Celebrating 30 years as a vegetarian

I recently celebrate my 30th anniversary as a vegetarian. Sometime around the age of 10 in the month of April, I told my parents that I didn't want to eat meat anymore. I am not sure what caused this decision but from a very early age, I've had a strong love for animals/creatures. My parents thought it would be a short phase but as the years went by, I never grew out of it. And despite many people in my life telling me that I would need to eat meat in order to participate in sports, I never let my decision to be a vegetarian impact my athletic lifestyle.

Over the past three decades, I've learned a lot from my own journey as a vegetarian. To celebrate my anniversary, I thought it would be fun to share some of my most commonly asked questions when people hear that I am a vegetarian. 

1. What kind of vegetarian are you? I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I consume eggs and dairy products as part of my vegetarian diet. Although I've had many times when I've considered becoming a vegan, I feel my lacto-ovo vegetarian diet works well for me as I can keep my body in good health with eggs/dairy, I have a lot of variety with my diet, I find it easy to eat when traveling (especially internationally) and I can still respect animals through my food-related decisions.
   
   
2. Where do you get your protein from? My protein sources include: tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, whole grains, eggs, cottage cheese, milk, protein powder, yogurt, veggie burgers and edamame. The majority of my diet is made of real food sources.
   
   
3. Do you take any supplements? I take an Iron pill once a week to maintain my ferritin levels. I do not take any other supplements.
   
   
4. Do you get uncomfortable if someone else eats meat in front of you? No. Karel is not a vegetarian and he eats meat several times per week. I do not focus on what other people are eating as I stay attentive and present when I am eating. I do get very uncomfortable if someone talks about hunting or hurting animals. When this happens, I ask the person to please stop talking about this topic or I leave the conversation. I do not watch documentaries that involve hurting/killing animals and I have tremendous difficulty watching movies that involve hurting animals.
   
   
5. Do you tell other people to become vegetarians? No. As a vegetarian, I do not feel I am responsible for making the dietary choices for other people. As a dietitian, when someone asks for advice on how to become a vegetarian, I always ask "why" they want to stop eating meat.
   
   
6. Do you feel healthier as a vegetarian? When I became a vegetarian, I was not a healthy vegetarian. I didn't eat a lot of vegetables and I ate a lot of processed food. When I learned about "healthy" eating in college, I ate a lot of vegetables but my diet turned very low calorie because of so many food eliminations. In both scenarios, I was not a healthy vegetarian. I don't believe that 'not eating meat' necessarily makes you a healthier person. I believe every person should eat a plant-based diet but it's up to you where you want to get your protein from. It's rare for me to get sick. I've never had a broken bone or stress fracture. I do feel healthy. 
   
   
7. What's your best advice for becoming a vegetarian? I would avoid giving your diet a name as restriction often leads to binging. You do not have to start off as all or nothing when wanting to change your dietary patterns. First, address your reasons for making a dietary change. Secondly, figure out a few areas that you'd like to improve in your current diet. To maintain good health as a vegetarian (or in any restricted diet), you need to be great with meal planning, have variety in your diet and be proactive with your eating decisions. However, these strategies are important for any style of eating.
   
   
8. Do you find it difficult to eat out? Personally, I don't enjoy eating out. It's costly and time-consuming. However, this doesn't mean that I don't eat out. I prefer to order-out when we do "eat out." I look for places that have plant based sources of protein (ex. tofu/tempeh/veggie burger) and I like to try new foods (or food creations). I also know that if I eat a meal that doesn't include a plant protein, that nothing bad will happen to me (except I may not be satisfied after the meal). 
   
   
9. Do you find it difficult to be an endurance athlete as a vegetarian? Being an endurance athlete is hard no matter the style of eating you choose. I feel the strategies that I use to maintain a nutritious vegetarian diet - like planning ahead and knowing how to make a balanced meal - are important skills for all endurance athletes. Because I'm always thinking/planning ahead to ensure I meet my energy needs, I feel I do a great job nourishing and fueling my body to support my endurance training. Plus, as an endurance athlete, most sport nutrition guidelines do not include meat/fish so that makes it a bit easier to fuel my body appropriately during workouts.
   
   
10. Do you ever have a cheat day or a day when you just want to eat meat? No. I've never "cheated" as a vegetarian. I don't think of my eating choices as a diet because my primary reason for not eating fish/meat is for animal reasons. I don't crave meat or miss it. 

If you are looking to adopt a more plant-based style of eating, I encourage you to pursue your own definition of what plant-based means to you and how it can be good for the environment, good for animals, good for your lifestyle and good for your health.

If you are considering transitioning to a more plant-based diet, there's no need to immediately title your diet as 'vegan' or 'vegetarian' to take advantage of the many health, ethical and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. When adopting a different style of eating, start with the mindset “less is best.” Make small changes by learning about nutritious plant-based substitutions for every animal food reduction. A slow gradual process is less extreme, it’s easier on your body and intuitively, it’s more gentle for your mind. And it's ok to try something and overtime, realize that it's not the right fit for you or need to figure out how to make it the right fit. With every new style of eating, there is a period of adaption and learning.

Starting a new style of eating (especially for health reasons) and restricting food groups or demonizing certain foods can lead to feelings of deprivation, guilt and shame - not to mention a risk for nutrient deficiencies or heightened cravings. Extremes and absolutes are never healthy. Strict and restrictive eating can run and ruin your life, health and emotional well-being. Often times, it can create disordered eating patterns. If you struggle with body image and are seeking a vegetarian/vegan diet in an effort to gain control over your eating or to change body composition, I encourage you to reach out to a sport dietitian with experience in plant-based eating and disordered eating.

To incorporate more plant-based nutrition habits into your diet, choose small changes that allow for a health-promoting and sustainable approach. Your eating choices belong to you. If you choose to reduce, minimize or avoid certain foods for ethical, medical, religious, health or personal reasons, your diet should remain simple, flexible, varied and nourishing. Your personalized style of eating is constantly evolving. Keep it practical, enjoyable and sustainable.

A vegetarian Thanksgiving (anytime recipes)

 

We started off the day with a ~3 hour bike ride on our road bikes. We left around 10am and the weather was weird - misty, grey, not too warm, not too cold. We welcomed the fresh crisp air and took in the beautiful sights of nature, farm animals and fall colors. It's incredible that after six years of living in Greenville, SC we are still discovering new routes. Although our country roads are typically pretty quiet from cars, this recent ride treated us with no more than ten cars passing us over just over 50 miles. 

After we returned home around 1:30pm, I cleaned up, had a meal and then got to work in the kitchen. While Thanksgiving food centers around traditions, I see this holiday as a way to create memories over food. And there's no better way to create positive memories than around delish food that feels just as good on the taste buds as it does in the belly. 

I wanted to share the recipes that I used to create the dishes that I prepared for Thanksgiving. These recipes are not exclusive to Thanksgiving - I encourage you to try them out and add them to your weekly menu. If you are like me and feel a bit overwhelmed and anxious with detailed recipes, I will list the ingredients below and then you can click on the recipe link when you are ready to follow the actual recipe. I find it much less cumbersome to purchase ingredients in advance and then prep those ingredients in advance, versus trying to do everything at once (shop, prep, cook all on the same day). 

Sesame Ginger Tempeh Stir Fry

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients: 

• 8oz block tempeh (I used two x 8 ounce blocks of tempeh to have leftovers.)
• 1 cup each carrot sticks and green beans
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce/coconut aminos for lower sodium+paleo (I used Tamari sauce)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Sesame seeds, green onion, white rice for serving (optional) (I used sesame seeds)

Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water (I used vegetable broth)
• 1 cup quinoa (any color), rinsed under running water in a mesh sieve for a minute and drained
• 16 ounces broccoli florets, either pre-packaged or sliced from 2 large bunches of broccoli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, omit if sensitive to spice
• 8 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided (I used brick provolone and just under 1 cup)
• 1 cup low-fat milk (cow’s milk tastes best but unsweetened plain almond milk works, too) (I used cow's milk)
• ½ tablespoon butter or 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 slice whole wheat bread (substitute gluten-free bread for a gluten-free casserole)

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Fine sea salt
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more if needed
• Scant ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• For garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or green onions (I used dried parsley) 

Vegan Apple and Pear Crumble 

RECIPE LINK

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cups pears, chopped (after peeling)  (I used 3 small Bartlett pears)
• 1 1/2 cups apples, chopped (after peeling) (I used 3 small honey crisp apples)
• 1/8 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/8 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (I used ~2 tbsp vegan butter)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped optional (I used a handful each of chopped walnuts and pecans)

My best friend. 

Campy's plate.

He's always so surprised and patient when he receives his own Thanksgiving plate. 

Happy Tummy. 

Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Whether working, running around, or training in the cold weather, there is nothing better than a bowl of soup to warm you up and thaw you out after your chilly outdoor endeavors. This Instant Pot Lentil Soup is not only healthy, hearty, and meat-free but also delicious. Leftovers reheat well. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in freezer safe mason jars. Reheat gently, adding a little extra water or broth to thin if needed, for a quick lunch or dinner meal.


Instant Pot Lentil Soup
By Joey Mock, RD, LD, CLT

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium yellow onion, small diced
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stems discarded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cups dried lentils (green or brown), rinsed
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) container fresh baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can (~26-30 ounces) crushed or finely chopped tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth*
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional for serving

Preparation

1. Add the oil to the Instant Pot. Set to SAUTE. Once the oil is warm, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften.
2. Add the carrots, celery, thyme leaves, salt, paprika, and pepper to the pot. Sauté until the carrots and celery are slightly soft.
3. Add the rinsed lentils and garlic to the pot and stir to coat them. Cook until the garlic is fragrant (less than a minute). Cancel the Saute setting on the Instant Pot.
4. Add the mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
5. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Set to cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. Pot will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure before timer begins.
6. After 15 minutes of high pressure, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally. This will take about 20 additional minutes (if in a rush, and the pressure valve has not dropped with natural release, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release by turning to vent but be careful of water splash). Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot once valve drops.
7. Stir the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan cheese if desired.

*Reduced sodium chicken broth can be substituted for a non-vegetarian option

Adapted from: Well Plated recipe.

Should you go plant-based?

Question: 
There is a lot of talk right now about going Vegan and Plant Based - and how this can improve athletes performances. Obviously with the Game Changer Documentary being a big influence on this. As a sports dietitian and vegetarian, what are your thoughts about a plant based diet for athletes? If an athlete decides to go down this route, what are some of the biggest things they should be aware of in terms of macronutrients, in particular protein?

My response:
As a 27.5 year lacto-ovo vegetarian, you'd think that I may be a strong advocate of vegetarianism/veganism and would encourage everyone to rid the diet of animal protein.

When I was around the age of 10, I returned home from school and told my parents that I had become a vegetarian. I have always loved animals/creatures and this was my way of respecting the lives of animals. I can't exactly remember the root of this decision but every since that day, I have not consumed any type of meat or fish for the past (almost) 28 years. I've learned a lot over the past few decades of how to create a nourishing and energizing diet to keep me in good health while also supporting my extremely active, endurance training and racing lifestyle.

While a plant based lifestyle is a great way of living - wonderful for health, the environment and for animals - it's not necessary that you rid the diet of all types of animal protein just because you want to optimize health, improve performance or lose weight. As a sport dietitian, I've never told an athlete to change his/her diet to plant based to become healthier/fitter.

Whenever I consult with athletes who are considering a change in the diet (ex. plant based), I always ask "why?" This is not out of judgement, but to better understand the reasoning behind the diet. If you choose to be a vegetarian/vegan for animal/environmental, ethical or religious reasons that is very different than choosing to become a vegan because you want to lose weight or you want to improve your athletic performance.

If your dietary changes start to change immediately after watching a food-related documentary, we must remember that these documentaries tend to spark discussion and make you think. There can be great takeaways to foster a healthier style of eating/living, but they can also be very one-sided and present research in a way that can be very convincing, scary, and misleading. Unfortunately, in our society, many people have an all or nothing mindset about diets and documentaries often satisfy the need of presenting "facts" as all or nothing.

If you are considering a dietary change to a more plant-based diet, here are some of my tips:

1. Plant based can mean many different thing. The first place to start is figuring out the reason behind the nutrition change as that will help drive your nutrition choices (what you choose to and not to eat). 
2. Whenever you make a new dietary change, you never want to feel guilty, depleted or anxious when eating - it's always good to have some flexibility in the beginning with your eating changes. 
3. If you consider yourself someone who has an obsessive, addictive or all-or-nothing mentality - especially with food, training or body image - you may be at risk for developing an overly restrictive and extreme diet. It's not uncommon for this perfectionist mindset to become all-consuming, leading to disordered eating habits. Prior to making any dietary change, consult with a Board Certified Sport Dietitian to ensure that you make practical changes with your diet while maintaining a healthy relationship with food (and your body). It's not uncommon for plant-based diets to become overly restrictive and energy/nutrient deficient due to labeling food as good vs. off-limit. 
4. Never make extreme changes with your eating habits - especially if you find yourself avoiding foods out of peer-pressure or because it seems like everyone is doing it. Once again, you need to have a strong reason why you are changing as you are (hopefully) committing to a new forever style of eating - not a fad diet.
5. Eliminating certain foods certainly can make room for more nutritious options - benefiting your health. But if you don't educate yourself on the possible missing links in your diet, you may risk a nutrient deficiency, low energy availability or a health issue from a restrictive style of eating. 
6. It doesn't matter if your diet is for disease prevention, athletic performance and/or weight loss. It's more about what you are eating than what you aren't eating. Because you can't 100% prevent disease, change your body composition  or 100% improve athletic performance through diet alone, don't assume that eliminating certain foods will immediately change your health/performance/weight. 
7. Think about your diet as not so much about not eating meat but focusing on eating more plants. This is why it's good to refer to your diet as "plant-based". This will benefit you grately - no matter what type of diet you adhere to. Nature intended us to eat real food - fruit, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, nuts, seeds, plant based fats, lentils, beans, rice, etc. By eating more plants, you not only bring more nutrients into your body but you help the environment, animals and our planet. 
8. If or when you choose to consume animal protein, don't be greedy or disrespectful. Enjoy, savor and appreciate your animal protein. Try to look for ways to support local companies/farmers. For example, if you do buy eggs, meat (if you choose), milk, etc. try to choose local options (nearby) or companies that use good farming and humane practices. Read about the company and their philosophy. Similar to when you buy produce, shop seasonally and look at the label and try to choose the most local option. 
9. If you are considering moving toward a more plant based diet, eating less of something can be just as healthy or healthier than eliminating all of something. By eating less dairy, eggs and meat and incorporating more plants and plant-based proteins (ex. lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh) into your diet, you'll already be on your way to improving your health, helping animals and protecting the environment.

Food for thought

• If a food does not agree with your body and it causes you health issues, that is great reason to avoid it. 
• If you enjoy a certain food and that food brings value to your health/life, that is a great reason not to avoid it.
• For every food restriction, it's important to find a nutritionally equivalent replacement (ex. if you don't drink milk, you need to find something to provide you with the calcium, protein and vitamin D that you have recently eliminated). 
• The more restrictions you put into your diet, the more difficult it can be to eat out, travel and socialize - while still meeting your energy, vitamin and mineral needs. Be kind to yourself. While you may have really good intentions to change your diet, you also need to consider quality of life and how you can successfully make your diet work for you so that it enhances your life - and doesn't control your life. 
• A dietary change should be viewed as a lifestyle change. Don't fall victim to a fad or quick fizes. Consider possible obstacles you may run into and how your life will need to change to maintain your new dietary changes to ensure that your health and performance is never compromised. 
• Whenever starting a new dietary approach, try to make your diet simple and easy to execute - this will ensure consistency and optimal health and fitness improvements. 
• A diet that doesn't have a name may just be the right diet for you. 

If you look at some of the healthiest people in the world (ex. body weight, mental health, longevity, disease prevention) who have food security (availability to food and access to it), they tend to adhere to the following type of diet:

• A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains.
• Moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, seafood and eggs.
• Minimal processed foods.
• Red meat on occassion.

As you can see, this type of diet is built around plants. It's not extreme or overly restrictive, there are no hard-core rules and you won't feel like a failure (or bad person) if you eat something on occasion.  You do need to plan ahead, enjoy (or make time for) cooking and appreciate wholesome foods - three very important components of any healthy style of eating.

As for meat analogues (ex. Beyond Burger, veggie "meat", etc.), I like to see these foods more as a treat or out of convenience. Some people view "fake" meats as a replacement to meat - wanting to fulfill a void or have a similar texture/taste.There are many wonderful real food, plant-protein options that are not created in a factory - like tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, beans. They include real ingredients, that exist real in nature. While it's ok to occassionally include them in your diet, I don't feel these meat substitues should make up a large part of a plant based diet as they are heavily processed. So like any processed food, enjoy on occasion. Once again, plant based meals should emphasize plants - real food, made in nature.

When looking up information on vegetarianism, there can often be a hidden agenda or degree of bias with information. Be careful of blogs or websites that are not owned (or written) by Registered Dietitian (to oversee factual and practice nutrition advice). I suggest to start your research with professional organizations and consider looking into Blue Zones and Mediterrean diets for more inspiration on healthy living practices and recipes.

As a takeaway, healthy living, disease prevention, changing body composition and optimizing performance is not just about the food you eat - or choose not to eat - but how you live your life.

Sesame Honey Tempeh with Wild Rice

Picture source

As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, Tempeh is one of my favorite, go-to plant-based protein sources. An Indonesian staple, tempeh is a cultured food that makes for a protein-rich plant based meal. Unlike tofu, tempeh is dry and densely compact, which makes it great for marinating, crumbling or grilling.

And denser than tofu, is is also more concentrated in calories and nutrients. For example, a 3-ounce serving of cooked tempeh (~1/2 cup) contains ~166 calories, 10g fat and 17g protein. In a 3-ounce serving of firm tofu, you will find ~53 calories, 2.3g fat and ~6g protein.

Tempeh is also a good source of iron (4.5 mg in 1 cup) and a complete plant protein providing all nine essential amino acids. Although tempeh does contain probiotics, the short fermentation period and cooking decreases the lifespan of the beneficial live bacteria.

The process of making tempeh involves fermenting cooked soybeans and binding them together when exposed to a mold culture from the Rhizopus genus. Unlike anaerobic fermentation, tempeh requires a warm, oxygen-rich environment and can ferment within 24 hours. Because tempeh is an unsalted, perishable and commercially produced food, it should be cooked to 165 degrees F before eating.

Most of the information above was found in the Sept/October 2019 issue of FoodandNutrition.org magazine (Pg. 27). 

Although tempeh can be easily prepared by crumbling it into warm olive oil and cooking on a skillet, try out this delicious tempeh recipe from my book Essential Sports Nutrition.

Sesame Honey Tempeh with Wild Rice 

Yield: 4 servings 

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Tempeh is made from cooked, whole soybeans that are fermented into a firm, dense patty. It’s considered a staple in vegetarian and vegan diets. Although the food may look a little strange, this minimally processed food brings a nutty, chewy and “meaty” flavor to your dishes and also does a great job of absorbing other flavors. This makes it excellent dish to refuel your energy storage, boost your immune system, and to speed muscle healing.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked wild rice
2 (8-ounce packages) of tempeh, crumbled into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Optional: leafy greens and scallions

Directions

1. In medium bowl combine the sesame oil, honey, tamari sauce, water and cornstarch and mix thoroughly.
2. At the crumpled tempeh to the bowl of wet ingredients. Toss until evenly coated.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
4. Add tempeh to skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Toss every few minutes to prevent burning.
5. Over a bed of greens, top with 1 cup wild rice and 1/2 cup tempeh mixture. Garnish with scallions.

Tempeh Tip:
Look for tempeh in the refrigerated section near the tofu or meat-alternative foods at the grocery or natural food store. Don’t be put off by its appearance. Tempeh is a fermented soy product, so you may see a few black spots with white stuff in between. Technically that is mold, but it’s entirely normal and perfectly edible. If you can’t get past the mold, just cut it off. However, if tempeh is slimy, sticky, or smells sour, throw it out. To make this recipe vegan, use apple honey.

My Go-To Vegetable Curry Recipe

When writing my first book Essential Sports Nutrition, I wanted to include some type of recipe that was easy to prepare but also flavorful, nutritious and satisfying for athletes. On page 151 of the book, I created a delicious Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Quinoa Curry dish - packed with spices and veggies.
Inspired by this dish, I recently found myself in the kitchen - being creative as always - and created a similiar recipe but with root vegetables (perfect for the winter) and lentils (rich in plant protein, along with calcium, iron, folate and potassium). Depending on what veggies you like (or what you have on hand), you can also be creative with this recipe. I hope you enjoy my new favorite go-to vegetable curry dish. This recipe is sure to leave your taste buds happy, while feeling satisfied and thankful for such delicious food in your belly.

Marni's Go-To Vegetable Curry Recipe

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• Olive Oil (2-3 tsp)
• 1 can lite coconut milk + water
• 3 large potatoes, chopped (skin removed) - you can use any type of potatoe (I used Russet)
• 1 cup lentils
• 1/2 medium onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
• Your choice veggies (I used 2 large carrots, 2 large parsnips, handful mushrooms, and celery root) - chop all veggies - you can keep chunk-size or diced (or anything between).
• Pinch of salt and pepper (optional chili powder for a kick)
• 1/2 tsp of each seasoning: Cumin, tumeric, paprika, curry.

Directions

1. Set stovetop to medium heat. In a large pot, drizzle olive oil on the bottom and sautee onions and garlic until golden brown. 
2. Add coconut milk and water (I filled the empty coconut milk can with water and then added that water to the pot). 
3. Stir in veggies, lentils, potatoes and seasonings. 
4. Reduce heat to low and let the stew cook for 25-30 minutes. Stir every 8-10 minutes. 
5. The mixture will become thick and creamy looking and your kitchen will smel extra yummy. Continue to stir and cook until veggies and potatoes are soft. 
6. You can serve with your choice of protein or eat as is - this dish is very filling and satisfying. 
7. Enjoy! 

Brussels sprouts, apple and pomegranate salad

Picture from Smitten Kitchen

I was in charge of providing the "vegetable" dish at our Thanksgiving day meal. I recently came across a beautiful picture on a friend's social media page with the recipe titled "Brussels sprouts, apple and pomegranate salad." I quickly bookmarked the recipe as I knew it would be a nutritious and flavorful dish, providing a pop of color to the Thanksgiving day table.

While the dish was well-received, I failed in snapping a picture of my final dish. So that is why I have the picture from the actual recipe featured above. Well, I did capture this picture of Campy at the head of the table where you can also see my dish.

I hope you enjoy my modification to the dish (for the actual recipe, click on this Smitten Kitchen link.). To help save time, I recommend to purchase your Brussels Sprouts already chopped and to buy a container of pomegrante seeds. This dish took me a while to make but it was worth it. But next time around, I'd consider going with a few short-cuts. :-)

Ingredients

• 1/2 large red onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups brussels sprouts (shredded)
• 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (a large one)
• 1 large Honeycrisp apple (chopped)
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Make the pickled onions: Combine red onion, wine vinegar, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Combine brussels sprouts, pomegranta seeds and apple together in a large bowl. Toss with the pickling liquid. 
3. Combin lemon, honey and olive oil in a small bowl (or mason jar), give a shake and pour on salad (to your liking) when ready to eat/serve. 
4. Enjoy!

In Case You Missed It!

GIRLS GONE STRONG - Fueling the vegetarian athlete

Choosing to eliminate meat from the diet is a lifestyle that many individuals and athletes choose to make for reasons other than what’s hot, new, or popular. Because it is a lifestyle, it requires commitment and knowledge to make the diet work for personal health and performance goals.

A few years ago, I wrote an article for Girls Gone Strong which received a lot of attention for it's a common struggle for strength or endurance athletes to find the right formula to boost performance while following a plant-strong diet. This article is not persuading you to become a vegetarian athlete to boost performance, nor is it telling you that your health and performance will automatically improve should you choose to remove meat from your diet. 

This article is simply an informative way to help you understand how to eat to be a healthy endurance athlete if you choose vegetarianism.

All endurance athletes must understand the importance of consuming a balanced, wholesome diet and this article will clear up any confusion you may have in regard to how to nourish your body as you fuel for performance. But, even for the omnivorous endurance athlete reading this article, hopefully you can use the following information to fill in any nutritional gaps that may be keeping you from reaching your full fitness potential.

GIRLS GONE STRONG - Fueling the vegetarian athlete

                                   RUN TO THE FINISH - Debunking Nutrition Fads

Despite quality research and advancements in nutrition science, nutrition myths don't seem to be going anywhere. If you have been confused about dietary fads like working out on an empty stomach, all the keto chatter and excelling as a vegetarian athlete, click on the link from RunToTheFinish where I discuss a few popular nutrition trends that may be destroying your health and training. 

RUN TO THE FINISH - Debunking Nutrition Fads

The Ultimate Homemade Meatless Black Bean Burger

In our latest free weekly newsletter, we gave the spotlight to the underappreciated veggie burger. To read the newsletter click HERE. To subscribe, click HERE.

I have to give all credit to my assistant and friend Joey Mock RD, LD, CLT for giving so much energy to making this delicious veggie burger. It was certainly a labor of love but after one bite, it was well worth the time. If you are ready to make the most delicious homemade meatless burger you have ever tasted, here's the recipe.

The Ultimate Meatless Black Bean Burger (a labor of love) By Joey Mock, RD, LD, CLT This restaurant quality meaty Meatless Black Bean Burger recipe is mouthwatering deliciousness. From the flavor to the texture, you may even find that the beef eaters in your life refrain from asking “where’s the beef?” when sinking their teeth into this burger. To give you a heads-up, this recipe is quite the labor of love to prepare however, with a little planning and batch preparation, it is well worth the effort. The recipe makes 6 meal sized burgers. To make your efforts worthwhile, I would suggest making a double (or even triple) batch and freezing the extra patties for later use. Other time saving tips: purchase pre-shredded/sliced/minced ingredients like mushrooms, cheese, and garlic (or shred, slice, chop, grate, or mince ingredients ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use); roast your tofu, mushrooms, beans, and beets ahead of time (maybe even incorporate extras to have as a side for another meal and then use the leftovers in this recipe); and cook extra brown rice at another meal and refrigerate the leftovers to use in this recipe. Ingredients 7 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces fresh mushrooms (white or portobello), washed, trimmed and sliced ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt Freshly grated black pepper, to taste 1 (~15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 medium to large sized beet, peeled and coarsely grated ¾ cup almonds ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs ⅓ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce 2 green onions, sliced 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¾  teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup cooked brown rice   Preparation Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice tofu into ¼-inch thick slabs and pat dry with paper towel. Brush both sides of tofu with olive oil and arrange on one half of a rimmed baking sheet. Spread mushrooms on the other half of the baking sheet and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper. On a second rimmed baking sheet, toss beans and grated beet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread the mixture evenly on baking sheet. Transfer both baking sheets to the oven. Roast tofu and mushrooms until golden and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 22-25 minutes. Roast bean-beet mixture, tossing occasionally, until beans begin to split and beets are tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Let everything cool. Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add cooled tofu, mushrooms, bean-beet mixture, panko, cheese, eggs, mayonnaise, tamari or soy sauce, green onions, garlic, paprika, and salt. Pulse until ingredients are just combined. Pulse in rice to achieve a small chunky texture (do not overprocess to a smooth mixture). Scrape processed mixture into a bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. Divide the chilled mixture into 6 equal portions and form each portion into a patty about 1 inch thick. Return to the fridge until ready to grill or freeze the burger patties for later use. Heat a grill over medium heat. Cook burgers until they are seared on both sides and firm when you press on them, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Alternatively, you can cook these in a skillet over medium heat.

Falling for Greenville cycling (and food)

It doesn't matter the time of the year as any ride in Greenville is a great ride. However, there's something extra special about the fall season as nature has a way of keeping us smiling. 

The other day I captured this beautiful rainbow during my easy spin on the trail. It was a magnificent sight as it was so clear and perfect in the sky. 

During our 2:45 hr ride on Saturday morning, we ended up on the Doodle trail in the middle of our ride, which made for a nice EZ spin for a few miles. 

Back on the country roads with no shortage of farm animals. I always make sure to say hi to all of the horses, cows, cow puppies, goats, sheep and chickens. 

So many beautiful sights on two wheels! No photo editing needed! 

I spent a little extra time this weekend in the kitchen as I was in the mood for some sweet treats. With some spotty bananas calling my name, I put them to good use and made a loaf of delicious banana bread. I followed this recipe but only used 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1 cup. And per the request of Karel, our banana bread has raisins, chocolate chips and walnuts instead. 

In honor of Shalane's kick-butt performance at the NYC marathon, I also made sweet potato cookies (from the Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook) but used Teff flour instead of Almond flour. I also added chocolate chips because, why not?

For the last few weeks we have been joining a group swim at Furman, lead by our friend and former pro triathlete and college swimmer Kristen. The swim has been great for us as it gives us a social outlet to workout with others and it also allows us to turn off our coaching brain and just follow the prescribed set from the coach on deck. The swim is from 5-6:15pm every Sunday so in order to avoid coming home with a hungry belly and no planned meal, I always try to make dinner before we go to swim so that it's ready when we get home. On Sunday, my dish included sauteed mushrooms and onions, along with a mix of veggies (cauliflower, carrots and broccoli) and seasoned it with salt, pepper and spicy mustard, along with nutritional yeast. I tossed in some peanuts and added cooked farro and yumed my way through the bowl. 

Waffles and pancakes make me so happy so one or the other is often consumed before my morning workout. Lately, I have been enjoying a Belgium waffle topped with PB, syrup, banana slices, granola and yogurt before my longer workouts on the weekend (which is similar to what I eat on race day morning).

And.....
For your viewing entertainment, Karel made a short video with our new Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 from our Saturday morning ride to show off our amazing cycling routes with little to no car traffic (and 99% patient and nice drivers). Enjoy! 

Cauliflower-Creamed Spinach Recipe

There's something about the cooler weather that excites my appetite for new recipes. And with less time dedicated to training in the fall, I have more time to devote to cooking.

Since I don't like following recipes, I like to get inspired by the food that I have in my kitchen and then I find a recipe that will allow me to be creative with my ingredients.

After googling "spinach and cauliflower vegetarian recipe," I clicked on the first website that I came across - Seriouseats.com  I adapted the recipe just a little and the final product turned out amazingly delicious. I paired the cauliflower spinach mix with roasted potatoes, hardboiled eggs and a sprinkle of cashews. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 3 medium garlic cloves - minced
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I used this in my dish but next time, I will leave this out)
• 2 small packages frozen (and defrosted) spinach
• Salt/pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine cauliflower and milk in large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until cauliflower is tender. Blend into a puree (or mash). 
2. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When melted, add onion and garlic, stir frequently until soft but not brown. (this is where you will add nutmeg if you choose to use it - I didn't care for the taste of it in the recipe. I would have rather used cumin). 
3. Add spinach, one handful at a time. Stir and fold until spinach is wilted. 
4. Add spinach mix to cauliflower mix and stir to combine. Stir occasionally and cook until mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper. 
5. Serve with your choice starch and protein. 

One-skillet egg and potato breakfast meal

If you are a breakfast lover, you probably scratch your head when you hear that some people just don't care for breakfast. For me and Karel, we couldn't imagine functioning, let alone surviving, the day without a morning meal after our early morning workout.

Although there is great research explaining the benefits of the morning meal, breakfast can be difficult for many reasons. While lack of time or appetite rank among the top two reasons why it can be a struggle to eat first thing in the morning, I find that many individuals suffer from breakfast burnout.

Every morning it's the same thing for breakfast; eggs and toast, oatmeal, nuts and fruit or a smoothie.
While your breakfast option may be working for you, overtime you feel less inspired and motivated by breakfast and you begin to not look forward to your morning meal. But despite needing a change, every breakfast recipe that you find on the internet appears too complicated and unappealing and thus you are back to eating your same-old boring breakfast options.

If you are looking for something easy, healthy and delicious to eat for your breakfast meal, I have the perfect creation for you. While it does require the use of a microwave for heating and refrigeration if cooking in advance, your taste buds will enjoy love the combination of ingredients in this meal. And the best part, all you need is one-skillet when prepping!

Enjoy!

                               

    One-skillet egg and potato breakfast meal

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen spinach (thawed until soft)
• 1 small container pre-washed sliced mushrooms
• 1 small white onion - chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - chopped
• 3-4 small yukon gold potatoes (washed, microwaved until soft and cut into chunks)
• 4 eggs
• Salt, pepper, paprika, cumin - to taste
• Olive oil - 1-3 tbsp
• Optional: Cheese, sour cream and salsa for more flavor

Directins

1. In a large deep skillet, pre-heat to low/medium. 
2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and chopped onions. Toss and cook for 3-5 minutes, until slightly brown.
3. Reduce heat to low and add mushrooms. Toss until mushrooms become soft. 
4. Add spinach and stir to combine. Add more olive oil if/when needed. 
5. Add potatoes and season to taste. Add more olive oil if/when needed
6. Crack eggs into skillet (no need for a bowl) and scramble once all of the eggs are in the skillet. Continue to scramble for 2-3 minutes. (If you would like to make a frittata, you would scramble until the eggs become evenly distributed over the potatoes/veggies and then cover with a lid until eggs begin to rise).
7. Turn off heat. Top with cheese, salsa and sour cream before serving. 
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Eggplant lasagna with a creamy red pepper spread

It was nearing 5pm yesterday and I had no idea what I would make for dinner until I remembered that I had a big eggplant in the fridge from this weekend, from what I planned to make eggplant pizza but instead, I decided that I really needed real dough. 

Karel spent all afternoon moving our empty 75 gallon fish downstairs tank (our big Flowerhorn fish passed away a few months ago) upstairs to our bedroom, to swap it out for our 55 gallon tank.

Let's just say that our African Chichlid fishes (and our big Green Terror fish) got a nice house upgrade! They are already enjoying the room and redecorating by moving around the sand.

It took over 5 hours for Karel to get the tank ready as moving fish from one tank to another is not a project that can be rushed and you really can't stop once you start, so I figured Karel would be ready to eat when he was finished. I was hungry by the time dinner was ready so I yummed first and then when Karel was finish with the tank project, he enjoyed his dinner. 

So here is how the dinner creation went down.

With no clear direction on what I was going to make with the eggplant, I started to pull out ingredients from my kitchen. 

Ingredients

Red bell pepper 

1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 can northern beans (rinsed and drained)

Curry powder

Olive oil 

Salt

Eggplant

White onion

Nutritional yeast

Farmers cheese

Tomato sauce 

Kale

With all my ingredients on the counter, I started to get creative. Instead of dressing the eggplant with the beans, I decided to make a spread instead (which could also be used as a yummy dip). 

This dip was so easy that it inspired me to make more variations of this in the future. Especially on the higher volume workout days when my appetite for fibrous foods is low but a nice spread on bread would be super tasty (and nutritious). 

Red pepper spread

Small red bell pepper (sliced with top and inside seeds removed)

1/2 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1/2 can northern beans (rinsed and drained)

2-3 tsp Curry powder

1 tbsp Olive oil 

Salt

1. Place chickpeas and beans, along with entire red pepper (sliced/chopped), curry powder, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a food processor and blend until creamy. If needed, add a splash of water to help with mixing. You may need to use a spoon to mix if the top of the contents doesn't get mixed in. 

2. Taste the spread and add more curry and salt if needed, to your liking. 

2. Spoon into a Tupperware container. 

Now it was time to make the eggplant lasagna. 

Eggplant lasagna with a creamy red pepper spread

1 large Eggplant (sliced somewhat thinly, not too thick)

1/2 white onion (thinly sliced)

2-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

Farmers cheese

1-2 cup Tomato/marinara sauce 

Kale (about 2 cups chopped, washed, stems removed)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. In a large glass dish, spray or use olive oil to coat the bottom. 

3. Place eggplant slices on the bottom of the dish (cover bottom - it's ok if some overlap). 

4. Smear a little of the spread on each eggplant. Now top with sliced onion, handful of chopped kale, crumbled farmers cheese and a spoonful of tomato/marinara sauce over each of the eggplant slices. Top with 1-2 tbsp of nutritional yeast all over the eggplant slices. 

5. Now repeat this process: Eggplant, kale, farmers cheese, sauce, nutritional yeast. There is no wrong way to do this so layer however you wish. 

6. Try to finish with 1 layer of eggplant slices on top, topped with spread and then a spoonful of marinara. 

7. Bake for around 30-35 minutes. 

This will make leftovers if you are only feeding 1-2 people. 

Enjoy! Don't forget to yum. 

(Note: farmers cheese doesn't have a bold taste but instead, a creamy texture. If you are feeding to cheese lovers, you may want to use a more bold cheese like Parmesan or sharp cheddar. You could also broil some cheese on top. Farmers cheese is very common in Europe, thus why Karel often buys it here in the store. Another popular brand is Friendship farmers cheese, which can be found by the cream cheese). 

Weekend recap: FOOD! (recipes from Run Fast, Eat Slow cookbook)

Oh the things I do for performance gains. Good sleep, proper recovery, mobility work and eating!! Seeing that food is fuel, it should be no added extra to your day to make sure that good food gets inside your body in order to give you energy and to nourish your many working systems. Cooking should not be seen as a chore, like cleaning your bathroom or taking out the trash. Sure, it's something on your to-do list but it is a skill that should be learned and appreciated through all the years of life.

For me, I love to eat the food that I cook and I love eating the food that Karel cooks but I also love being inspired by food that is prepared by others. I really enjoying trying new creations but more than anything, I love real food. I really value where food comes from, the effort that goes into preparing a meal, the presentation of a meal and knowing the purpose of the meal (nourishment, fuel or pleasure). Cooking is a process and although it does involve time, patience and effort, there's absolutely no reason why any athlete should not enjoy cooking.

My hope is that you will make the effort to spend a bit more time in your day to cook your food. Seeing that you are so busy, try to utilize your weekend and be creative with your time during the week. Considering that you are overburdened with work, squeezing in time for training early morning or late at night (or on your lunch break) and still making time for your family, spouse/significant other and friends, it's no wonder that you feel "too busy to cook." But the truth is that you can't expect "cooking more" to just happen. It's a lifestyle habit that you have to work at and make time for. It has to be part of your day, with no excuses getting in your way.

Remember why it is important to cook. Because it's a skill that keeps your body well, it's a responsibility to your body as an athlete and when YOU are in charge of the ingredients, you are more likely to eat better and feel better. 

GINGER MOLASSES GRANOLA

Adapted from pg. 54

Not only do you save money by making your own granola but your house will smell AHHmazing when this delicious crunchiness is ready. I love adding granola to my pre-workout snack or to my yogurt. Plus, it's great for those high volume workout days when you need to pack in some nutrients with energy dense foods but you don't want to lose the nutritional value of those extra calories. Blackstrap molasses is a great source of iron for vegetarians and a great addition to the diet for athletes due to its nutritional value.

Ingredients
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (provides your body with a dose of iron, B6 and magnesium)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, seeds, raisins, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a small microwavable bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey and molasses and microwave on low until slightly melted.
4. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined. 

5. Spread out in a smooth thick layer on the baking sheet. Bake and stir every 15 minutes (I set the timer to remind me to stir every 15 minutes). Bake for 45 minutes. Granola will be moist at the end of baking but will turn crunchy. (After 45 minutes, I removed from the oven and covered with a towel and kept it out overnight and it turned nice and crunchy). 

Cranberry Orange and Chocolate Pomegranate Scones

In case you were wondering, scones will not make themselves. Karel provided me with this ground breaking information as my hint to refill our scone container as it was empty after a few days from my first batch. No surprise, Karel loved the lemon blueberry scones that I made so I decided to change things up a bit with the add-ins. I used the same Lemon Blueberry scone recipe from pg 59 of the book but instead of using lemons and blueberries I added dried cranberries (about a handful) and a splash of orange juice. For the chocolate pomegranate scones I used a handful of frozen pomegranate seeds and a handful of chocolate chips. YUM!

RECOVERY QUINOA SALAD
Pg. 99

The picture of this salad in the cookbook looked oh-so-good so I could not wait to make this dish. Karel and I were invited over to my friend's/athlete's house, Meredith for a pizza party with the Greenville Trimarnis on Saturday evening and I was told to bring something healthy. I figured this had all the ingredients for something healthy to go along with a yummy slice (or two) of pizza and a cookie from our neighbor Joey for dessert. Although this is named a recovery salad, I won't be eating this too close before or after a workout due to all the roughage in the salad but it's a filling, crisp and flavorful meal option to bump up the nutrients in your diet, perfect for lunch time. Plus, how colorful is this salad? It will definitely be a show-stopper at a party/event or when you bring your lunch to work.

Ingredients1 cup quinoa
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups loosely packed, finely chopped kale, stems removed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Jalapeno chili pepper, finely chopped, wear plastic gloves when handling (I removed this since I was bringing this to a party)

1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup lime juice (I used 1/4 cup lime juice and the rest fresh squeezed lemon juice)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 cup olive oil)
1 avocado, sliced (I didn't have a ripe avocado :(
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (it called for toasted and I used sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup grated Cotija, crumbled feta or chopped olives (I omitted the cheese since we were having lots of cheese on our pizza)

Directions1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil the quinoa, 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a large salad bowl, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool. 

2. Once cool, add the kale, red bell pepper, chile pepper, onion, cilantro, black beans, lime juice, oil and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt to the quinoa and toss to combine. Taste and add additional salt, if needed. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, top with the avocado slices, pumpkin seeds and the cheese or olives.

Weekend recap: FOOD (from Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook)

Karel and I take our eating just as seriously as our training.

In other words, without counting calories, measuring food or recording/logging what we eat, we make a conscious effort every day to use food for nourishment, disease prevention and for fuel, while timing our nutrition with our training to best adapt to training stress. We do not have an off-limit food list, we never feel deprived, stuffed or guilty when eating, processed food IS consumed and we even eat gluten, dairy and sugar.  

What a refreshing statement seeing that so many athletes struggle with developing a healthy relationship with food and the body.

Having said all this, like any human being, creating a sustainable, enjoyable and healthy style of eating is always a work on progress. A typical week of eating for me is very different than how I ate 10 years ago and how I ate when I was a teenager. Even though I have been a vegetarian for almost 25 years, my definition of "healthy" eating has changed every year and it continues to evolve based on my love of cooking and trying new food creations. 

As someone who gets inspired by food pictures but feels overwhelmed and stressed when looking at a list of ingredients and instructions to follow, I have never been one to follow a recipe in a cookbook. That is, until I was given the Run Fast Eat Slow cookbook by Trimarni athlete Adam and his wife Taylor as a gift. As a Board Certified RD, health conscious individual and 11 year endurance triathlete, I am not only enjoying reading this cookbook but following the recipes (I still tweak the recipes a bit :)

I feel like this cookbook is a game changer for any athlete who wants to eat a more real food, varied diet. Why? Because the recipes are not only delicious but the ingredients are versatile. This cookbook does not prescribe to any diet fads but instead, includes a variety of starches, grains, oils, vegetables and proteins with plenty of gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and dairy free options depending on your dietary needs. 

I am having so much fun in the kitchen with this cook book and absolutely loving incorporating even more real food into our diet. For any athlete who feels like your eating strategies are based on calories, dietary trends, isolated food groups or restriction, I feel that this book will inspire you to eat in a more nourishing way, tasting food, eating mindfully and intuitively and above all, enjoying the fruits of your labor in the kitchen. 

And above all, I encourage you to eat a more varied, real food diet and to reduce the amount of convenient and heavily processed food in your typical eating regime. Spend more time in the kitchen with yourself, your kids or your spouse.

Need some real food inspiration?

Here are a few recipes that we enjoyed this past weekend.

(Note, I copied the recipes from the book but also omitted what I did/didn't do/use and added my notes. For example, many of the recipes call for toasted nuts or coconut and I did not toast the nuts before using them in the recipe). 

Moroccan Lentil Salad with Cauliflower Couscous

Pg. 96

Ingredients: 

1 cup dried green lentils, sorted and rinsed

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3 medium carrots, peeled and grated

2 cups loosely packed chopped kale, stems removed

1/2 cup chopped pistachios or almonds

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup pitted, chopped kalamata olives (I don't care for olives so I left this out)

1 tbsp ras el hanout, Moroccan spice blend (1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp cumin + 1/4 tsp ground black pepper)

5 cups cauliflower couscous

Dressing: Maple-Dijon Apple Cider vinaigrette

Instructions: 

1. Place the lentils in medium pot, add salt and cover with 2 inches of water (my leftover tip: Double this portion of lentils). Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender, but not mushy, 25-30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. 

2. Place the carrots, kale, nuts, apricots, olives and spice in a large bowl. 

3. Add the cauliflower couscous (see recipe below) and lentils and toss until evenly combined.

4. Add 2/3rds of the dressing (see recipe below), toss and taste. Add more dressing to taste, if needed. 

5. Cover the salad and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve. 

To make cauliflower couscous (pg 156)

1 large head cauliflower (1.5-2 lbs)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Quarter the cauliflower head and cut off the individual florets. In a food processor (I use the Ninja Master Food Prep), place the florets, filling only halfway and pulse several times until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and continue with the remaining florets until all resemble couscous size granules.

2. In large skillet set over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the cauliflower, cumin, salt and pepper and cook, stirring continuously until cauliflower is soft but still crisp (about 3 minutes). 

To make Maple-Dijon Apple Cider Vinaigrette (pg 173)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 shallot, minced

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the oil, vinegar, syrup, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until emulsified.

For a creamy vinaigrette, omit the syrup and instead, add 2 tbsp tahini.

The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. If the oil solidified, briefly microwave on low until melted. 

Cashew Pesto
Pg. 67
(Original recipe was an arugula cashew pesto but since I eat so much arugula in my daily diet, I omitted the arugula and just made the cashew pesto instead. The recipe called for 2 cups tightly packed arugula)

Ingredients

1 cup cashews or walnuts (I used cashews)

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 or 2 cloves garlic (I used 2 and it was very garlicky - which we like!)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp white miso paste (I couldn't find this at the grocery so I omitted it)

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions1. In a food processor, combine the nuts, (arugula), Parmesan an garlic. Process until coarsely chopped. Add the oil, miso, lemon juice and zest. Process until desired consistency is reached.

2. Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

3. To make a sauce (thinner consistency) just add more olive oil, broth or water.

You can add this to a sandwich, wrap or pita, toss in a salad or add on top of boiled potatoes. 

Giddy-up Energy Bites
Pg. 57

Ingredients

12 large Medjool dates, pitted

1 cup dried unsweetened cherries (I used dried apricots)

1 cup raw chopped walnuts

1/4 cup unsalted almond butter

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp finely ground coffee beans

1/4 tsp fine sea salt (I use pink Himalayan salt when I cook as it contains iodine)

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut

1. In a food processor, combine the dates, cherries, walnuts, almond butter, cocoa powder, coffee and salt. Pulse a few times to chop the ingredients and then process on high speed for 1-2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beneath the blade with a spatula. Process until the ingredients clump together. 

2. Empty the contents into a medium bowl. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 24-walnut-size balls and roll each ball in the coconut (I combined the coconut into the blender and omitted this step of rolling the balls in the coconut).

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month or in freezer for 6 months. 

A great snack before an early morning workout. Just be mindful of how well (or not so well) dried fruit digests in your belly before a workout). 

Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Scones
Pg. 59 - Karel's new favorite pre-workout snack!

Ingredients1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 /2 tsp fine sea salt
1 stick (8 tbsp) cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (I used 0% Greek yogurt as it was what I had in the fridge)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup frozen blueberries

Instructions
1. Position rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. In large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it's the size of peas.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in blueberries. The dough will be thick and sticky.
5. Drop the batter in large spoonfuls onto the baking sheet in the shape of a triangle. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
Bake until lightly browns on bottoms, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. 

----------------------

Double Chocolate Teff Cookies

pg. 187 (I didn't have Teff flour so I used gluten-free all purpose flour)

These are SO good. Crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. Vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

3/4 cup teff flour  (I used GF flour)

1/2 cup almond flour

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 60% Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp fine sea salt (I used pink H. salt)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (I used canola oil)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. Add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla and stir just until combined. For a more tender cookie, cover the batter and refrigerate overnight prior to baking (I didn't do this last step - Karel was anxious to try these cookies!).

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Drop the batter by heaping tbsp 1 inch apart on the baking sheet (our cookies were a little bigger :)

5. Bake in the center of the oven until the bottoms are lightly brown. 12 minutes. Let the cookies cook for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. 

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I am excited to try out more recipes next weekend. Except for the scones - Karel is asking for more ASAP! I think this time I will change up the ingredients and make cranberry orange scones.

For now, we have a lot of leftovers to enjoy (the best part about cooking!). 

Quinoa pasta with sauteed veggies and tomato sauce

Before I share with you my latest creation, made with Supergrain Pasta Spaghetti (corn and quinoa flour), I'd like to tell you the reason why I don't label my creations as "gluten free" "Metabolically efficient" "Paleo" "Whole 30" or by any other name than what's in the recipe.

I'm on a mission to help athletes learn how to have a better relationship with food. Far too many athletes have a dysfunctional relationship with food and this can create resistance to eat enough of the right foods, at the right times to meet training demands.

Labeling, worrying or feeling guilty about food makes it quite difficult to eat according to your personal dietary needs. Combine that with issues with your body image and you will constantly struggle to meet your health and energy needs.

Of course, I find great value when a recipe is labeled gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian or vegan, as I work with many athletes who need to follow a restricted diet (ex. personal, ethical, religious, medical, etc.) and this makes ingredient deciphering much easier. And let's be honest, 99.9% of the recipes on this blog are vegetarian because I am a vegetarian, so maybe you come to this blog to see vegetarian recipes (even if I don't label them as vegetarian).

It's unfortunate, but true, that many people need permission to eat something by a diet name.
Don't believe me...... 

 
How considerate. ✓ - Paleo approved foods
Whole Foods gives you permission to eat anything on this salad bar if you follow a Paleo diet. Since I don't follow a Paleo diet, am I allowed to eat from this salad bar? Is this salad bar healthier than the other salad bar? I see carrots but am I allowed to eat paleo carrots?
What makes carrot paleo?  

Outside of the context of eating a restrictive diet, for the reasons I mentioned above, giving yourself permission to eat something simply because it doesn't fit into your "bad food" or "off limit" category is no way to foster a healthy relationship with food.

Take this quinoa pasta as an example. 

If I titled my recipe "Gluten free pasta with sauteed veggies and tomato sauce" would you suddenly assume that I am endorsing this pasta as a more healthy option than the regular alternative?
What's makes it healthier if the calories, carbohydrates and protein content is relatively similar?
Because it's made from quinoa?



What about this pancake mix? Is it healthier because it's gluten free?

If Quinoa is on your good food list and gluten is on your bad food list, and you have no allergies or intolerance's to gluten, you are have created a list of bad foods, which limits your ability to eat a varied diet.

So does this strategy of eating according to a good food vs. bad food list work when it comes to improving your health or performance as an athletes?

In your quest to improving your relationship with food, unfortunately no, it doesn't help.

When you select foods simply based on a diet trend, you are learning to eat per food rules and not according to your own needs. A diet doesn't understand your physical needs and many times, a diet leaves a void in your life as it pertains to eating for pleasure. And with constant restriction comes the risk for overindulging.

With rules comes guilt if you break those rules.
With a diet, you create a style of eating that can not be broken, or else it causes frustration, anxiety, fear and failure.

It's time to stop the diet mentality.
I give your permission to eat without food rules.

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So why did I select this quinoa pasta over regular pasta?
Well, why not? Isn't it fun to try new foods, made with different ingredients, to excite the taste buds and to make your tummy happy? 

Quinoa pasta with sauteed veggies and tomato sauce

1 box quinoa pasta (or pasta of your choice)
Water, salt, oil for cooking pasta
1 small can tomato paste w/ garlic, oregano and basil (or add your own herbs)
1 medium yellow bell pepper (chopped)
1 small white onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
Olive oil

Cheese

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. 

2. While pasta is cooking, sautee chopped pepper and sliced onion and chopped garlic in skillet with olive oil on medium heat.
3. When veggies soften after a few minutes (toss frequently to evenly coat), add 1 can tomato pasta + 1 can water. Cover the veggies in the tomato paste.
You can also use tomato/marinara sauce.
.4. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse under cold water. Reheat in microwave if necessary to bring pasta to your preferred temperature.
5. Dress your plate with pasta along with veggie filled sauce and top with shredded cheese.
Enjoy and don't forget to yum!

2016 Thanksgiving recap

With family, friends and food, I can't complain.

Our 2016 Thanksgiving was a great success and we hope you had a lovely holiday.

It's hard to believe that we are just days away from December which means that time is flying.
It's very common to count down days and rush the week but let's remember to always make the most out of every day. Life moves quickly!
Can you believe it's almost 2017????



We started off our Thanksgiving morning in downtown Greenville. We had a few Trimarnis racing the Trees Greenville 8K, including Karel and thousands of other runners. I just love seeing our Main street packed with active minded individuals and I just love how our community supports physical activity.
I passed on the race for no reason other than I didn't want to trash my legs with a hard, short effort as I am trying to be as consistent as possible with my running in this foundation phase. There will be plenty of hard efforts to come in the next few months.

So, I let speedy legs Karel battle it out with the young runners for 8 kilometers on a rolling hill course. 

Clearly, Karel is not slowing down with age but instead, he's getting faster! 

Great work Lukas an Thomas!



Any my hard working training partner Meredith. 

It wouldn't be like me to just sit on the sidelines and watch so I ran a few miles with Meredith and then waited for Karel to finish. With our warm-up and cool down, we ended up with around 9 miles, which was a great start to the day.

We returned home around 11am and enjoyed a late breakfast (eggs with leafy greens, cheese and tomatoes and 2 slices of fresh bread topped with butter and jam) and then got to cooking.

Karel made his Czech inspired purple cabbage dish  and I prepared a new recipe (which is very unlike me to actually follow a recipe!) which was actually very delish.

For anyone who has yet to appreciate the taste of raw Brussels Sprouts, I think you will enjoy this recipe.

Lemonly Brussels Sprouts Recipe HERE

After we prepared our dishes, my cousin Orin and I (and Campy) walked over to my mom's house (1 mile away) to hang out for a bit before our Thanksgiving feast was served around 4:30pm. Karel was so exhausted from his 29 minute effort that he had to rest for a little bit before joining the fam (apparently he was not feeling 20-ish years old like his competition after the race)

Our good friends/neighbors Joey and Tim joined us for dinner and it was a fantastic feast, filled with so much yummy food.
Yay for carbs (Karel and I are big fans!)

Campy was a great help in the kitchen as he kept the floor extra clean whenever anyone "accidentally" dropped something  on the floor.

Karel's plate included a little of everything (even sweet potatoes, which he usually doesn't like but Joey made an extra sweet dish with brown sugar pecan crumbles on top - what's not to love about that???).

With this being my 23rd Thanksgiving as a Vegetarian, I change up my Thanksgiving protein every now and then. I avoid the Tofurky and any factory made proteins and instead, just stick to real food options. This year, I did cottage cheese topped with cranberries - pretty good!

(I'm grateful to my family for always making stuffing out of the bird for me to enjoy, in addition to stuffing for the meat eaters).

We continued the tradition of Campy having his own Tday plate, filled with Turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and a few pieces of bread from the stuffing.

This is a lot of food for my 12-lb furry child!

So good that Campy napped with a happy tummy all evening.

And for dessert, Pumpkin and Rhubarb pie from a local bakery in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (my aunt brought them for us to yum over).

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Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is behind you, you still have the rest of the holiday season to tempt you with delicious and yummy food that is hard to resist.

A quick fix of skipping meals, avoiding carbohydrates, extreme exercise to burn calories, not eating fat, replacing meals with caffeinated energy drinks, taking weight loss pills/supplements or any other method to quickly regain control over your diet to offset overeating WILL NOT WORK!

Remember, results take time. Much more time than a few days of extreme changes.

But guess what?
You can still reach your body composition/weight goals and enjoy the holiday eats and treats! 

When your eating strategies are extreme, it will affect your overall quality of life, relationships with others, your energy/performance and/or your health. 

Stop the cycle of restricting and dieting after overeating.
Be ok with the occasional indulgences and oversized portions.

If you want to lose weight or change your body composition, you need to allow for weeks, if not months, to allow for slow, steady and sustainable change so that health is not compromised and so that you can be consistent with your training.
A few days of "off" eating won't affect your long term goals.
Consider what you do between those occasional days, as that is what helps you move closer to your health and performance goals. 

Need help to keep a healthy relationship with food and the body over the holiday season?
Let's work together.
Trimarni nutrition services

Nutrient-packed stuffed peppers

Hopefully your mouth is watering just looking this picture because it's hard for me to describe the deliciousness of these stuffed peppers. 

Peppers are nutritional powerhouses. They are excellent sources of vitamin A, C and B6 and potassium and a good source of folic acid and fiber. One large pepper has 33 calories, 287 mg of potassium, 2.8g of fiber and 1.4g protein.
Every time you eat a pepper, you are filling your body with phytochemicals, antioxidants and they help reduce inflammation with their anti-inflammatory benefits.
They also give a great flavor to both raw and cooked dishes.
Fruits and veggies in general are great for the immune system.

For athletes, opting for cooked veggies at dinner (versus raw, which would be ideal at lunch) can help with digestion so that you aren't expending a huge amount of energy trying to digest a lot of roughage after an evening workout or late at night before you go to bed (and wake-up for an early morning workout).
Plus, cooking veggies will allow you to eat a lot more variety and volume in one sitting versus raw.
(Although Karel's raw chopped salad that he made the other day packed a lot of ingredients!)

Cooking produce is shown to reduce the vitamin and mineral content, but you shouldn't avoid eating cooked veggies just because of this statement. Compared to other foods, vegetables pack a lot of great nutrients so even if some of those nutrients are destroyed in cooking, you are still providing your body with more nutrients than if you didn't eat veggies or opted for something more unnatural or heavily processed. Also, in terms of steaming and boiling some veggies like tomatoes and carrots, you may end up with more vitamins and minerals than if consumed raw.

Consider making my delicious stuffed peppers for dinner and be sure to plan for leftovers. Enjoy your extra stuffed pepper (chopped up) in a homemade soup or in an egg scramble for breakfast the next day. 

STUFFED PEPPERS

Ingredients(for 2 people)

Red pepper (1 per person - or plan 1 more for leftovers)
Zucchini - 1 large
Mushrooms (1 large container - sliced)
Garlic (2 large cloves - more if you love garlic)
Onion - 1 small (chopped)
Eggplant - 1 small/medium (cubed)
Barley - or grain/rice of your choice - cooked
Olive oil - 1+ tbsp (as needed)
Protein - chicken or ground beef or tempeh, edamame, crumbled tofu or vegetarian "meat" crumbles

Salt/pepper
Marinara Sauce - 1 jar (or you can make your own with basil and chopped roasted canned tomatoes)
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. While oven is heating, cook zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, onion and eggplant in a skillet with olive oil until soft. Cook on medium to low heat. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. You can also add any other herbs/spices that you like.
(Your grain/rice should already be cooked at this time)
3. Use a knife to remove the top of the pepper and remove any seeds from the inside. Use a spoon to scoop the inside to make room for your stuffing.
(If you accidentally slice your pepper open so you can't stuff it - don't stress. I've done this before. Just chop your pepper and make a stir-fry dish and try again when you have more peppers :)
4. Pour your marinara sauce in a casserole dish which is large enough to hold your peppers. Fill about 1/4-1/3 with sauce. Add cooked grain/rice to the sauce and stir to combine. This will be your "stew" to enjoy with your pepper.
5. Place your pepper in the stew.
6. From the stew, spoon 2-3 spoonfuls into your pepper just to fill the bottom of the pepper. Now take your veggie mixture from the skillet and stuff your pepper as much as possible - it's ok if it overflows.
7. Add the extra veggie mixture to the casserole stew and cook for 40-50 minutes. 

8. Remove pepper from oven, top with cheese. Serve with your choice of protein (you can also add your protein to the inside of the pepper or in the stew)
9. Yum!

Rice and veggie bowl

                                  

We ate a lot during the two weeks that we were in Florida for our training camp in Clermont + another week in Jacksonville for RETUL fits (Karel) and I spoke to the Delafina Women Cycling club.

Despite eating a lot of food, no meal left us feeling bad, stuffed, bloated or guilty as we always eat with good intentions and have a great relationship with food.
(even when Karel eats his frozen chocolate "recovery bar" - inside joke, ask us about it when you see us in person :)

 During our trip, we had a nice combination of food prepared at home (well, our homes away from home) and a few inspiring meals from restaurants.

After our Clermont training camp, we spent a week in Jacksonville, FL (where we use to live from 2008-2014 and stayed with our friend Shawn B. and his family.



On Thursday evening (3/24), Karel, Shawn and I left the house around 5pm and met up with our friends Lauren and Jen. Karel, Shawn and a few others joined the Thurs night group ride in Nocatee and Lauren, Jen and I headed to A1A for 2 x 30 min intervals w/ 5 min EZ in between (GIRL POWER!).

After my 2:20 ride, I enjoyed 20 minutes of flat road running off the bike around Atlantic Beach before Karel and Shawn arrived home from their ride. 

After Karel and I had our recovery drink (milk and whey protein), we enjoyed dinner with Shawn and his family.
Andy did the prep, Shawn did the final touches and we all did the eating.

And when I say enjoy, I mean I could not stop yumming!!
This dish was so absolutely yummingly delicious!
(yummingly delicious is my new word)

I just loved the flavors of this multi-ingredient dish that I could not wait to share it with you.

Rice and veggie bowl
Rice - jasmine or basmati (you could also do a whole grain of your choice)
Baked cauliflower and sweet potatoes - with turmeric and cumin
Sliced avocado
Chopped dates
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
Chopped cashews
Cilantro 

1. Toss cauliflower and sweet potato in olive oil and season with turmeric and cumin. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes (or until golden brown)

2. Combine cooked rice and the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. Be creative with your layering!
3. Yum!

Fueling the vegetarian athlete

Fueling the Vegetarian Athlete – nail the basics

In the current (May) issue of Triathlete Magazine (pg 64), I discuss some of the important considerations in fueling the vegetarian athlete.

This month I am celebrating 24-years of being a vegetarian (lacto-ovo).
In the month of April, when I was 10 years old, I came home from school one day and told my parents that I didn't want to eat animals anymore. I've always loved animals and even at a young age, it was my love for animals that prompted me to be a vegetarian.
I'm pretty sure I didn't call myself a vegetarian in my early years as that word wasn't part of my vocabulary but instead I just told people "I don't eat meat".
My diet has evolved over the past two decades, especially as I learned more about nutrition and sport nutrition.

But in all reality, my diet is no different than yours except for that I don't eat meat or fish.
I'm assuming you eat a lot of plants too, right?


Even though my diet has a name, there's no reason why athletes should shun away from plant-strong eating because the word"plant strong" does not mean "don't eat meat."


Regardless of what you name your diet, all athletes will benefit from a more real food (foods originating from a farm or garden, not made in a factory) diet.

However, for the vegetarian athlete (or the athlete who eats little to no meat or fish), I hope you find my Triathlete article helpful.
A few plant-strong, vegetarian takeaways.
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• Well-planned vegetarian diets can be very healthy and performance-enhancing but going meat-free doesn’t guarantee better health or podium-worthy finishes.
  
• Carnivorous or plant-eating, a poorly planned diet can make you feel lethargic, sick and weak, especially if you are not eating enough to meet your energy and nutrient needs.
  
• Relying too heavily on meat-free processed food, only eating fruits and veggies, consuming an excessive amount of carbs, consuming an inadequate intake of plant strong protein and consuming too little healthy fats, are reasons why athletes who go "meat free" often fail to meet nutritional requirements (or struggle with constant hunger or poor energy).
  
• As for the vegetarian protein debate, if adequate energy and an assortment of plant foods, rich in essential amino acids, are consumed throughout the day, physiologically processes shouldn’t be compromised in a plant-based diet.
  
• Vegetarian athletes should make an extra effort to consume nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, omega-3, vitamin D, B12 and niacin, particularly if the diet is lacking in food variety. Understanding that many essential nutrients are required in the countless metabolic pathways that support a body in motion, a chronic nutrient deficiency (or absorption issue) may result in health and/or performance complications.
  
• Although a real-food approach should be prioritized over nutrients found in a pill or powder, supplements and engineered fortified foods are an option to protect against (or to fix) a nutrient deficiency.
  
• Considering that plant-strong diets are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber which are beneficial for blood sugar control (among many other health benefits), athletes should be mindful that if the diet is lacking in sufficient fat and protein at meal time, athletes can risk overeating due to constant hunger pains from too much nutrient-dense volume (or too many carbs) but not enough long-lasting energy.
  
• Speaking of fiber, athletes will benefit from limiting high fiber foods close to workouts and race day due to possible GI distress and discomforting digestion issues (ex. stomach cramps, diarrhea, bloating, gas) from too much residue in the gut.
  
• As for long workout days when calorie expenditure is at its highest (and “reward” carb-heavy junk food is often anticipated), it’s important to be mindful of healthy lower-fiber carbohydrates (ex. rice, potatoes, juice, honey, syrup, watery fruits) which can help with quickly replenishing glycogen stores and meeting energy needs, without promoting uncomfortable fullness, while offering beneficial nutrients to your depleted body.
  
• Whereas most American’s have an increasing obsession with meat consumption, there are many countries in this world that thrive off a mostly plant-based diet and live a long, healthy and active life. Therefore, it is inaccurate to view a vegetarian diet as “restrictive” because in America, we don’t really have a traditional American diet as a “healthy” reference.
  
• Because athlete lab results may contrast with “normal” population ranges, consider periodic blood testing throughout your season and correlate lab numbers with how you feel and retest every 4-6 months (starting in early season) for a personalized reference range. For plant-based athletes, the following blood tests are recommended:
  CBC, CMP, ferritin, folic acid, homocysteine, iron (total and TIBC), lipid profile, vitamin B12, Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy.
  Supplementation may be necessary but not without prior testing to confirm a deficiency.