Vegan and Vegetarian Meal Plans for Clients: Hitting Protein Without Meat
How to reach a real protein target on a plant-based plan, the foods that do the work, the nutrients to watch, and a 2,000 kcal vegan day at 135 g of protein.
A vegetarian or vegan client is not a harder client. They're a client with one specific challenge, protein, and a few nutrients worth watching. Coaches who've only built plans around chicken breast tend to either under-serve these clients (85 g of protein and a lot of pasta) or over-complicate them (powders at every meal).
This guide covers how to hit a real protein target on a plant-based plan, which foods do the heavy lifting, the nutrients to keep an eye on, and a sample 2,000 kcal day at 135 g of protein with no meat, fish or eggs.
Set the protein target slightly higher
Plant proteins are, on average, less digestible than animal proteins and lower in leucine, the amino acid that triggers muscle protein synthesis. The practical adjustment is modest: aim for the upper half of the usual range, about 1.8–2.2 g/kg, and make sure each meal carries 30–40 g rather than spreading a thin layer across the day.
For lacto-ovo vegetarians (dairy and eggs), the problem mostly disappears: eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and whey are among the best protein sources there are. For vegans, the target takes planning, but it's entirely reachable.
Scope note: if a client has a diagnosed deficiency, is pregnant, or has a medical condition, the supplement and medical side belongs with a dietitian or doctor. The guidance here is for healthy adults.
The plant proteins that count
Per 100 g, approximate, cooked unless stated:
| Food | Protein | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seitan | 25 g | 150 kcal | Highest protein, wheat-based (not gluten-free) |
| Tempeh | 19 g | 190 kcal | Complete protein, firm texture |
| Tofu, firm or extra-firm | 15 g | 140 kcal | Press it; extra-firm has more protein |
| Edamame | 11 g | 120 kcal | Complete protein, good snack |
| Lentils | 9 g | 115 kcal | Carbs come with it (20 g) |
| Chickpeas | 9 g | 165 kcal | Carbs come with it (27 g) |
| Black beans | 9 g | 130 kcal | Carbs come with it (24 g) |
| Soy milk, unsweetened | 3.3 g | 40 kcal | Only plant milk with real protein |
| Soy yogurt, high protein | 5–8 g | 60–80 kcal | Check labels, they vary widely |
| Pea or soy protein powder | 75–80 g | 370 kcal | Blends (pea + rice) have a better amino profile |
| Textured vegetable protein, dry | 50 g | 330 kcal | Cheap, cooks like mince |
| Nutritional yeast | 50 g | 330 kcal | Used in small amounts; adds B12 if fortified |
Vegetarian additions: eggs (13 g), Greek yogurt 0% (10 g), skyr (11 g), cottage cheese (11 g), whey (80 g).
Two things stand out. First, soy products (tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk, soy yogurt) do most of the work on a vegan plan; a client who avoids soy as well as animal products needs seitan, legumes and powder, and a frank conversation about the target. Second, legumes are good foods but they're carb-heavy per gram of protein: a client trying to get 130 g of protein from beans alone would eat 1,400 kcal of beans.
The combining question
You don't need to combine specific proteins within one meal. The old "complete protein at every meal" rule has been dropped: amino acids from different foods eaten across the day cover each other. What helps is variety over the day: soy or seitan at one or two meals, legumes and grains at the others, a powder if the numbers are short.
Nutrients worth watching
Beyond protein, a plant-based plan should cover:
- Vitamin B12: not available from plants. Vegans need fortified foods or a supplement; this is non-negotiable and worth telling the client plainly, with a referral to their doctor for testing if they've been vegan a while without one.
- Iron: plant (non-heme) iron absorbs less well. Lentils, tofu, pumpkin seeds, fortified cereals, with vitamin C in the same meal (peppers, citrus, tomatoes) help. Tea and coffee at meals hinder.
- Omega-3: flax, chia, walnuts and hemp provide ALA; algae oil is the plant source of EPA and DHA.
- Calcium: fortified plant milks, tofu set with calcium, kale, tahini.
- Zinc and iodine: legumes, seeds and wholegrains for zinc; iodized salt or seaweed for iodine.
- Vitamin D: the same issue for everyone, plant-based or not.
Your job as a coach is to build the foods that supply these into the plan and flag the ones that need a supplement or a test. Prescribing supplements and interpreting blood work is outside a coach's scope; see can personal trainers give meal plans.
Calories and fullness
Plant-based plans have a volume problem in both directions. Clients eating mostly vegetables, fruit and legumes get very full on few calories, which is great for fat loss and a real obstacle for muscle gain. Clients eating mostly processed vegan foods (meat substitutes, cheese alternatives, pastries) get the opposite.
For fat loss, lean into the volume: legumes, vegetables, tofu, and keep oils and nuts measured. For muscle gain, add calorie-dense foods on purpose: nut butters, oils, dried fruit, oats, soy milk, smoothies with powder, and don't rely on salads to carry the calories. The approach in muscle gain meal plans applies, with the protein sources swapped.
Sample vegan day: 2,000 kcal, 135 g protein
For a 70 kg client in a fat-loss phase. Approximate totals: 2,000 kcal, 135 g protein, 210 g carbs, 60 g fat.
- Breakfast (460 kcal, 32 g P): overnight oats: 50 g oats, 250 ml unsweetened soy milk, 25 g pea protein, 15 g chia seeds, 80 g berries.
- Lunch (540 kcal, 38 g P): 180 g tempeh, stir-fried with a frozen vegetable mix and 1 tsp oil, 150 g cooked rice, 1 tbsp soy sauce.
- Snack (190 kcal, 17 g P): 150 g edamame with salt.
- Dinner (580 kcal, 36 g P): lentil and tofu curry: 200 g firm tofu, 120 g cooked lentils, tomato-based sauce with 100 ml light coconut milk, spinach, served with 100 g cooked rice.
- Evening (230 kcal, 12 g P): high-protein soy yogurt (200 g) with a sliced apple and 10 g peanut butter.
The pattern is the same as any high-protein plan: a real protein source anchors every meal, and the powder appears once, at breakfast, where it's easiest to hide.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating legumes as the main protein. They're a contributor. Soy foods, seitan and powders are the mains.
- Using plant milks other than soy as protein. Oat, almond and rice milks have close to none.
- Ignoring B12. It's the one thing that will go wrong eventually if nobody mentions it.
- Building the plan from meat recipes with the meat removed. The result is pasta and vegetables at 60 g of protein. Start from the protein source and build out.
- Assuming the client wants health food. Vegan clients want pizza and burgers too. Tofu, tempeh and seitan handle both.
Build a plant-based recipe set once
A vegetarian or vegan client is much easier the second time, if the first client's recipes are saved with the macros calculated. Ten plant-based meals over 30 g of protein, in a library, cover most future clients.
In SendFit the recipe vault includes plant-based recipes with macros from the ingredients, you can add your own, and the food database covers the tofu, tempeh and fortified products the plan relies on, so a vegan day adds up against its protein target the same way a chicken-and-rice day does.