Building a Better Vegan or Vegetarian Sports Diet
Among athletes, “turning vegan” (or vegetarian) is not a passing fad. The most popular ages for embarking upon a vegan lifestyle are 19, 20, and 21.
High school athletes are increasingly interested.
Many have questions about how to eat a meatless sports diet, but vegan athletes’ busy lifestyle can create nutritional challenges.
For example, when eating on the run, vegans may find Oreos are more readily available than, let’s say, roasted chickpeas.
Grab-and-go snacks of just a bagel or a banana should be balanced with some protein — but is hummus or soy milk readily available?
All this means vegan athletes have to be responsible and plan ahead.
When listening to my vegetarian clients, I often hear “red flag” statements that signal misinformation.
Vegan And Vegetarian Misconceptions
Carbohydrates
“Carbs are fattening, a waste of calories!”
Plants are carbs. Are veggies a waste of calories? No.
While you want to limit nutrient-poor carbs like cereal or ramen noodles, wholesome carbs should be the foundation of every meal to fully fuel muscles.
Athletes who train one to three hours a day can easily end up with needless fatigue if they try to thrive on fruit and salads.
Grains are not inherently fattening. Excess calories of any food can be fattening.
As a vegan athlete, you would be wise to eat grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice as the foundation of each meal. Combine them with a colorful assortment of fruits or vegetables for more muscle fuel, and of course, a dose of protein.
Salads
“Lunchtime salads are a healthy vegan meal.”
While salads can be nutrient-rich, they can also be protein and carb-poor—but high in calories with olive oil on a big salad ending up being a lot of dressing.
Filling up on calories from fat will not refuel depleted muscle glycogen. Vegan athletes could better refuel their muscles with a grain-protein combination such as a hummus wrap or beans and rice.
Quinoa
“Quinoa can be the “protein” in a vegan meal.”
Quinoa is reputed to be a protein-rich grain, containing all the essential amino acids needed to build muscle. It is not a stand-along protein-rich food. If you compare quinoa to other grains, you’ll see it offers only 6 grams of protein per 200 calories, similar to rice (4 g), and less than pasta (7 g).
Most athletes should target 15 to 25 grams of protein at each meal. That means you want to add more than just quinoa to your salad. How about tofu? beans? lentils?
Almond Milk
“Almond milk is a replacement for dairy milk.”
Almond milk has far fewer nutrients than dairy milk. Eight grams of high-quality protein from traditional milk is life-sustaining. One gram of low-quality protein in almond beverages is not.
Soy or pea milk are acceptable dairy-free alternatives to cows’ milk.
Soy
“Soy leads to cancer and man-boobs.”
The latest research indicates soy is cancer preventive and is safe— even for women with breast cancer.
As for man-boobs, the one case study about unusual male breast development refers to a person who routinely drank three quarts of soy milk a day. That is a lot of soy milk.
For the latest soy updates, enjoy this podcast.
Protein Bars
“Protein bars and powders can replace real foods.”
Protein-rich foods are preferable to highly processed bars and shakes.
Nutrients in natural foods interact synergistically Instead of yet another bar or shake for a meal or snack, how about cereal + (soy) milk, crackers + hummus, or banana + nut butter?
Aren’t these real foods more in keeping with the spirit of veganism?
Read more:
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Building a Better Vegan or Vegetarian Sports Diet
Among athletes, “turning vegan” (or vegetarian) is not a passing fad. The most popular ages for embarking upon a vegan lifestyle are 19, 20, and 21.
High school athletes are increasingly interested.
Many have questions about how to eat a meatless sports diet, but vegan athletes’ busy lifestyle can create nutritional challenges.
For example, when eating on the run, vegans may find Oreos are more readily available than, let’s say, roasted chickpeas.
Grab-and-go snacks of just a bagel or a banana should be balanced with some protein — but is hummus or soy milk readily available?
All this means vegan athletes have to be responsible and plan ahead.
When listening to my vegetarian clients, I often hear “red flag” statements that signal misinformation.
Vegan And Vegetarian Misconceptions
Carbohydrates
“Carbs are fattening, a waste of calories!”
Plants are carbs. Are veggies a waste of calories? No.
While you want to limit nutrient-poor carbs like cereal or ramen noodles, wholesome carbs should be the foundation of every meal to fully fuel muscles.
Athletes who train one to three hours a day can easily end up with needless fatigue if they try to thrive on fruit and salads.
Grains are not inherently fattening. Excess calories of any food can be fattening.
As a vegan athlete, you would be wise to eat grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice as the foundation of each meal. Combine them with a colorful assortment of fruits or vegetables for more muscle fuel, and of course, a dose of protein.
Salads
“Lunchtime salads are a healthy vegan meal.”
While salads can be nutrient-rich, they can also be protein and carb-poor—but high in calories with olive oil on a big salad ending up being a lot of dressing.
Filling up on calories from fat will not refuel depleted muscle glycogen. Vegan athletes could better refuel their muscles with a grain-protein combination such as a hummus wrap or beans and rice.
Quinoa
“Quinoa can be the “protein” in a vegan meal.”
Quinoa is reputed to be a protein-rich grain, containing all the essential amino acids needed to build muscle. It is not a stand-along protein-rich food. If you compare quinoa to other grains, you’ll see it offers only 6 grams of protein per 200 calories, similar to rice (4 g), and less than pasta (7 g).
Most athletes should target 15 to 25 grams of protein at each meal. That means you want to add more than just quinoa to your salad. How about tofu? beans? lentils?
Almond Milk
“Almond milk is a replacement for dairy milk.”
Almond milk has far fewer nutrients than dairy milk. Eight grams of high-quality protein from traditional milk is life-sustaining. One gram of low-quality protein in almond beverages is not.
Soy or pea milk are acceptable dairy-free alternatives to cows’ milk.
Soy
“Soy leads to cancer and man-boobs.”
The latest research indicates soy is cancer preventive and is safe— even for women with breast cancer.
As for man-boobs, the one case study about unusual male breast development refers to a person who routinely drank three quarts of soy milk a day. That is a lot of soy milk.
For the latest soy updates, enjoy this podcast.
Protein Bars
“Protein bars and powders can replace real foods.”
Protein-rich foods are preferable to highly processed bars and shakes.
Nutrients in natural foods interact synergistically Instead of yet another bar or shake for a meal or snack, how about cereal + (soy) milk, crackers + hummus, or banana + nut butter?
Aren’t these real foods more in keeping with the spirit of veganism?
Read more: