Wondering if a vegan diet can help build muscle? Read on to understand how combining the right plant proteins can support your muscle-building goals
When most people think about building muscle, they picture chicken breasts, eggs and whey protein shakes. However, when you are on a vegan diet, what about that? Is it possible to build muscle with a plant-based diet? The answer is yes, and here's how.
A vegan diet consists of 100% plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, pulses and grains. According to Aditi Prasad Apte, Senior Clinical Nutritionist at Aster RV Hospital, Bangalore, “It is very much in trend nowadays and often considered as ethical and clean, and has proven benefits for cardiovascular health, insulin resistance and gut health.”
Can You Really Build Muscle on a Vegan Diet?
Yes, but with some careful planning. A vegan diet can aid in building muscle, Apte says, “When properly tailored, including sufficient calories and protein.” She suggests a mix of legumes, soy, whole grains, nuts and seeds for a well-balanced diet and healthy living.
The secret is to get enough protein and calories every day by using a combination of the best plant protein options.
A 2023 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that vegan bodybuilders could meet their protein targets and build muscle effectively during the bulking phase.
However, during the cutting phase, their protein intake dropped below recommended levels, mainly because reducing carbs also reduced their protein intake. The researchers concluded that with smarter food choices and supplementation, a vegan diet can support muscle building, but professional guidance is advisable.
Best Vegan Protein Sources for Muscle Building
The best vegan protein sources for building muscle are those that are rich in protein and low in fat.
Tofu: About 100g contains about 17-19g of protein.
Chickpeas: Good quality, non-GMO chickpeas are a good source of about 18g of protein per 100g.
Edamame and lentils: Good, everyday sources of protein.
The most underrated source, spirulina. It's a great protein boost for vegans who focus on building muscle and has approximately 70 per cent more good quality protein compared to dairy, says Apte.
Peanuts: Apte calls it the "poor man's almonds. She points out that peanuts have about 24-25g of protein in 100g and that "a handful of peanuts daily can help accomplish the protein goal. They will also be loaded with healthy fats.
Seeds and nuts: Nuts and seeds are not a key source of protein. “It helps to build muscle to an extent,” Apte said.
Quick Tips to Make It Work
The following are some tips to help you get it working quickly:
Consume adequate total calories, and muscle building will be restricted, no matter how much protein you consume, if you don't eat enough calories.
Mix various proteins throughout the day to get all essential proteins.
Mix into smoothies to get a concentrated protein punch from spirulina.
Make peanuts a healthy, convenient, and cost-effective snack.
Conclusion
It's definitely possible to gain muscle with a vegan diet; you just have to make some adjustments. You can build muscle without eating any animal products, since you can focus on protein-rich plant foods such as tofu, chickpeas, spirulina, and peanuts, and ensure you have enough calories to meet your goals.
FAQ
1. How much protein do I need on a vegan diet to gain muscle?
6–2.2g per kg of body weight, which can be attained by consuming foods such as tofu, chickpeas, spirulina and peanuts.
2. Is plant-based protein as effective as animal protein for building muscle?
Yes, in enough amounts and diversity. Protein-rich sources such as spirulina and peanuts are excellent, and consistency is the key.
Years ago, I spilled an entire pot of coffee on a turquoise dining chair upholstered in Ultrasuede, a fake leather. I blotted furiously at the chair with a dish towel before realizing I had no need to panic. The material had not absorbed a single drop.
Ultrasuede and other fake leathers are engineered to mimic the look of animal hide, but they function like performance fabrics, offering durability, colourfastness, and — as I witnessed that day — superior cleanability.
And they’ve come a long way from the sticky, peeling pleather diner booth seats you might remember. If you’ve shopped for a sofa or armchair recently, you’ve likely encountered a dizzying array of fake leathers.
For now, most of the fake leather you’ll encounter when shopping for furniture is still made from plastic polymers. But that’s starting to change. Besides petroleum-based synthetic leathers, there are also bio-based leathers, which contain some percentage of plant material, as well as bio-fabricated leathers, which are grown in a lab, said Theanne Schiros, a professor of materials science at the Fashion Institute of Technology and a Columbia University research scientist. Many fake leathers advertise that they’re vegan or sustainable, or they highlight their apple, cactus, or mushroom origin.
Below, we break down these three kinds of fake leather, how to choose the best one for your needs, and why you might want to opt for fake leather over real leather in the first place.
Most mass-market fake leather is still plastic
The swatches on the top row are real leather. The bottom row is all synthetic leathers. Ivy Elrod/NYT Wirecutter
If you’re shopping for fake leather from a big furniture company, chances are it’s synthetic, meaning it’s probably made of either petroleum-based PVC (vinyl) or polyurethane (PU). A number of sofas that we recommend in our sleeper sofa guide and in our shopping guide to leather sofas are available in synthetic leather upholstery options. These fake leathers are typically the least expensive type available. While you can find some synthetic leathers at very low prices, higher-quality ones are priced somewhere between a performance fabric and an entry-grade leather.
Synthetic leathers are known for being durable, easy to clean, and resistant to staining. Some also offer qualities that real leathers usually don’t provide, such as UV protection, bleach cleanability, and improved breathability — like some styles of Ultraleather by Ultrafabrics, which is why you might find Ultraleather in the premium seating at Major League Baseball stadiums.
Unlike animal-hide leather, synthetic leathers don’t develop a patina over time. I’ve seen 20-year-old synthetic leather furniture that looks virtually the same as the day it was bought. The trade-off is that it won’t take on the character of a time-worn leather. Whether you think that’s a good or bad thing comes down to personal preference.
I have yet to encounter a synthetic leather that has tricked me, but they can be supple and recall real leather. Still, their handfeel varies widely depending on their material and treatment. For example, Ultrasuede, a distinct company from Ultrafabrics (and an upholstery option for the American Leather Gaines Comfort Sleeper, our top-pick sleeper sofa), has a smooth, napped texture that’s reminiscent of real suede, if with a slightly microfiber quality. Ultraleather is soft and resistant to creasing but, to me, still retains a tell-tale plastic feel.
The best way to know if you like how the synthetic leather feels is by ordering samples. I suggest requesting the largest size available, since standard 4-by-4-inch samples may be too small to give you a real sense of the material.
Instead of relying solely on tiny 4-by-4-inch pieces, request larger swatches. You’ll get a much better sense of the material’s feel. Ivy Elrod/NYT Wirecutter
There are also some more-technical specs to keep in mind. To ensure that the upholstery you choose will last for years, look for a rub count of more than 15,000 for home use; this number indicates how many times an abrasive material can be rubbed against a fabric until its fibres start to break.
You might encounter a hydrolysis rating, which means the product has been tested in high heat and humidity for peeling. Look for a rating of at least five weeks if you live in a humid climate, like Florida.
This American Leather Gaines sleeper sofa is upholstered in Ultrasuede. Joshua Lyon/NYT Wirecutter
You might also want to look for Oeko-Tex Standard 100, a voluntary certification that indicates the textile has been independently tested and found to have low enough levels of certain chemicals and substances as to be free of potential harm. And a Greenguard Gold certification means the product has been independently verified to limit certain volatile organic compounds and chemical emissions, including formaldehyde, which can impact indoor air quality.
Bio-based leathers cut back on plastic — but are more expensive
Although synthetic leathers don’t use any animal products, they are primarily plastic. Bio-based leathers, also known as plant-based leathers, incorporate some percentage of plants into their makeup — often waste from the food industry, like apple, grape skins, cactus, or banana — which cuts back on the amount of plastic in the final product. But, at least for the time being, they still require additives to bind or coat the plant material.
Most bio-based leathers indicate the percentage of their plant-based content on their label; if it’s not listed, check the website. Look for the BioPreferred label, which certifies that the material contains a minimum of 25% content of biological origin, but note that a higher percentage doesn’t necessarily translate to better quality as upholstery, since synthetic binders are usually necessary to prevent plant fibres from cracking over time.
This category remains relatively rare for upholstery, though it is becoming more common. Sabai, whose sofas we recommend, offers one cactus-based “bio-based PU” upholstery, Desserto, with 61% bio content, a high 75,000 rub count (compared with the 30,000 minimum I recommend for home use with kids and pets), and stain resistance. Desserto is also more breathable than some other bio-based leathers.
Though less common than synthetic leathers, bio-based leathers are becoming more widely available. Sabai offers its Elevate Sofa in a 61% cactus-based leather (according to the company, Desserto), pictured here. Sabai
As with synthetic leathers, preferences are highly personal, and bio-based leathers can vary widely in how they look and feel. Some do not feel convincingly leather-like to me, while others —such as Banofi, with 97% plant-based content (including banana crop waste and natural rubber) — feel very leather-like, indeed. I highly recommend ordering samples or assessing the upholstery in person before committing.
Bio-based leathers tend to be more expensive than synthetic ones, and they are more commonly available for higher-end furniture (sofas around $4,000 and above). That’s because developing biodegradable biopolymers is expensive, said Preeti Arya, associate professor of textile development and marketing at FIT, in a phone interview. Fully synthetic leathers are more economically viable — at least for now.
But completely plastic-free bio-fabricated leathers are the rarest and priciest of the bunch. These fake leathers are grown in a lab, like those made from mycelium (such as Ecovative Forager and MycoWorks Reishi), and they’re currently available only in limited luxury markets (in the past, I’ve spotted them on items from Hermès and Ligne Roset).
Bio-fabricated leathers are known for their softness and similarity to the texture and feel of real leather — and, excitingly for leather lovers, for their ability to patina. So far, their weaker tensile strength and durability has been an Achilles’ heel. While these textiles represent an ideal future for lower-impact textiles, they remain a “wait and see” for the average shopper.
A beginner’s guide to shopping for fake leather
What do you want?
Look for:
Cleanability and stain resistance
✓ terms like:
bleach-cleanable
stain-resistant
contract grade
Durability
✓ double-rub rating of 30,000 or more ✓ hydrolysis rating of at least five weeks
Lasting colour
✓ colourfastness rating of 4 or above
Chemical transparency
✓ a voluntary third-party certification, such as:
Oeko-Tex Standard 100
Greenguard Gold
Less plastic material
✓ a bio content percentage of at least 25% or a BioPreferred certification ✓ a natural fibre backing
Besides helping you decide if you like the look and feel of an upholstery, the back of swatches can contain helpful information on durability and material content. Ivy Elrod/NYT Wirecutter
Why go fake?
If you’re looking for cleanability, durability, and colourfastness at a more accessible price point, synthetic leathers might be an obvious choice over animal-hide leather. And if you’re opposed to buying any animal products, the choice to go fake is obvious.
But if you’re wondering if fake leather is sustainable or better for the environment than the real stuff, it’s more complicated.
If you’re just focused on reducing petroleum-based products and plastic waste, real leather beats most synthetic leather, and bio-based leather helps cut back to varying degrees, depending on the percentage of plant-based content that they contain. But zoom out beyond plastic, and the idea that vegan leather is inherently better for the planet is a misconception, both Schiros and Arya told me.
The debate often hinges on whether you view a cowhide as a primary product or a salvaged one. Cowhides come primarily from the beef industry; in theory, they’re a waste product. Because of this, some life cycle assessments could attribute a lower environmental burden to leather than to fake leather alternatives, said JoĂ«l Mertens, director of Higg Product Tools at the global non-profit Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition), where he leads the development of standardized metrics to evaluate the environmental impact of textiles, with a focus on supply-chain transparency. A high-quality top-grain leather is also durable and can last decades, lowering its environmental impact over the years it’s in use.
But both the beef industry and leather carry a heavy environmental burden in the form of land and water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and chemical pollution from chrome tanning. In fact, one of the highest-impact ways to cut back on your carbon footprint is to eat less meat and dairy.
With alternative leather, the burden moves downstream. We trade animal agriculture for other environmental burdens, including (for most fake leathers) plastic waste, petrochemical use, and other chemical pollutants. Newer bio-based fabrics are a step in the right direction, but some have as low as just 10% bio-based content and may not be inherently lower impact than leather from a life cycle perspective, according to the experts I spoke with.
At the moment, most of the fake leather available is still made from plastic, at least to some degree. As with any upholstery, choosing the best one comes down to balancing your values and personal preferences, your budget, and your needs, so you can enjoy it and use it for as long as possible.
Lidl's vegan caviar is officially back in UK stores
You can find two different kinds of vegan caviar at Lidl.
The budget supermarket produces Japanese-style Seaweed Pearls, a “vegan alternative to caviar,” under its Vitasia brand.
Lidl's vegan caviar is available in orange and black - Media Credit: Lidl
Lidl’s vegan caviar first appeared on shelves last year, but the Seaweed Pearls were unavailable until now. One keen-eyed shopper posted about the line in the Vegan Ireland subreddit two months ago, while another posted in Vegan UK last week.
Seaweed Pearls are, as the name suggests, primarily made from seaweed, and contain roughly 13 calories per 100g. They are available in black (likely emulating caviar from sturgeon) and orange (inspired by salmon). According to Redditors who have tried the caviar, it has a pleasant, delicate flavour and works well in sushi.
Seaweed is typically the go-to ingredient for vegan caviar, and last year’s Bafta Awards served guests a similar version paired with sourdough bread. IKEA also makes and sells SJĂ–RAPPORT, its own seaweed pearl-based vegan caviar.
Lidl’s vegan caviar has an RRP of £2.29 per 100g.
Lidl’s 700 percent plant-based sales growth
Lidl reported a 700 percent increase in plant-based sales last year Adobe Stock
In November last year, Lidl called on the UK government to introduce plant-based targets as part of mandatory healthy food sales reporting.
The supermarket has been voluntarily publishing data on its protein sales since 2023, including what percentage of those sales is made up of plant-based foods. Lidl said that introducing compulsory reporting would help to “level the playing field.”
Lidl notably surpassed its own plant-based sales target in 2025 by achieving nearly 700 percent growth. At the time, the supermarket said that the milestone reinforces its commitment to the Planetary Health Diet and to making sure “healthy and sustainable choices” are widely affordable.
Iodine deficiency is often seen as a problem of the past, but this isn’t entirely true. During the 20th century, the iodisation of salt became one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing conditions caused by a lack of this mineral, including goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) and preventable damage to neurological development.
The World Health Organization (WHO) still views iodised salt as a safe and effective strategy, while UNICEF notes that it is the most widely used way of improving iodine intake worldwide.
However, the success of this simple measure means iodine has all but disappeared from public debate. And today, in several countries, signs of insufficient intake are once again being detected in certain groups, particularly in pregnant or breastfeeding women and people on restrictive or poorly planned diets.
What we are witnessing is not a dramatic resurgence of the most severe symptoms everywhere, but rather a silent risk of deficiency in contexts where vigilance has waned.
Iodine’s role in the body
Iodine is an essential micronutrient for the synthesis of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, and many physiological processes. Adequate intake during pregnancy and early childhood is particularly important for the normal development of the central nervous system and for the early stages of brain maturation.
The issue is not that people have stopped consuming salt, but rather that the type of salt they consume has changed, as have the sources of sodium in their diet. In recent years, iodised salt has been replaced in many households by “gourmet” or “natural” salts. These include sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, flaked salt and kosher salt, which are often perceived as more sophisticated or healthier, even though they are not always iodised.
In a way, iodised salt has an image problem. Compared to the culinary prestige of its trendy rivals, it has come to be viewed as something ordinary, outdated even.
Today, lot of our salt intake also comes from processed and ultraprocessed foods, meaning the use of iodised salt cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, the World Health Organization has called for coordination between policies that aim to reduce sodium intake and those that promote iodised salt.
The makeup of our diets has also changed a lot. Iodine is naturally present in all seafood, some dairy products and in eggs, though the quantity may vary from one region or food system to another. When a person reduces or cuts out several of these sources at once while not also consuming iodised salt or fortified foods, the risk of deficiency increases.
The result is that a basic, inexpensive, and effective micronutrient has fallen out of the spotlight just as certain groups are once again at risk of not getting enough iodine.
Plant-based diets
Vegetarian and vegan diets can be healthy, but they must take iodine into consideration. A 2023 review in the British Journal of Nutrition concluded that people following a plant-based diet, especially vegans, may find it hard to get the recommended amount of iodine from these foods alone.
This does not mean a plant-based diet is inherently lacking – and the solution is straightforward. Just as vitamin B12 is is commonly recommended for those who reduce theirconsumption of fish or dairy– or when people replace animal products with unfortified plant-based alternatives – so too should iodine.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Iodine deserves special attention during pregnancy. There is strong evidence that a severe deficiency of this micronutrient can affect foetal development and thyroid function, which is why many organisations use specific thresholds to assess iodine status in pregnant women. The US National Institutes of Health states that a urinary concentration of 150–249 micrograms per litre (ÎĽg/L) in pregnant women is considered adequate for the general population.
But there is a caveat to this. Concerns about mild or moderate deficiency are legitimate, but there is no conclusive evidence as to the cognitive benefits of supplementing all pregnant women who show a mild deficiency. Reviews and trials have indicated that there is plausible biological concern, and some studies suggest an association with poorer outcomes, but controlled experiments have not unanimously shown clear improvements in infant neurodevelopment.
Nevertheless, several scientific societies have adopted a cautious stance. The American Thyroid Association, for instance, states that women who are planning to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding should receive 150 ÎĽg of iodine daily in prenatal or multivitamin supplements, usually in the form of potassium iodide, to help meet increased requirements.
Why ‘more salt’ is not the answer
Another important clarification is needed here. Advocating for iodised salt does not mean recommending a higher salt intake. The WHO maintains its recommendation to reduce sodium intake due to its link with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In terms of public health, the solution is not “more salt”, but less – though the salt we do eat should be iodised.
In fact, the WHO itself has emphasised that reducing salt intake and fortifying salt with iodine are compatible, provided the concentration of the mineral is properly adjusted and salt used by the food industry is also fortified.
This point is key because it avoids two common pitfalls: turning the issue into a nostalgic defence of table salt, or the other extreme of assuming that any reduction in sodium intake will automatically solve all health problems without any nutritional consequences. But it is possible to strike a balance between preventing cardiovascular disease and iodine deficiency.
While dairy alternatives surge toward a multi-billion-dollar future, plant-based meat sales continue to decline. Here’s why experts think the categories are moving in different directions
In 2024, Brian Niccol officially stepped into the role of CEO at Starbucks and quickly got to work trying to revive the struggling coffee giant. Among his first major changes? Bringing back condiment bars and permanently eliminating the dairy-free milk surcharge.
At the time, Niccol said the move was about “embracing all the ways our customers enjoy their Starbucks.” But the CEO likely also understood that dairy-free milks are big business, and charging extra for them was likely only pushing customers away.
Starbucks isn’t alone. Several major chains, including Dunkin’ and Peet’s Coffee, have eliminated dairy-free surcharges in recent years. In grocery stores, too, customers can now choose from shelves stacked with alternative milk options. Where there was once perhaps a choice between cow’s milk and a lonely soy option, there is now a growing array of oat, nut, and even corn milk available.
Starbucks
There’s no doubt the dairy alternatives market is thriving. By 2033, Grand View Research predicts the industry will surge from its 2025 value of $36 billion to nearly $96 billion. Fortune Business Insights is even more optimistic, estimating the market was worth nearly $42 billion in 2026 and will exceed $118 billion by 2034. In the US alone, Grand View Research estimates the US dairy alternatives market could surpass $20 billion by 2033.
Plant-based meat, in contrast, is trailing behind. Per the Good Food Institute, SPINS data shows plant-based meat and seafood sales are declining in the US. In 2025, dollar sales fell by 10 percent, while unit sales dropped by 11 percent.
According to data from Circana, dairy alternatives account for 21 percent of Europe’s entire plant-based food market, while plant-based meat holds just four percent.
So, why are dairy-free options proving so popular?
According to experts, the answer is relatively simple: alternative milks have become part of many consumers’ daily routines in a way plant-based meats have not. A latte, for example, remains fundamentally the same product—just with a different milk.
“The fact that plant-based milk can be used in everyday products people are already familiar with is likely to play a significant role,” said Lorena Savani of EIT Food to Dairy Reporter.
It also helps that, unlike many plant-based meat products, which often have lengthy ingredient lists, dairy-free milks are relatively easy for consumers to understand. The clue is often in the name: they come from oats or almonds.
Many market research firms also point to demand from lactose-intolerant consumers as a major driver of the dairy-free milk market. “The rising prevalence of dairy allergies and lactose intolerance among the US population fuels the dairy alternatives market,” notes Grand View Research. The firm also cites the growing number of consumers adopting plant-based diets as another key factor.
Impossible Foods, Oatly
All hope is not lost for plant-based meat, though. Experts remain optimistic that, with the right approach, the category can still catch up. But it likely needs to become simpler, cheaper, and easier to fit into everyday routines before it can rival the success of dairy-free milk.
“Continued progress on taste and affordability, alongside broader, more compelling messaging about the benefits of incorporating more plant-based foods into diets, can drive greater consumption among existing consumers and attract new ones,” the Good Food Institute said in a recent report analysing plant-based meat and seafood sales.
“This underscores the opportunity brands and retailers have to improve products and value, while the industry works together to communicate the benefits of plant-based foods,” it continues.
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