YOU MIGHT ASSOCIATE animal sources of protein with building a strong body, but recent research carried out by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests plant proteins are just as effective as animal ones for increasing muscle mass. While the study carried out last year revealed participants with high-protein diets – unsurprisingly – had higher muscle mass, it didn’t seem to matter whether this protein was derived from plantbased or meatier diets. To build a strong body on a vegan diet, good protein sources include tofu, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, brown rice, spinach and chickpeas.