Vegetarian (mostly) getting into intense exercise

thomaszabel

I've lost about 50 pounds over the last year and a half. Part of it is thanks to MFP. Part of it is I have gone mostly vegetarian. (I have a can of tuna or some chicken a few times per week). But over the last few months, I've joined a gym and been biking and running. I am getting in 1-2 hours of jogging and biking each day, and preparing for my first half marathon in about 5 months.

My question is how I can make sure I'm getting the necessary nutrients to support my exercise. Specifically protein, but there may be other things necessary to help my body recover after a workout.

Obviously protein comes from animal products like meat and eggs. I've seen protein powder at stores, and it's fairly expensive. Anyone out there vegetarians, and able to manage enough food and nutrients to support a really active workout regime?

orchiid2

First of all, congrats on preparing for your first half! You can absolutely get enough protein and other nutrients on a vegetarian diet while training for an endurance event, and I argue that eating less meat and more fruits, veggies and whole grains supports a quicker recovery so you can train more/longer.

That being said, vegetarian sources of protein including dairy and egg products, legumes (beans, lentils, etc.), nuts and seeds can all be incorporated into an athlete's diet to meet the individual's dietary needs.

I train/work out about 5-6 times a week on a mostly plant-based diet (vegetarian with very little dairy) and I think I do quite well. I do use a protein powder in my morning smoothie, but that's mostly for convenience - I'm a grad student with very little time to cook!

Check out a few of the resources below for fueling the plant-based athlete:

http://thriveforward.com/
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/
http://scottjurek.com/eatandrun/