2800 kcal Vegetarian — Muscle Gain

Goal: Muscle Gain — A 200–300 kcal surplus for a 70–85 kg lifter. Enough fuel to add 300–500 g per week without slabs of fat.

Diet: Vegetarian — Indian vegetarian dieting fails on protein — never on calories. Dal + paneer + curd + one whey scoop is the daily non-negotiable.

Daily macros: 2800 kcal · 175 g protein · 340 g carbs · 80 g fat

Breakfast (7–9 am)

3 eggs + 2 whites bhurji · 2 multigrain roti · 1 cup curd

Mid-morning (11 am)

1 scoop whey + 30 g oats + 1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch (1–2 pm)

1 cup dal · 150 g paneer bhurji · 2 roti · salad · 1 tsp ghee

Pre-workout (4–5 pm)

1 banana + 1 date

Dinner (8 pm)

1 cup rajma or chole · 1 cup brown rice · sabzi with 1 tsp ghee

Is 2800 kcal right for me?

A 200–300 kcal surplus for a 70–85 kg lifter. Enough fuel to add 300–500 g per week without slabs of fat. If your bodyweight sits outside that band, recompute maintenance and shift kcal in 100-kcal steps weekly until the scale trend matches your goal.

Can I actually hit 175 g protein on a vegetarian diet?

Yes, but only if you build the plate around protein anchors: Dal (moong, masoor, arhar), Paneer, Curd / dahi, Eggs (optional). Skip any one and you'll fall 20–30 g short.

How long can I run this plan?

10–16 weeks per bulking block, then a short cut or maintenance phase. Slow gains beat fast ones — 300–500 g/week is the target.

Which supplements are non-negotiable?

Whey isolate (1 scoop), Creatine 5 g/day, Vitamin D3 (winter), B12 if strict lacto-veg.

What if I eat out or travel?

Anchor every restaurant meal on the protein — grilled chicken/paneer/tofu first, everything else second. One flexible meal per week doesn't derail a plan; one flexible day per week usually does.