Veg Out!

If you drop meat from your diet, you have to form new habits to stay strong.

Vegetarianism isn't a new concept, but it continues to gain traction as public-health advocates, environmentalists, and animal-welfare organizations push for people to eat more plants and fewer animals. But what does a meatless or reduced-meat diet mean for athletes? Athletes need protein to repair and rebuild muscle that is broken down during exercise and to help optimize carbohydrate storage in the form of glycogen.

The key is not to just remove meat, but to replace it. Don't go from filling your plate with steak, potatoes, and a vegetable to just potatoes and vegetables. You have to replace the protein! Ask yourself, what should I eat to replace what I was getting, nutritionally, from the meat.

Follow these recommendations to keep your hearty meal hearty:

- In your taco, replace ground beef with lentils and cheese.
- In your lasagna, replace ground beef with black beans.
- In your burger, replace the beef with a patty of lentils, pinto and garbanzo beans.
- In your pasta, replaced chopped chicken with tofu.

Enjoy!


Via: Bicycling Magazine