Vegetarian Athletes

A lot of people look at this option as an impossibility. Well they are wrong! It is completely possible if not more beneficial than the traditional American diet. Let me explain why and how you can take advantage of this kind of diet if you so choose.

The vegetarian diet's rules are simple: no meat. Dairy is still fine, and some even go so far as eating just fish (pescatarian) or eating meat very rarely 1-2 meals per week (flexitarian). This diet forces the athlete or person to eat many low fat items like vegetables, fruits, pasta, rice, bread, etc. Because of this, this diet is high in fiber and phytochemicals (components in fruits/veggies that contribute to good health) and low in total fat and cholesterol. Choosing this diet can be very difficult, especially for athletes who are trying to get many calories each day. Also getting the required amounts of nutrients like protein and vitamin B12 can be a problem.

Here's some problems: a lot of vegetarians like this style of eating saying it helps them keep slim. What's not cool to do when vegetarian is to load up on the starches and the cheeses. French fries and cheese sandwiches are not the way to go everyday with this diet. This just adds tons of saturated fats and total fats. You'll actually find that the diet with meat can be healthier in this case. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the protein sources in this diet are going to be lower in overall protein content than their meat counterpart. Tofu and other soy foods all have lower protein contents than meat.

Now, the way to go about this diet with athletes is watching your complementary proteins. All foods have proteins at some level in them. The problem is that these proteins are "incomplete" and need other proteins in other foods in order to be completely utilized by the body. Let me explain. Inside each food are amino acids, which is what proteins are made of. There are a total of 22 amino acids used in the body and only 13 of them can be made within the human body. Therefore the other 9 need to be supplied through your diet. A complete protein has all these essential amino acids (the 9 needed). Complementary proteins together have the 9! So when looking to have a protein packed vegetarian meal, keep in mind complementary proteins:

• grains plus beans or legumes: rice and beans, peanut butter sandwich, tofu and rice, cornbread and chili
• legumes plus seeds: hummus, tofu with sesame seeds, lima beans and slivered almonds
• adding dairy: side of milk, sprinkled low fat cheese, yogurt

Dairy is a big saver for vegetarians, but not for vegans. Vegans don't touch anything associated to the animal. They need to pay even closer attention to these kind of proteins and jam pack their diet with nuts, seeds, legumes, and soy in order to get their dietary needs. This group of people also need to look at zinc, iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and riboflavin because it is easily to lack these micronutrients. Vegetarians need to mostly look at zinc and iron as these are mostly in meats. Either search for foods high in these vitamins and minerals or find a supplement that is satisfactory!

A final note on all these veggie talk. Never remove a food from your diet. Always replace it. If you are going to try this vegetarian route, do not just omit meat. Replace that meat in your meal with any suggestion from above! Look online for replacements! Try something new!