Vegan Athlete

If you have ever participated in an endurance sport you will understand that each athlete has his or her own routine and superstitions when it comes to racing.

From good luck socks to lucky charms your mental state is what helps you get to the start line, knowing then you have done everything physical to prepare you for the race ahead.

Outside of a tri athlete’s equipment; wet suit, goggles, glide, bike, helmet, wheels, shoes, sunglasses, visor and trainers food is the next essential part of getting you to the start line and most importantly to the finish line. And when you are fuelling an athlete the vegan way, its even more important.

We have had years of fuelling our Tarian household and ourselves and we have learnt to listen to our body and our needs in order to ensure we are well fuelled from an energy perspective but also recovery. We have learnt to listen to the cravings and act on them immediately.

Our cravings aren’t for fast foods or highly processed foods, quite the opposite. After a race we generally crave a green smoothie made with kale and as a meal; scrambled tofu with greens & mushrooms – our body asks and we listen.

Being asked to provide food for an athlete is huge compliment; especially when they want to fuel the vegan way. The benefits of high net gain plant foods out way the need for your traditional race fuel such as eggs, bacon and salmon.

There were a few stipulations with it comes to the meals being prepared:

Low fibre
High protein

Athlete’s guts are temperamental, actually we all experience some gut distress from time to time but it can be managed. And the way to do this is through food & hydration and correct timing of both. But remember, we are not all the same. What works for some, doesn’t necessarily work for others so this is where you need to do some trial and error and listen to your body; the signs can be loud & clear at times.

The menu we put together for pre race, race and post race were centered around main meals, after a long day training & racing the food options needed to be immediate – a tri athlete can get hangry very quickly!!!

Their 6-day menu looked something like this:

• Vermicelli noodles with Asian greens and ginger encrusted tofu seasoned with a dashi broth, mirin and tamari – 100% gluten free
• Kamut spaghetti with a kale & basil pesto and an abundance of greens: kale, broccoli and green beans – High protein, iron & calcium
• Quinoa fried rice with Asian greens, a medley of mushrooms; shiitake, oyster and Swiss brown with nori & sesame seeds – High protein, B12, sodium & calcium
• Spinach & tofu ricotta cannelloni with a tomato & cheezly sauce – High iron, protein and B12
• Kamut pasta with tomato sauce, olives, zucchini, carrot & mushrooms – High protein
• Kamut past with tomatoes and mushrooms – High protein, low fibre (meal consumed the night before race day)
• Spirulina protein balls made with almonds, cashews, dates, cinnamon, protein & maca powder, chia seeds and spirulina – High in protein & iron

 

We also provided ingredients such as:

• Acai powder
• Maca powder
• Almond butter
• Cacao powder
• Chia seeds

 

These items would be used for homemade breakfast such as acai bowls and recovery smoothies.

Putting together a tailored menu meant we worked closely with the athlete to ensure we put together a menu that they felt comfortable

with. We also recommended restaurants, cafes and supermarkets in which the athlete could eat at outside of the pre made meals – after all food is what gives us energy, so you need to ensure you make it count.

We believe in consuming a diet rich in clean organic foods and this includes an array of fruit, vegetables, pseduograins, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. You want to expend the energy for training & the race, not digesting the food you are about to eat.

To learn more about how you can fuel well for your next training session and race, contact us – we love talking food.