Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hey everyone. I am not eating enough and I am experiencing muscle loss and fat stores.

I am trying to eat 2,700 calories per day. I am on a budget and can't afford a lot of pre-packaged bars and supplements.
I'd really appreciate help with my eating plan.

I prefer eating raw.. I am a bit of a weirdo. I like to eat standing (or walking is even better) and I like quick delicious things so I am a fruit addict.

Anyone have some ideas for me?

nuts, granola, and dried fruit pack well, are nutrient dense, and are not necessarily expensive.

it's going to be quite hard to gain weight eating raw, not impossible but certainly more difficult.

Coconut, avocado, bulk bins for nuts and seeds.


My broke weight gain diet in the past was definitely not raw but if you aren't strict on that: Oat meal, Yams, carrots, bananas (are some of the cheapest healthy foods), bulk bins nuts and seeds, some of the nut mixes in the bulk bins have dried fruit in them thats a good inexpensive choice.
Get online and search for coupons and freebees there are a lot out there. Twitter is good too. You can request samples and often companies are giving away free samples too. I'm talking about getting supplements and such.

-Dylan

Bueno! Thanks for the tips. I've never chewed so much in my life I can tell you that much!

Sprouted lentils have a lot of protein, chew quickly, and taste great with a few spices tossed in. Just put about an inch of dry green lentils at the bottom of a clean glass jar and fill it with water. Soak it, uncovered, overnight in a cool spot and then drain off the water. Add a half teaspoon of water a day and shake the sprouting lentils around twice a day for two days to keep them evenly moist and expose them all equally to the air. When they get the little white sprout "tails" on them, they're ready to eat. I toss a dash of salt and rolled red pepper flakes in mine to zing 'em up (sometimes with a teaspoon of good oil) but you can add curry, tumeric, onion salt, etc. to get them to taste like Indian food. I eat the whole jar as a quick meal sometimes--raw "fast" food!

You can do the same thing with garbanzo beans but they take about three days to soften. Either legume is a very inexpensive source of raw food protein and fiber.

Baby Herc

How about quinoa? Can you just soak it instead of cooking it as well? Some places you can find it in the bulk bins at affordable prices as well.

Nuts!

You can soak it but it tastes pretty raw. Has a weird, sharp, chemical aftertaste that only a whole lot of onions and spices can quell. Then again, quinoa cooked in coconut milk, with a sprinkling of chopped almonds and a drizzle of honey is freakin' amazing!

Baby Herc

honey? really?

haha that was my reaction, honey! I find it really interesting the different things that people eat and don't eat and the different reasons for doing so or not. I love this website and how diverse the forum members are on here for that reason.

-Dylan

It's cool, I know everyone on here isn't vegan or are trying to transition. But people who say they are vegan really shouldn't eat honey.

I'm not sure if it fits the budget or if you're okay with soy, but I devour raw tempeh like a demon. My friends constantly see me walking to class chewing on a stick of the stuff when I'm on the go. About 20g of protein per 200 calories, a little bit heavier and more fattening than seitan but definitely nothing ridiculous in my opinion.

Many companies now make an agave nectar honey alternative. Trader Joe's carries one for cheap. I love honey. I worry about the bees though. I'm always keeping an eye out for new options and keeping my eyes and mind as open as possible.

-Dylan

Welcome!

How are things going?

Find some good ideas to apply and put into action?

Hope all is well. All the best!

-Robert