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It\u2019s a common misconception that bodybuilders can\u2019t be vegan. After all, where would<\/em> they get their protein?<\/p>\n If you look at elite vegan athletes<\/a>, it\u2019s clear that plant-based diets aren\u2019t actually a barrier to muscle-building. World-record-holding strongman Patrik Baboumian<\/a>, bodybuilder Torre Washington, IFBB Pro Jehina Malik (who has been vegan since birth), and fitness icons like SuzAnne Llano and Leah Coutts are living proof that plants build power.<\/p>\n We\u2019re all well aware by now that for the average person, hitting our protein goals with plant-based foods is pretty easy. Some of us don\u2019t even need to try. But is it so easy for bodybuilders, who often need to consume hundreds of grams of protein per day?<\/p>\n Eager to find out, actor Merle O\u2019Neal<\/a> decided to put these high-protein fitness diets to the test. Inspired by viral TikTok recipes, she spent 24 hours eating exclusively like a vegan bodybuilder, aiming for a massive 160 grams of protein in a single day.<\/p>\n \u201cI know I don\u2019t need as much protein as a vegan bodybuilder,\u201d Merle noted as she started her vlog. \u201cBut I\u2019m curious\u2026 about how they get as much as they get.\u201d<\/p>\n Merle looked at multiple vegan bodybuilders and selected \u201ctheir most ingenious and strangest concoctions\u201d to build her meal plan, aiming to find out just how they hit those staggering macros. Here\u2019s how her day went, meal by meal.<\/p>\n Vegan bodybuilders clearly love an oat bowl, as Merle found many of them while perusing their food diary vlogs. However, one in particular caught her attention: a fruity oat bowl topped with an entire chopped up protein bar.<\/p>\n Merle, celebrated the inclusion of her favourite vegan protein bar, Barebells, and praised the recipe as \u201ceasy to make.\u201d<\/p>\n The original recipe, shared on TikTok by creator @michelleisreading_, boasted 41 grams of plant-based protein<\/a>, but Merle cranked it up further, adding a little peanut butter to the oats to improve the colour and flavour.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly s***, that is so good. This tastes like dessert,\u201d she exclaimed, sharing her verdict. While Merle doesn\u2019t think she\u2019ll make the full oat bowl again, she loved the addition of yoghurt to the oats, and plans to take that forward.<\/p>\n If she were to add a whole protein bar to her oat bowl again, she said she\u2019d chop it much more finely next time, as the large, chewy chunks were \u201cannoying\u201d, so bear that in mind if you try this recipe yourself.<\/p>\n Inspired by a TikTok from vegan bodybuilder Torre Washington, Merle found a recipe for seitan garlic buns on Reddit<\/a> which packed a huge 30 grams of protein for just 174 calories per bun.<\/p>\n While they\u2019re just a \u201cliteral ball of seitan<\/a>\u201c, affectionately dubbed \u201cgluten bombs\u201d by Merle, she was totally impressed by the taste and texture of the rolls, calling them \u201ca step above\u201d a regular bread bun.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s crispy, but it also like rips apart really nicely,\u201d she said of the seitan buns. \u201cI\u2019m actually baffled. That is so easy. That is so good.\u201d<\/p>\n Merle elevated her seitan buns by adding a bouillon cube and some roasted garlic cloves while blending the base for the buns, so don\u2019t be afraid to try something similar if you give this recipe a go.<\/p>\n For dinner, Merle tried a concoction by TikToker @plantabolic. Though she struggled to make sense of the little piles of food that seemed to have nothing to do with each other, she was intrigued by the strangeness and \u201cunable to look away.\u201d<\/p>\n The bulk of the meal\u2019s protein came from textured vegetable protein (TVP), which was accompanied by roasted sweet potato, saut\u00e9ed mushrooms, and\u2026 sliced kiwi fruit.<\/p>\n This kiwi might seem completely random next to savoury TVP, but science backs it up: kiwi fruit contains actinidin, a natural enzyme that aids in breaking down and digesting heavy proteins.1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n To make the TVP more palatable, Merle rehydrated it before frying it off with garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin to remove the water and cardboard-like flavour, leaving it tender and crisp.<\/p>\n She also boiled the mushrooms first to intensify their rich, savoury taste, and dusted her sweet potato with cinnamon, possibly inspired by her day testing Ariana Grande\u2019s plant-based diet<\/a>.<\/p>\n While the plate was surprisingly colourful and balanced, Merle wasn\u2019t too impressed by eating a literal pile of TVP. She considered all the other ingredients to be \u201ccarrying\u201d the meal, and even the kiwi was \u201cless weird\u201d than she expected.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d she concluded. \u201cI would add tomato sauce and have that TVP with a pasta if I really wanted protein from that. I don\u2019t love TVP enough. I\u2019ll finish it, though.\u201d<\/p>\n The final recipe of the day was described as a \u201cbit of a stretch,\u201d as the TikTok creator who inspired it, @marvinbrxxks, is not strictly a bodybuilder. But the high-protein pancake recipe caught Merle\u2019s eye, so she had to give it a try.<\/p>\n The simple, flourless pancake recipe used just three ingredients, plus a scoop of protein powder, which Merle said was \u201cnot ideal.\u201d While the original video showed a stack of pancakes, Merle found the recipe yielded just two, but they were plenty big enough for a meal.<\/p>\n They were easy to cook, and didn\u2019t stick in the pan. Although they came out \u201ca little gummy,\u201d Merle said, \u201cthe texture is better than I expected for as few ingredients as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Bear in mind that this high-protein pancake recipe is very filling, so a full portion is best suited for a big breakfast. As a dessert, you may want to scale down the ingredients or share with a friend. As Merle puts it: \u201cThis is still really good, but man, this is dense. I\u2019m like full. I\u2019m going to have to eat that in multiple sittings.\u201d<\/p>\n It turns out that hitting 160 grams of protein on a plant-based diet isn\u2019t as hard as it seems. In fact, it can be downright delicious if you know how to utilise foods like seitan, TVP, and vegan protein powders<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the challenge hasn\u2019t exactly inspired Merle to make any major changes to her diet. While she\u2019s keen to add the \u2018gluten bombs\u2019 to her rotation, and will be combining yoghurt and oats more often, it seems she\u2019ll be continuing to take a more relaxed, natural approach to nutrition.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty happy with my protein intake,\u201d she concluded. \u201cI don\u2019t like forcing protein powder into stuff if I don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n Find more from Merle O\u2019Neal on\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and\u00a0TikTok<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Want to take your protein journey further? Read our guide to gaining muscle on a vegan diet<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n References:<\/strong><\/p>\nBreakfast: Vegan protein oat bowl \u2013 41 grams protein<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
How to make it:<\/h3>\n
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Lunch: Garlic seitan buns \u2013 30 grams protein<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
How to make it:<\/h3>\n
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Dinner: TVP pile plate \u2013 approx 45 grams protein<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Dessert: Protein pancakes \u2013 42 grams protein<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
How to make it:<\/h3>\n
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Was eating like a vegan bodybuilder easy?<\/h2>\n
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