I get a lot of questions regarding what I eat.
After doing a considerable amount of research, along with reading Eat and Run followed by The China Study, I decided to give a plant-based way of eating a try for 30 days as a little experiment…3.5 years later the “experiment” continues 🙂
I’m not super hardcore when it comes to ensuring I only eat plants. If I’m at a restaurant and forget to order something without cheese on it, I won’t send it back or pick off every piece. I also don’t expect others to cook for me if we are coming over, etc. I always get by!
To me it’s more of a “big picture” approach – a little here and there is not going to stress me out. However, I do stay away from all meat, aside from the occasional salmon if it’s around (maybe 3-4 times per year).
Please note: I think everyone is entitled to eat the way they want. I will only present how I eat after doing a good amount of research and wanting to see how I would feel, both in life and as it pertains to my running/recovery.
Here’s a look at what a “typical” day consists of –
Breakfast
Smoothie -or-
Pro Bar (many different flavors, but this is my favorite)
Smoothie recipe:
-Unsweetened almond milk
-Plain almond milk yogurt (½ container)
-Dash of turmeric
-Frozen berry blend (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, & wild blueberries)
-Banana
-Water (as needed for consistency)
Mid-Morning Snack
Banana or apple with peanut butter
Cup of tea
Lunch
As much as possible I’ll have leftovers from dinner the night before, otherwise I’ll throw together something like this:
-Hummus with carrots or crackers
-Fruit (banana, apple, berries)
Dinner
We have done boxed dinner services in the past and just started giving Purple Carrot a try a couple weeks ago…the meals are delicious! Plus, they are all plant-based, so no worrying about ingredients for me 🙂 (The Duluth Runner is not affiliated with Purple Carrot in any way, other than buying their meals. This site does not get paid if you click and/or sign up for their delivery service.)
We have found that we actually spend less money on groceries each month with these services. They provide the exact amount needed to make the meals so there is no wasted food due to only needing ½ of an ingredient. Grocery store trips are simply to re-supply smaller staples (milk, bananas, frozen fruit, etc.).
Another benefit to doing this, especially with 2 (soon to be 3) little ones at home – there is no need to plan out meals/ingredient lists. They just show up every Wednesday! And all materials are recyclable, which is an added bonus (could not say the same about other services we tried in the past).
Dessert
If I’m in the mood – and let’s face it, I always am – I’ll grab some frozen mango chunks, or make this chocolate ice cream recipe (I add a little almond milk to help everything blend together smoothly).
Summary
I feel INCREDIBLE eating mainly plants. After the first 10 days of my original month-long experiment back in 2015 I knew I would not be going back to my previous ways.
I would certainly go about it differently though, especially in regards to my family. I’m the type of person that can make a decision and more-or-less flip a switch and go “cold turkey.” This could be considered radical, and with such a sudden shift, the transition was much harder on my family than it needed to be.
If I were single it would have been easy – no one else involved. But that was not my situation and I failed to properly take into account my family on this one. A better approach would have been to bring it up to my wife and come up with a plan TOGETHER vs. how I went about it (“Hey hun, I’m done with meat and dairy.” -This was also in the middle of her being pregnant. Yep, like I said, could have used a better approach!).
With regards to running, the benefits are amazing. Eating this way significantly reduces inflammation and speeds recovery, both are aspects I notice – especially after a long run (2+ hours). I also don’t get the gut bombs and feeling of extreme laziness following a steak or too much tater tot hotdish.
I’m not perfect about sticking to no dairy, but overall I would say 95%+ of my daily calories come from plants. This approach has made it easier on both me and my family.
If you are even half-way considering giving a plant-based way of eating a try, keep in mind, it doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing approach. There are no rules, so you can decide what works for you. If you want to try eating this way 3 days a week, go for it! Or any other combination you can think of. Be creative!
So there you you have it! That’s what a typical day of eating looks like for me. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out with a direct message via Facebook or Instagram, or fill out the form on our Contact page.
Photo by Shawn Fields on Unsplash