Can a vegetarian diet, help develop muscles?

One of the biggest fears from who start a vegetarian way of living, is to loose muscles or get weak. Many nutritionists already wrote that this is a myth, specially nowadays with so many alternative protein options, and so much chemicals inside animal proteins.

For athletes, 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean muscle is optimal for increasing strength and size. For example, if you weigh 180lb and have ten percent bodyfat, then you should get 150-160 grams of protein to build more muscle. If you want to maintain your size, then 100-120 will probably be sufficient.
Another important point is that without enough fat in your diet, your skin will dry up, and your energy level will go down. To have 20-30% of your calories from fat is a good way to go. 
Examples of healthy fats: flaxseed oil, avocado, almond butter and walnuts. 
Coconut oil or milk are saturated fats that are not present in the case of a vegan diet, also required for optimal health.

I always advice my students to have a balanced diet without excess, but that 80% of their diet comes from fresh organic food.
Example of combining foods to get muscle building aminoacids: 
black beans + quinoa, 
lentils + brown rice, 
almond butter sandwich (Ezequiel bread), 
rice protein milk shake. 
Veggie burger (soy free) is also a good option every now and then…

Some tips on muscle building foods for vegetarians:
Quinoa, Pea-Rice-Hemp Protein Powder, Avocado, Steel -Cut Oats, Almonds, B apetit lack beans, broccoli, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, seitan, spinach, chia seeds, Chick peas, brown rice, natural peanut butter, walnuts, collard greens, cauliflower, lentils, Portobello mushroom,and  peas. 

Bon Appetit!

Font: bodybuilding.com and livestrong.com