Veggie Blog
As a lifelong vegetarian, animal rights have always been important to me, but recently I decided to take this a step further and go 100% Plant Based. Being a professional athlete who trains 25-30 hours a week, 50 weeks of the year, changing my diet had to be gradual as I tracked the effect it had on my training and recovery. It took a full year of tweaking my diet to get it right, but even early on I noticed that making the switch from dairy to plant based products was easier on my digestive system which meant I could recover faster between sessions and train harder when I needed. Follow this blog and my journey as an endurance athlete fueled on a plant based diet.
11.20.18
Most days I finish training between 3&4 and I definitely need to refuel, so I usually have a recovery drink and then a late afternoon snack.
OLD DIET
Whey Protein Powder
Milk Shake Base
Afternoon Snack Muesli with Fruit and Milk
NEW DIET
Plant Based Blend Protein Powder
Hemp Milk Shake Base
Afternoon Snack Hummus Wrap with Homemade Quinoa Burger and Veggies
10.01.18
I try to keep lunch easy and quick but I need a lot of calories by this time of the day. This is also the meal I'm trying to pay more attention to because I tend to just grab something from the fridge and fill up even if it's not that nutritious.
OLD DIET
Lunch Option 1 Bagel, Egg and CheeseLunch
Option 2 Grilled Cheese and SoupLunch
Option 3 Avocado Toast with Cheese
NEW DIET
Lunch Option 1 Burrito with Brown Rice, Roasted Veggies and BeansLunch
Option 2 Quinoa Bowl with Veggies, Potatoes, and Bean SaladLunch
Option 3 Avocado Toast and Garbanzo Mash
6.25.18
After my morning's training I am pretty hungry but I need to make sure to eat something that is easy to digest since I still have the bulk of the day's training ahead. Generally I have a protein shake after my hardest session (see below for shake changes) and have a high protein snack after less strenuous sessions.
OLD DIET
Mid Morning Meal Option 1 Yogurt, Granola, Fruit
Mid Morning Meal Option 2 Whole Grain Bread, Peanut Butter, Banana, Cinnamon, Honey
Mid Morning Meal Option 3 French Toast, Fruit, Maple Syrup
NEW DIET
Mid Morning Meal Option 1 Coconut Yogurt, Vegan Granola, Fruit
Mid Morning Meal Option 2 Whole Grain Bread, Peanut Butter, Banana, Cinnamon
Mid Morning Meal Option 3 Vegan French Toast (with protein powder), Fruit, Maple Syrup
4.25.18
Cutting out eggs and milk has been the easiest part of transitioning to a vegan diet (I'll write about cheese in another post). Here are some of the substitutions that I found to be easy on my digestive system and are overall healthier than my previous milk/protein diet.
OLD DIET
Whey Protein Powder
Milk Shake Base
Breakfast Eggs, Whole Grain Bread
NEW DIET
Plant Based Protein Powder
Hemp Milk Shake Base
Breakfast Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Coconut Milk, Fruit, Hemp Seeds, Pepitas