Fibrous Fuel

Going plant-based was one of the best things I did for my athletic career. While studying environmental ethics and policy in college, I struggled to rationalize my meat-centric diet. Despite what I knew to be true about the animal agriculture industry, I always excused my eating decisions with the fact that I was an athlete. It wasn't until my junior year that I began learning about some of the professional and Olympic athletes who cut animal products from their diets and found tremendous success in doing so. 

After a one-week trial, I could not believe the differences I was seeing in my own body. Probably the most noticeable change was in my practice warmup. For 7am practices, I was usually cold, stiff, and sore. The first few jumps off the ground were always agony. After a week of plant-based eating, my 'crunchy knees' disappeared, and my warmup time cut in half. I was feeling more alert in class, my skin cleared up, and the miserable bloat I usually got after traveling disappeared. I made the change in the middle of my season, which raised concern for some coaches, but I was happy to report my good experience and continue this way for the rest of the season. 

Here are a few common meals I started incorporating into my diet!

Breakfasts: avocado toast with sprouts, smoothie bowls, loaded oatmeal

Lunch: burrito bowls, chickpea sandwiches, loaded salads

Dinner: lentil curry, black bean burgers, three bean chili

It has been three years since my one-week trial, and I haven't gone back. I have learned a ton about nutrition and cooking and have become a significantly more diverse eater. Making the switch doesn't mean you're committing to a plate full of tofu. I will say, though, that it takes a bit of a mindset shift to get comfortable with the idea of veggies as the main meal and not just the side dish. Eating out can still be fun too- I find that Mexican and Asian dishes are some of the easiest types of takeout food to find veggie options for! I highly encourage anyone who is curious about a plant-based diet to give it a try:) I am so happy I did!