#138: You Don’t Need Meat to Get Strong with Sophie Waplington
Discover expert insights on building strength, hitting your protein goals, and fueling your workouts—all on a plant-based diet. We talk about practical strategies for pre- and post-workout meals, the myths around plant protein, and how to use plants to fuel strength. Whether you’re plant-curious or deep into fitness, this episode is packed with helpful takeaways.
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Can you thrive on a plant-based diet even if you’re strength training and trying to build muscle? Sophie’s living proof you can.
We're so thrilled to bring you Sophie from Soph’s Plant Kitchen, where she helps others excel with plants, as a personal trainer and recipe developer. She is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling cookbook, Soph’s Plant Kitchen: Delicious High-Protein Recipes to Fuel You for Life, which offers practical, nutrient-rich meals that challenge the outdated belief that you need meat to build muscle or feel full.
In this episode, Sophie shares what it’s been like to grow up having never eaten meat, and how that shaped her values, mindset, and relationship with food. We talk about raising our own children to understand and appreciate what it means to live differently, and how that kind of upbringing can foster strength, self-awareness, and resilience from an early age.
Then Sophie takes us into the nuts and bolts of plant-based nutrition, especially around protein. Sophie clears up the biggest misconceptions about plant-based protein and explains how to figure out how much you actually need, especially if you're active, lifting weights, or just trying to stay energized. She highlights go-to high-protein foods (including some surprising ones), shares how to get the most out of tofu, and why variety on your plate is key to feeling good and fueling your body right. And if you're not as active as you want to be yet, Sophie shares some amazing tips for getting started in a way the brings enjoyment.
There’s also plenty of practical advice for keeping your energy steady and your meals simple, including what to eat before workouts, batch prep ideas, and delicious treats that are actually powerful protein sources! Sophie also walks us through how to support your fitness goals with plant-based fuel, covering everything from quick-release carbs to post-workout meals, and why it’s never too late to start strength training, no matter where you're starting from.
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
- Sophie explains how she’s never eaten meat and how that’s formed her values and views on nutrition
- How raising a child to understand and appreciate living differently than others can greatly benefit them and build immense strength and resiliency
- Common misconceptions on getting proper protein from plants
- How to calculate how much protein you need to optimize your intake
- Plant foods that are high in protein
- Many opportunities for tofu, especially super firm tofu
- What to be aware of with a sedentary lifestyle
- Why to stick to a diverse plate
- How to make sure plant-based eating supports fitness and strength-training goals
- What energy density is and what that has to do with feeling full or tired
- How to “drink” your energy
- Recommendations for adding movement into your life and what enjoyment has to do with that
- Sources for fitness plans that are easy to incorporate into daily life
- How to fuel your body before and after workouts
- The role of quick-release carbs
- Why to eat after your workout
- Sophie's top 5 plant-based protein sources
- Surprising high-protein sources
- Great meals to batch prep
- Ingredients you can prep in advance for convenient meal building
- Super yummy shake to try and the surprising impact of beet root
- Tricks and tips for adapting protein smoothies into amazing treats
- How it’s never too late to start weight-training
RESOURCES
- SophsPlantKitchen.com - Find Sophie's recipes and more!
- Soph's Plant Kitchen cookbook
- Sophie on Instagram & TikTok
- Red Lentil Tofu recipe (World of Vegan)
- Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret documentary
- Dominion documentary
Soph’s Plant Kitchen: Delicious High-Protein Recipes to Fuel You for Life
A qualified personal trainer with a passion for food, Sophie knows the vital role diet - and particularly eating plenty of protein and fiber - plays in nurturing a healthy body and a happy mind. Her recipes have been described as 'plant-based perfection'.
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