Food You Should Eat If You Are A Vegan Athlete

You can practice sports if you are a vegan athlete. Vegan and vegetarian diets are suitable for all phases of life and for all types of people. The vegan diet will give you all the specific nutrients you need if you choose the right food and plan your menus well. However, this diet should be well planned to prevent nutritional deficiencies, improve performance and prevent injury.

In this article we will tell you what foods you should eat if you are a vegan athlete.

A vegan diet for athletes

A vegan can either have ideological or health motives, or just choose to follow this type of diet because it is the type of food they like. Regardless, their diet may be just as balanced. That said, the vegan diet is not incompatible with playing sports or becoming a professional athlete.

However, a vegan diet for athletes should take into account the athlete’s needs. They should also pay special attention to replacing the proteins contained in foods of animal origin.

Do vegan athletes exist?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes! In addition, vegan athletes compete in all kinds of sports. Here are some examples:

Lizzy Hawker, a long-distance runner who has won the Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont Blanc five times.
Edwin Moses, who has been Olympic champion in the 400 m hurdles twice.
Dave Scott, a vegan triathlete and six-time Ironman Triathlon Hawaii champion.
Alberto Pelaez Serrano, a vegan long-distance runner.
Sergio Agüero, a professional footballer.
Patrik Baboumian, a German heavyweight competitor.
The Williams sisters, tennis players.
Frank Medrano, a calisthenics bodyweight expert.

So, what do they do to maintain their diet and get the nutrients their athletic bodies need? Let’s find out.

Foods You Should Eat If You Are A Vegan Athlete

Fruits and vegetables

A vegan athlete should base their diet on fresh, seasonal foods. Athletes who follow a vegan diet should not just eat rice and pasta, as many people tend to believe.

Seasonal vegetables and fruits are essential because, like all athletes, vegan athletes need more of certain vitamins and minerals.

Athletes trying to lose fat should prioritize vegetables. Athletes who want to gain weight and improve performance should prioritize fruit (among the other foods we will mention below), because it provides more calories and carbohydrates than the previous group,  although it also makes you full.

Carbohydrates in a vegan athlete

Vegan athletes should include rice, oats, quinoa and other seeds and nuts that will provide many different vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and healthy fats. Legumes and nuts are good sources of carbohydrates, as well as the main sources of protein in the vegan diet.

This is one of the reasons why vegan athletes should give up other less nutritionally interesting grains. It is better to choose a diet with legumes, seeds and nuts. They should choose legume flour (such as chickpea flour) or vegetable pasta (such as pea or lentil pasta) instead of wheat pasta.

Proteins

For many, protein is the problem with vegan diets. When most people think of this macronutrient, we only think of animal sources. However, legumes and nuts are good sources of vegetable protein.

They can be consumed in stews, salads and prepared as hummus, or butter as cashews and peanut butter which are very calorie and nutrient saturated. Other good options are cream versions of nuts (almond and hazelnut cream), which you can make at home by grinding nuts.

Mushrooms are also foods to consider due to their nutritional value, as well as brewer’s yeast. A few tablespoons can give any of your dishes about 12-15 grams of protein.

Fat for a vegan athlete

Essential fatty acids are another common disadvantage in vegan diets. As you probably know, fatty fish is the best source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. However, this does not mean that they are the only foods that contain them.

You can find vegan sources of fat in:

• Nuts. Walnuts, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios and pine nuts, among others.
• Seed. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax and poppy, among others.
• Fat fruit. Avocados, olives, etc.
• Olive oil, nuts and seeds.
• Vegetable margarine (preferably organic).

Remember that it is the responsibility of the certified nutritionist to help you ensure that your diet is complete, balanced and meets your needs. This will allow you to enjoy optimal health.