second baby just a couple of days ago, wohoooo! About the meal plan: first of all it’s so cool to hear that it’s working for you and that you feel the recipes support your workouts. I made the very same experience btw.
We haven’t considered making new high protein meal plans yet, but you certainly brought it to our attention! Can I ask you briefly what you like best about our meal plan and what you think we could improve (recipes, snacks, etc.). Also, for how many weeks would you think a meal plan is worthwhile?
Thanks a lot and best regards!
Hauke
Hi Hauke, thanks for the reply and congrats to Kat & Dave on the new arrival.
Liking the following about the meal plan :
– it’s simplicity – very easy to follow;
– time friendly – quick to prepare recipes;
– its versatility – its’ winter here in oz so cooking all of the salads which works great;
– well thought out – for example how recipes use similar ingredients to limit the shop spend and wastage.
– oh and the grocery list 😉
All the recipes, snacks and meal-addons in the first plan are great.
The suggestion for an additional meal plan/s is more around variety. Don’t have much time to sit and plan adjustments to the existing meal plan. Having at least one or two additional meal plans would help with this. Presuming this would also provide greater variety in consumption of nutrients (eg minerals/vitamins).
I’d be happy to pay a decent amount for this. Do you feel that others would find value in this too?
Have posted the link to this meal plan on the online gym training platform I follow as a few vegetarians on there were asking for meal plan tips. Hopefully there are other streams available for you to promote something like this to make your time investment to create it worthwhile.
Ah cool, that’s really good to hear it’s noticeable that we put some thought into the meal plan and recipes. Of course, if there’s something to improve let us know. It won’t hurt our feelings 😉 (probably). Also thanks a ton for forwarding our meal plan, we really appreciate that!
I’ve been thinking about your idea yesterday. The thing is creating a well thought out 7 day meal plan takes us 2-3 hours, Dave and I working together – given we have all the recipes we need in place. So, for another 3 meal plans we’d need one work day. Without having had a closer look into our recipe arsenal (incl. the unpublished ones), I’m sure we’d need to develop/find and test around 10 – 15 more recipes to create enough variety. That would make it pretty much a 4 day job, at least.
All in all I guess that would be too expensive for one person and mean for us quite the focus shift. But it makes sense to publish it as an addition to our “Veggie Protein Power” eBook making it available for everybody. Though I see that only possible in the next 3 months or so. We’ve put it on our task list (- eBook extension: focus on high protein recipes, create 3 more meal plans).
Of course, if you really would like the meal plans now, then I’d say contact me via email (hauke [at] hurrythefoodup.com) and we see what we can do 🙂
Thanks again, Nick!
Hi Hauke, how is it all going? Thought to check back after 15 months to check on the progress on additional high protein meal plans. Doesn’t seem to be any movement on this. Is this something that you are still considering? As before, would be happy to pay for them. Thank you 🙂
Nick! You know why I not answered right away? Because I felt bad about not being able to show you a significant update on that project. It’s a funny old thing, Dave and I are talking the entire year about creating more high protein content, but there is always something in the way. I’d say our biggest bottleneck are new high protein recipes. Of course we could create you 4 or more high protein meal plans, but we assume you’d like to have a good amount of variation. Maybe I can flip the table and ask you, if you found some cool go-to high protein veggie dishes that we should put on the blog? We’re more than eager to!
HI guys.. great post ! I did go through all the comments.. could you guys please a list of things which are replacement for red box for vegetarians please. I did search things in web.. but I would love if you can list some specific things. FIY : I do not eat egg.. but I am good with tofu. Thank you so much.
Hi Pooja! I’m glad you like it. I’m not quite following you with the ‘red box’. What do you mean exactly?
I agree with the earlier comments by Nick. I think it would be nice to have 4 week meal plan as there are 4 weeks in a month with a few days left over and it does get boring eating this every week. If I was eating this every week i would go crazy. So definetly having more meal plans would make it more interesting and versatile.
I too have just started with this meal plan and go to gym 4 days per week on a muscle building programme. But I started going back in September and haven’t seen much gains. Because my diet was quite bad in the sense it was always difficult to find enough protein meals so I would be short on protein. Hopefully following your meal plan will do wonders!
I would recommend a forum on this website where people can ask questions with regards to meals, diets, training programmes etc. You can be the moderators! It would be nice to compare tips with other veggie lifters out there and even if we could post our pictures of our gains this would be beneficial not only to us but to you aswell. As people would see the results and believe your meal plans work which would contribute to more people visitng your website. After all seeing is believing
Thanks for your comment, Niraj! Good to hear that Nick’s recommendations are getting support. Puts the 4 week meal plan back to our minds. You know what, I’ll talk to Dave and see if we can carve out some time for more cool high protein recipes and meal plans.
Very interesting ideas in regards to a community platform too, thanks!!
If you find the time, would be awesome to hear how you liked the meal plan once you’re through with it 🙂
Hello,
I think it’s kind of weird to assume that females goals are only to lose weight/tone up, I’m a female who actually wants to build muscle and I know many others do too.
Hi! And thanks for writing. To reply to your point, we don’t assume that female only goals are to lose weight or tone up. However, based on reader feedback and requests, the meal plan was created to follow this route as it was overwhelmingly more popular than a muscle building plan for women. If we get enough requests for something like this we would be happy to make it. Also, toning would imply building muscle, so by following the plan and working out effectively you would certainly grow muscle. I hope that clears up the meal plan design. Cheers!
Thank you for sharing this meal plan. I have recently been trying out more vegetables and fuit for my meals and little to no animal protein sources. This is perfect timing to come across this! How would I adjust this if I am a smaller person 5’0” that weighs 116 lbs? I am aiming for fat loss and lean muscle building .
Hi M, happy to help where I can. So, I wouldn’t go much lower than the 1600 cals and recommended protein intake, particularly at the beginning. 1600 is already fairly low, and assuming you’re exercising plenty (I assume that as your second objective is muscle building), you’re going to need all that energy and protein! If you follow the plan exactly, then after a couple of weeks you’re going to have a good idea of which direction you’re headed in. You could then make a decision to reduce the calories if you feel you’re not losing fat at all (remember though, your weight could stay the same, and you could still be losing fat but gaining muscle). It works the other way too – if you’re exercising loads you’re going to need a lot more food just to stay at a consistent weight, and make sure the muscles build too!
Hey guys,
Great mealplan. When the next one? I am happy to join other people and pay for it. Why don’t you put it on Kickstarter or something?
+ The option to increase the portions in the recipes and the fact that it automatically increases the ingredients it’s genius and super useful.
Ok that’s a brilliant idea, Pedro! We never considered it. Let me look into it right away! And I wanted to play the guitar for a bit now. Damn, your idea got me too excited 😀
Hi, and thanks for this meal plan!
I’ve been following it for about a week now and have been enjoying it so far. I was wondering if you know if this plan supplies enough of the nutrients which vegetarians typically have a harder time getting, like zinc and iron, or would you recommend supplementing for these?
Thanks!
You’re very welcome Cris – I’m glad you’ve been enjoying it! That’s a good question. I would say that a balanced diet (including this one) should contain all of the nutrients you would need, and that you don’t really need to supplement. Of course, it can be different for everyone, and if you ever feel unwell, you should definitely have a checkup with a doctor to see if you’re missing anything. I personally supplement with magnesium (because I run a lot) and D3 because I live in Hamburg, north Germany, and it’s grey for months at a time – we don’t see all that much sun! I would still supplement with those if I ate meat however, they’re not vegetarian related. So, I would say you’re fine – though a checkup from time to time might put your mind at rest 🙂
HI there,
I have been looking into vegetarian protein plans for over two weeks and came across your website, which I have to say is amazing.
I have been a vegetarian for a number of years. Early December started to weight train 3 x week, going really well but my protein intake was very low. I have just started to follow your meal plan and very thankful for it. If at all possible, I would be interested in further menu plans and happy to pay.
I am so glad I came across your website.
Manj
Hi Manjit! Thanks so much for your warm words! Actually, we’re in the middle of developing new high protein veggie recipes so that we can make some more meal plans and also keep them interesting. Thanks a lot for your feedback, it helps us to decide what to focus on 🙂
All the best!
Thank you for this meal plan! I have never found one I liked (and I have tried many), but the recipes I have eaten so far have all been delicious! I especially like that I can have sometimes prepare 2 meals at once.
Any chance we can get an Instant Pot meal prepping round up too? 😀
THANK YOU 🙂
Hey Noemi! Really pleased it’s been so helpful so far. And I’m glad about the tasty recipes, we think so too ☺️
The Instant Pot round up is a good idea – and it’s something we’ve been thinking about. Leave it with us!
Looking forward to it!
Where do I fine the 7 day meal plan ? I’m very interested
Hi Mark, there should be an email sign-up box for you to fill and we’ll send it straight to you 🙂
I was looking for a way to build muscle for my daughter. Kind of thinking you should change your wording to be just a lose weight plan and a build muscle plan. No need to specify male or female.
Actually I think it’s an important info, because men usually need more calories & therefore more food. That means a slightly different meal plan in comparison to women. And even different for children again 🙂
I’m realy excited about trying this meal plan, I’ve been vegetarian for a few years now and everything on this menu looks great!
The only thing is I have what I call a “Banana-phobia” 🙂 I can’t even be in the same room with someone eating a banana, let alone eat one myself. Would you recommend any substitute for the banana-egg pancakes?
Thanks
Hi, haha, well everybody has their fears I guess! Sure thing, I’d go for these instead: https://hurrythefoodup.com/low-carb-egg-breakfast-muffins/ and are realllly high protein too. Alternatively these https://hurrythefoodup.com/baked-ricotta/ are great, too. Enjoy the meal plan!
Thanks,I’m Excited to try your diet plan.Can you give a details of individual ingredients such an e.g. One egg gives 6g protein. I need all ingredients details including legumes. I’m beginner in body building world. Can suggest me a proper diet plan in detail.
Please send me on my Email: dkpatel8570@gmail.com.
Hi Dhaval! Glad you like the meal plan! As much as we’d like to we can’t give individual support at the moment. Our task lists are overflowing already 😀
I hope you understand. Would be great to hear how your journey is going though!
Request in meal plan, thanks
Hi Etta, just sign up in the box and it’ll be sent straight away 🙂
Hey,
Looking to get the meal plan.
Thanks
Hi Yogi, just sign up in the box provided 🙂
Thank you
I am thrilled after reading all the info and comments.
I am myself a vegetarian and there is a lot of confusion on what to eat or drink directly after workout.
I hope your diet plan could help me with that.
Thanks
Great stuff! I’m sure it can 🙂 enjoy!
Hi There… just came across your blog. I’m vegetarian and looking for some meal plans as every weight loss plan i find is not vegetarian friendly. Yours is looking great – thank you
Happy to help, Deana! Enjoy the plan and recipes 🙂
I enjoyed reading the article that I actually forgot why I was reading in the first place.
Hi There – I would be glad if i could get a meal plan, I want to try and do veggies
Hi Claudio, please just sign up in the box provided 🙂
Yesss…
Great help from strong people (physically &mentally) for good follower..
Upto now I have been concerning about my body building ,cause I am completely vegan and was unable to get Right guidance.. But right now I really more optimistic than ever before..
..cause you diat plan push me to achieve body.. Thanks..
Hello,
I have decided to go to a gym and recently, I have changed my dietary plan from non-veg to veg.
I am around 175cm and 72kg.
I really appreciate if you could give me a decent diet plan for gaining muscle.
Regards,
Ali
Sure thing Ali, just sign up and we’ll send it to you 🙂
I’m a competitive bodybuilder and eat 4500 calories/day with a macro breakdown of 55/35/10.
55% complex carbohydrates, 35% lean proteins, and 10% fats)
I’ve been getting meal prep service from a local company for years. They’re good but I need some variety. They put a sticker on each packaged meal which lists the meal’s: total calories, grams of carbs/proteins+fats per meal/package.
I definitely need these stickers to keep track of everything I consume at each meal.
This is what I need:
5 meals per day
500 calories per meal
2500 calories per day
I will prepare the other 2000 calories to get me to my 4500/day caloric intake. I drink most of these calories in the form of a very lean plant-based protein powder I buy from GNC. They are low in fat + carbs so I can have higher fat and/or complex carbs with your meals to make it easier to hit the 55/35/10 macro breakdown. I also do eat some fish and eggwhites.
Would you be able to do the stickers?
If so I’d be willing to prepay for a week’s worth of meals.
I’m good for the money!
Please let me know.
Thanks
Hi Joe! Thanks for the question. I just want to be completely sure – you would like us to provide a meal plan for you (500kcal x5 meals) each day and provide the nutritional information for each one? Or you are looking for somebody to prep the food itself? Cheers!
Pls share the food plan
Hi, please just sign up in the box!
I dont see a sign up box anywhere, id really like the high protein meal plan. Thanks in advance
Hey Martin, there should be a sign-up box just near the top. As far as I can see everything is working fine this end. Would you mind trying a different browser?
Thanks – this is just what I am looking for . . . I am gradually moving my diet to better nutrition and higher protein content – so I look forward to your plan.
You’re very welcome, Louise. Enjoy the plan – and give us a shout if you have any questions!
Do you min sending me out the 7 day meal plan with calories in the pdf format. i dont see any download link.
Thanks man
Hi, there should be a green box for you to sign up in right here in this post, but if you can’t see it I’ll send the PDF through, no problem 🙂
Thank you very much for all info. I m going to start your meal plan!
Awesome!! You’re more than welcome – enjoy!
Love this post. Exactly what I have been looking for. Could you please send me version 2 meal plan. Will be great. Thanks so much for putting this out there.
Hi Manuj! There should be a green box to sign up in – from there we’ll send you the meal plan :). Enjoy!
For some reason, after searching for 10 minutes, I still can’t find the box where I need to put in my email address to get the meal plan….
Hi Stephen, hmm strange. It’s quite a big sign up box in various places along the page. Please try refreshing your browser (or maybe using a different one). Thanks!
I’ve stared my journey,i enjoyed you post .i want to step it up to losing more weight and start to tone up.thank you, i’m sure i’ll be coming back to your post,i’m in the process of gathering infromation on my next step i eat meat but not a lot some time i find myself eating meat twice a year sometime i’ll go years without eating any meat at all.
but i’ll develope some nutritional issue by not balancing what i eat and just sticking to one thing ,i’m doing a lot better and i’ve brought my nutrition to were they need to be.
i’m not yet a mother it’s something that i’ll like to happen and i’ll like to start toning and gain some muscles,i’ve come really far but i do have more work to do,i want to see definition.
so my journey continue.
THANK YOU AGAIN ,I ENJOYED YOUR POST
Tangentially related to this post, but could you consider a meal plan for diabetics who need to avoid most carb-rich foods and pretty much all fruits? (Talking here of non-insulin-dependent diabetics, so cannot just compensate.) I find it difficult to manage enough protein while limiting whole grains and legumes, unless — yes — I resort to protein powder, which I really want to give up.
Hi Manidipa! It’s a great question and point. Diabetes is something very aware of, of course, and it has come up in several conversations during the production of our new weight loss book. While we don’t have a low-carb high-protein meal plan as yet, you can definitely get some ideas from over here in the meantime: https://hurrythefoodup.com/category/recipes/vegetarian-low-carb-recipes/. I hope that helps!
I am trying to sign up for your Protein Meal Plan, but I have not received the email.
Can you please help me?
Michael
Hi Michael! Sorry for the delay. The email is showing as successfully sent – would you mind checking your spam/junk email? It sometimes ends up there. That would be awesome. Thank you!
Love this post. Exactly what I have been looking for. Could you please send me version 2 meal plan. Will be great. Thank you so much for putting this out there.
Hi, please just sign up in the box if you didn’t already and it’ll be sent right to your inbox! 🙂
Hi Dave, I would also love access to this plan. I have tried numerous times to signup in the box etc but still no email? I’ve checked junk and spam and it’s not there either?
Hey Shea, have sent you an email! 🙂
Hey Dave,
Thank you for sharing all this information
I tried to sign up but there is no button to do that .
I tried by following the link but no email yet.
Can you help please?
Hi Pierre, and you’re very welcome! Oh that’s odd – would you mind trying another browser? There should be a green box just below the top image where you can sign up. Please let me know if it doesn’t show again!
I’m vegetarian and am interested in a high protein low carb diet. However I really don’t like chick peas, kidney beans, butter beans, black beans, white beans. I love broad beans, runner beans, French beans- are these as good for you?
Hi! In isolation yep, they’re healthy! They’re full of nutrients and goodness. But the diet has to be taken in context as a whole and as long as the rest of your diet is balanced and healthy there’s not really an issue with the specific type of bean you eat. I hope that sets your mind at rest a little 🙂
This is a great program! I put my email in but did not see a link for the plan. Please advise! Thanks
Hi! There should be a green box for you to put your email address in – would you mind trying another browser if you still can’t see it? Thanks!
Please if you have any newsletters, i would be more than grateful to receive them. Thanks
Hi, if you sign up for the meal plan (in the box above) you can also get our newsletters. Alternatively you can also sign up here: https://hurrythefoodup.com/hurrythefoodup-newsletter-sign-up/ 🙂
Hello!
I am trying to sign up for your Protein Meal Plan, but I have not received the email.
Can you please help me? Thank you!
Hi Kirsten! I’ve just had a look in the system and it seems the messages are being sent out correctly. Would you mind checking your spam/junk? It could be they’re making their way there. Thank you!!
Hi,
I’ve tried signing up from different email addresses but am having no luck with the email being sent to my email address(es) and getting signed up for this plan and the newsletter. I have looked in all my email folders. Is there any way you could please send me the plan? Excited to try this one! Thank you 🙂
I’ll email you now, Lauren!
Hello, have signed up for the email but no emails are being sent to my inbox. Can you send me the meal plan separately please? Thanks
Hi! Thanks for your interest in the meal plan! Check your inbox again please, you should get the email now 🙂
Hi, Given my experience and the comments above, it seems the sign-up for the free PDF and newsletter is broken (?). I’ve attempted twice and no email : ( Thanks
Thanks for letting us know about that! Please check your inbox, we’ve sent you the email again!
Please, update the meal plan. It’s been years since it was uploaded 🙁
It’s an awesome and delicious meal plan
Hi Ivan, we’re on it!
Hi Ivan! Fiiiiinally we’ve updated the meal plan!! Pheww 🙂
I am trying to sign up for your Protein Meal Plan, but I have not received the email.
Can you please help me? Thank you!
Thanks for letting me know! I’ve added you manually 🙂