Sam Howells and Ben Jones have the answers to all your diet and nutrition questions. They are directors at diet, weightloss and holistic health provider BlueSkies and have over 20 years of experience in the health, fitness and nutrition industry- helping people make healthy food choices, manage their weight and become fitter and healthier.

Tom Asks:

I’ve heard you should eat more lean meats when you start weight training. But I’m vegetarian so what are the best foods for me to eat instead? Thanks.

The Nutritionists’ Answer:

Thanks for your question Tom, vegetarian diets are very close to Sam’s heart! 

The reason you’ve heard that you should eat more lean meat when you start weight training is because it will provide you with a good source of protein. Protein is important for building and maintaining muscle mass but meat isn’t the only source – plenty of vegetarian foods contain protein making it easy for vegetarians to get enough. 

Meat is said to be a ‘complete protein’ as it contains all of the 8 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) needed by the body. Plant sources of protein do not contain all of the amino acids, therefore they are called ‘incomplete protein’. It is for this reason that plant proteins are seen as lower quality proteins than animal proteins. 

Vegetarian sources of complete protein include:

• Eggs, particularly egg white, which has the highest value of any natural protein source – limit whole egg consumption to 6 each week and use 3 whites and 1 whole egg for omelette/ scrambled egg

• Dairy products, which naturally contain whey protein – the type used in most protein supplements. Try to eat low fat (skimmed) milk and low fat yoghurts but avoid eating lots of cheese which is high in saturated fat. Milkshakes are a good cheap recovery drink to have straight after weight training sessions.

• Soy products, tofu, soy milk etc. are one of the exceptions to the plants-are-incomplete-proteins rule and are a great way to increase protein intake for those who avoid animal products. Read the labels though, some soy products are quite high in calories for the amount of protein they provide.

• Quinoa (Pronounced Keen-wah) is a tiny seed that can be used in place of grains like rice or cous cous in meals and it is a complete protein that can be used to increase the protein content of your meals.

• There are also now a huge range of vegetarian ‘meat substitute’ foods such as Quorn which provide a lean source of protein and taste pretty good (especially the sausages and turkey/chicken style deli slices).

Incomplete protein sources are also valuable. In fact, when combined with another from a different food group, they often form complete protein meals:

• Nuts are a good source of protein to use as a snack but they also contain a lot of (healthy) fat so it’s best to limit intake to one serving (usually 25g) per day.

• Seeds are also a good protein source and can be mixed with nuts and dried fruit to make a more interesting snack or added to meals to increase the protein content.

• Peas – we’re talking chick peas or black eyed peas rather than the green variety – are a good protein source to base meals around and you’ll find some great Moroccan recipes that use chick peas. Black eyed peas are a staple in Caribbean cooking.

• Beans come in many varieties and can be used to make loads of meals from the quick and easy baked beans on (seeded or granary) toast, to kidney beans in veggie chilli to the more unusual aduki beans and their bean sprouts which make a salad more substantial.

• Lentils come in a wide range of varieties and Indian cooking particularly offers lots of ways to make them more exciting!

• You will get a moderate amount of protein from your starchy carbohydrate foods such as bread, rice and cereals, especially the wholegrain varieties rather than processed ‘white’ alternatives so it’s important to include these foods in meals too.

Hopefully this gives you plenty of ideas and reassures you that veggies can get plenty of protein to help build muscle without having to rely on expensive supplements!

To find out more about the benefits of a vegetarian diet, Click Here.

Sam Howells, pictured. Sam is an accredited Sports Physiologist with a Masters in Sports Science. Sam says, 'My passion is to see as many people as possible leading healthy, active lives in ways that suit them - eating well and being active is not necessarily hard, doesn’t have to cost a fortune and doesn’t need to take up 90% of your time!'

Ben Jones, pictured. Ben is a personal trainer with a BSC in Physiology. Ben has a ‘practice what you preach’ attitude and follows a regular training programme - currently a mix of running, cycling and weight training.

Wouldn’t it be better to learn to eat healthily and enjoy delicious, lower calorie, nutritious food, rather than living on junk food, milkshakes, supplements or meal replacement bars? Find out how from our resident nutrition experts!

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For more information on diet, nutrition, holistic health and the simple changes you can make to look and feel fantastic, visit www.blueskiesfitness.co.uk