3 Plant-Based Power Meals for Athletes

When you’re physically active, you want to make sure your meals are nutritious,  easy to prepare, and taste delicious.

1. Vegan Pizza

Find a vegan-friendly dough and load it up with every single vegetable. Anything goes. Common toppings:

• Vegan sauce base
• Garlic
• Onions
• Ginger
• Spinach
• Olive oil
• Black olives
• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Sunflower seeds
• Green peppers
• Red peppers
• Lettuce
• Various herbs
• Celery
• Radish
• Grated squash

The pizzas are usually so fully loaded coming out of the oven that you have to eat them with a fork and knife to keep all the toppings in place.  TIP: Put the tomatoes on raw after the pizza comes out of the oven. This gives the pizza a pleasing and cooling texture.

2. Soups and Stews

Load up the steam cooker or slow cooker overnight with vegetables like:

• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Sweet potato
• Herbs
• Spinach
• Lentils

TIP:  Lemon or lime juice is a powerhouse of both taste and nutrition. It’s low in calories and full of immune-boosting antioxidants and vitamin C. Add .

3. Smoothies

As frozen yoghurt is a high-trend let’s mix it with some antioxidants and vitamin-boost fruits:

• Berries
• Melons
• Pomegranate juice
• Bananas
• Ginger
• Celery
• Carrots

TIP: I always add some type of healthy fat, such as seeds and nuts. Omega-3s are very easy to miss in our daily diets, but so important for overall wellness.

Do not be limited by conventional nutrition. Taste “weird” foods. Never snub new things because of how they look or sound and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Katerina Chremou

Nutritionist-Dietitian