Vegetarian Bodybuilding Foods

As a bodybuilder, your diet features more protein than the typical person's diet. While the Institute of Medicine recommends the average person eat a minimum of 0.36 g of protein per 1 lb. of body weight daily, a bodybuilder's diet often contains 1 g of protein per 1 lb. of body weight. Common sources of high-quality protein include meat, poultry and fish -- foods a vegetarian does not consume. In addition to lean proteins, a bodybuilding diet also features healthy carbohydrates for energy and unsaturated fats to promote hormone production and vitamin absorption. Even if you are a vegetarian, you can easily fulfill these needs with a carefully planned diet.

Protein

If you are an ovo-lacto vegetarian who consumes eggs and dairy, get protein from eggs and dairy products, such as skim milk, low-fat yogurt, whey protein powder and cheese. Even if you are a vegan, you can get adequate amounts of protein from soy foods, such as soy protein powder, soy milk, soy nuts, tofu, seitan and tempeh. You can also get protein from seeds, nuts, beans and lentils. You need between 30 and 40 g of protein at any given meal to support bodybuilding workouts and muscle growth.

Carbohydrates

Your carbohydrate needs vary according to your stage of training and size. Typically, you need 80 to 100 g of carbohydrates per meal if you weigh more than 200 lbs. If you weigh less, 60 to 80 g per meal is adequate. Vegetarian sources of carbohydrates include whole grains, such as oatmeal, quinoa and brown rice. Sweet potatoes, broccoli, dark leafy greens, berries and apples are other healthy carbohydrate sources to support energy for your workouts and muscle building.

Fats

You need a well-designed, high-calorie diet paired with a consistent training program to promote muscle gain. Fats are a concentrated source of calories. You should consume fats to support hormone production and vitamin absorption, which enhance your bodybuilding efforts. If you eat eggs and dairy, limit your intake of saturated fats by eating mostly egg whites and low-fat or nonfat dairy. Choose plant fats mostly, including olive oil, nuts, avocados and seeds. About 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from fats.

Sample Day

Follow the typical bodybuilding practice of eating every three hours to provide constant nutrition to growing and repairing muscles. You might begin with a breakfast of two eggs scrambled with two egg whites and spinach, a bowl of oatmeal with skim milk, blueberries and ground flaxseeds. Mid-morning -- around your workout -- have a vegetarian protein bar or a shake made with soy protein powder, strawberries and banana. At lunch, stir fry tofu with broccoli and low-sodium soy sauce and have with brown rice and a cup of plain yogurt for dessert. Mid-afternoon, have a handful of almonds with a glass of soy milk. At dinner, cook up lentil soup with quinoa and a large green salad topped with hemp seeds and olive oil. Before bed, a snack of low-fat cottage cheese and raspberries will provide your body with protein for overnight protein synthesis. If you are a vegan, add soy protein powder to your morning oatmeal instead of the eggs, and have hummus with cut up vegetables before bed instead of the cottage cheese.