What Vegan and Plant-Based Athletes Eat to Stay Ultra-Jacked

4. Cam Awesome, amateur boxer

Diet focus: “Vegan does not mean healthy—plant-based is what’s healthy. I try to stay away from all processed foods and avoid adding sugar, oil, or salt when I cook. I don’t count much, like calories or macros; instead, I understand my body and consciously monitor my intake rather than rely on measuring cups. After a workout—typically strength and conditioning in the morning and shadowboxing at night—I know if my body requires extra calories, protein, carbs, etc. Your body is an efficient machine and attains its necessary nutrition from whole foods.”

Breakfast: Oatmeal with banana and peanut butter

Snack (post-workout): Garden of Life protein shake

Lunch: Chipotle sofritas with brown rice, veggies, and black beans

Snack: Banana and peanut butter

Dinner (post-workout): Usually 50% mixed veggies and 50% meat substitute, like Field Roast sausages, a Beyond Meat Burger, or Beyond Meat Chik’n

Macros: 2,500 to 3,000 calories at 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein

Supplements: Protein powder when needed, but not every day

5. Griff Whalen, former NFL WR

Diet focus: My biggest focus in my diet is just making everything as clean and unprocessed as possible, with little to no added oils and sugars. Aside from vitamins, I currently don’t use any supplements for anything—no protein, no pre-workout. I feel better just eating whole foods and getting it that way.

Breakfast: Overnight oatmeal with 1 cup oats, 1 cup cashew milk, 2/3 Tbsp. maca powder, 1/2 Tbsp. hemp seeds, 1/2 Tbsp. chia seeds, 1/3 Tbsp. cocao powder, 1 date, a dash of cinnamon and Himalayan pink salt

Snack (post-workout): Smoothie with 1 banana, 1 cup almond milk, 2 dates, 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, 1/4 cup blueberries, 2 Tbsp. hemp seeds, handful spinach and arugula

Lunch: Large portion of grains with vegetables like peas, broccoli, spinach, and legumes like black beans, chickpeas, or lentils

Snack: Raw vegetables and hummus, banana, or a cup of berries

Dinner: Big spinach or kale salad with a ton of toppings like olives, carrots, avocado, corn, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds, dressed with apple cider vinegar and olive oil or a scoop of hummus; side of rice

Macros: 3,500 to 4,000 calories at 65% carbs, 18% fat, 17% protein

Supplements: Vitamin B complex, turmeric, and vegan DHA-EPA omega-3

6. JJ Redick, NBA Guard

Diet focus: “During the season, my main focus is staying healthy and feeling strong. I’ve always had a leaner frame, so balancing my intake of protein, fat, and carbs is an important focus that guides my food choices. I’ve found that incorporating plant-based protein items like Beyond Meat into my diet can deliver just as much protein, if not more, than some traditional meat items, while making me feel healthy, fit, and agile.”

Breakfast: Overnight oats with almond butter, chia seeds, and blueberries

Snack (post-workout): Protein shake with spinach, kale, banana, and vanilla plant protein powder

Lunch: Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger on a whole-wheat bun topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and spicy vegan mayo

Snack: Raw almonds or hummus with fresh veggies, like tomatoes, carrots, cucumber

Dinner: Mexican quinoa bowl with black beans, roasted veggies, avocado, and mango salsa

Macros: 2,500 to 3,000 calories at 55% carbs, 22% fat, 23% protein

Supplements: Vegan protein powder

7. Torre Washington, professional bodybuilder

Diet focus: I tend to eat the same thing daily for about two to four weeks, with a few indulgences here and there, leading up to competition. Food is fuel, so I typically focus on getting in as much of a variety of plant-based, whole foods as possible—the less processed, the better. For me, eating is about being mindful and intuitive to what the body needs, feels like, and (for some) what the body looks like. I monitor based on portion or serving size, but when I’m training someone, I do encourage counting calories and monitoring macros until they get a feel for and understanding of what works for their bodies. At the very least, I drink 1 gallon of water everyday, training day or not.

Breakfast: Drink of 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and a dash of cayenne in 8oz of water with 1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 tsp natural crunchy peanut butter, 1 tsp blackstrap molasses, 1 banana, and 1 serving of cherries

Lunch: ½ lb pan seared tofu with lots of cayenne and nutritional yeast flakes, 1 baked sweet potato with skin, 2 cups broccoli, 1 cup asparagus, and 1/2 cup non-dairy ice cream for dessert

Snack: 1 to 2oz Beanitos black bean chips, 4oz baked tempeh, and salad with romaine lettuce, sprouts, onion, tomato, cucumber, carrots, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, and lemon juice and apple cider vinegar as dressing

Dinner: 1 bowl of cold whole grain cereal with almond milk (while I prep dinner), then 1 cup curry chickpeas with carrots and white potatoes, 1 serving brown rice, 1 cup asparagus

Macros: 3,500 calories at 70% carbs, 10% fat, 20% protein

Supplements: None