As I ate my tofu scramble and hash browns this morning, I began to wonder, “What is the best vegan bulking breakfast?”. See, my bulking breakfast has stayed exactly the same for the last few months — because I love it. But, I wanted to find some other options. So, I looked around and came up with some great alternatives, just in case I get sick of my usual breakfast.
We all know what they say — breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I don’t doubt that it is. I mean, your body has been fasting for hours overnight and you’re ready to start the day off properly with some good nutrients.
I happen to have a few opinions on how to eat breakfast while bulking. There’s some things I’ve learned over the years which I think might help people. Ultimately though, your vegan bulking breakfast will come down to your own personal preference and what works for your body. I can only give you tips which have worked for me throughout the years.
What is the Best Breakfast for Bulking?
There are a few guidelines to set in place for an optimal bulking breakfast:
1. Make it one of the smaller meals of your day (if not the smallest)
This tip may seem a bit counter-intuitive. I mean, we are bulking, right? So we want all of our meals to be large? Actually, no. I’ve found that a big bulking breakfast tends to stifle hunger throughout the day. This is a really bad thing, obviously, because while bulking, we need to be eating a lot of calories throughout the day. Being hungry helps with that.
If your breakfast is too big, you can also just get really bloated and maybe even have an energy crash. I’ve experienced both plenty of times after big bulking breakfasts, and yeah, it doesn’t lend itself to intense workouts.
2. Keep it simple and easy
Look, I love cooking big, fancy meals just as much as the next guy. But, your breakfast should be relatively simple. Remember, you are trying to replenish your body from hours of fasting. Your brain just needs some healthy calories to get going. Keeping things simple will make the rest of your day go more smoothly.
It is true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets the tone for the rest of your day. If it’s easy and simple, you’ve set yourself up for success early in the day.
3. Get enough protein and carbs
Everybody knows you need protein for every meal. So I won’t hammer that point home, other than to say it’s critical while bulking, since you are most likely training pretty intensely, and have higher protein requirements.
Some excellent sources of vegan breakfast protein include:
- Tofu
- Seitan
- Tempeh
- Nut butter
Getting your carbs in is important to restore your energy levels. I try to stay with carbs that won’t cause a massive crash, and these tend to be complex carbs. Some of the best vegan bulking breakfast carbs include:
- Oatmeal
- Hash browns
- Fruit
- Muesli
- Sprouted grain toast
- Rice
Sample Vegan Bulking Breakfast Options
Here are three different examples of vegan bulking breakfasts to give you a clearer picture:
Option #1
½ cup of muesli = 260 calories, 10g fat, 36g carbs, 10g protein
1 container of almond milk yogurt = 200 calories, 11g fat, 21g carbs, 5g protein
1 cup of blueberries = 85 calories, 0.5g fat, 21g carbs, 1g protein
Total = 545 calories, 21.5g fat, 78g carbs, 16g protein
Tip: Throw in a scoop of nut butter to boost the calories and protein content if you need it
Option #2
6 oz. of tofu = 140 calories, 7g fat, 4g carbs, 16g protein
2 hash brown patties = 290 calories, 15g fat, 36g carbs, 4g protein
1 banana = 105 calories, 0g fat, 27g carbs, 1g protein
Total = 535 calories, 22g fat, 67g carbs, 21g protein
Tip: Sprinkle some dairy free shredded mozzarella into your tofu and fry it up for some more calories
Option #3
½ cup of oatmeal = 150 calories, 2.5g fat, 27g carbs, 6g protein
1 cup of oat milk = 90 calories, 5g fat, 9g carbs, 2g protein
2 tbsp. of peanut butter = 190 calories, 16g fat, 7g carbs, 8g protein
5 dried pitted prunes = 100 calories, 0g fat, 24g carbs, 1g protein
Total = 530 calories, 23.5g fat, 67g carbs, 17g protein
Tip: Mix some pecan pieces in to boost the calorie and protein content
What Do Vegan Bodybuilders Eat for Breakfast?
You may be wondering, what specific meals actual vegan bodybuilders eat for breakfast. I’ve found some of the best vegan bulking breakfasts on YouTube from some real vegan bodybuilders and fitness influencers.
Here they are:
Although not exclusively vegan, Chris Bumstead shows us here an excellent option for a vegan bulking breakfast. This one is higher in (healthy) fat than I usually go, but it’s still a great option:
Vegan bodybuilder Brian Turner shows us some of his best vegan bulking breakfast recipes here. He has a version of my tofu scramble and hash browns here! Great stuff:
Vegan fitness influencer Derek Simnett of Simnett Nutrition shows us some awesome recipes for high protein vegan breakfast wraps here:
8 Vegan Bulking Breakfast Recipes:
Here are some of the best vegan bulking recipes I was able to find. These look absolutely delicious and I’m psyched to try them all myself. Keep in mind that nothing is absolute with these recipes. If you need more or less calories, feel free to adjust it. Some of these may be too low in calories for you, so I’d advise to use these recipes as ideas and guidelines rather than set-in-stone rules. Enjoy!
1. Chocolate Black Bean Brown Smoothie
https://www.heynutritionlady.com/chocolate-black-bean-brownie-smoothie/
Calories: 452kcal
Fat: 11g
Carbohydrates: 77g
Protein: 19g
2. Savory Tempeh Breakfast Sandwiches
https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/savory-tempeh-breakfast-sandwiches/
Calories: 573kcal
Fat: 30.3g
Carbs: 54g
Protein: 29.1g
3. Quick and Easy Tofu Scramble With Salsa
https://www.thespruceeats.com/tofu-scramble-with-salsa-3376578
Calories: 280kcal
Fat: 13g
Carbs: 31g
Protein: 22g
4. Banana Almond Cream Shake
https://www.bodybuilding.com/recipes/banana-almond-cream-shake2
Calories: 323kcal
Fat:7g
Carbs: 42g
Protein: 22g
5. High Protein Overnight Oats
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/High-Protein-Overnight-Oats-41209666
Calories: 365kcal
Fat: 14g
Carbs: 42g
Protein: 21g
6. Chickpea Flour Pancakes
https://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-chickpea-flour-pancakes/
Calories: 330kcal
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 53g
Protein: 18g
7. Tempeh “Bacon”
Calories: 167kcal
Fat: 5.6g
Carbs: 14.5g
Protein: 16.1g
8. Bagel Sandwich
Calories: 395kcal
Fat: 8.9g
Carbs: 65.6g
Protein: 14g
Related: Vegan Hardgainer? 10 Bulking Tips You Haven’t Heard
