I get a lot of questions about a vegan runners diet and what to eat as a vegan runner that I had to ask somebody who really knows how to fuel for running as a vegan: Anna is a New York City-based health and fitness blogger. She grew up in Tokyo and currently resides in Brooklyn.

She first started running in college as a way to lose weight, and it eventually evolved into a passion when she realized she loved how it challenged her to push her boundaries and get out of her comfort zone. Today she's ran 5 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and many shorter-distance races.

When not running, you can find her blogging, podcasting, or scoping out the newest vegan spots in NYC and beyond. Anna told me that as a vegan runner, she gets a lot of questions about what to eat as well. And how she refuels without any meat, yogurt, or eggs in her diet. Especially for athletes like you and me it's important to make sure we're getting enough of the right nutrients and calories. I'm super excited that Anna will share a vegan runner meal plan with us today:

Meet Anna: check out her Vegan Runner Meal Plan

"My overall strategy is to incorporate at least one serving of carbs, proteins, and fats into each of my meals. I also add in various fruits and veggies to ensure I hit all my nutritional needs throughout the day. Below is an example of what I eat in a typical day."

Vegan Runner Meal Plan

PRE-WORKOUT:

• ½ banana

POST-WORKOUT SNACK:

• 1 serving of cereal (usually Weetabix, Nature’s Path Organic Corn Flakes or Whole O’s, or Barbara’s Puffins)

BREAKFAST:

OVERNIGHT OATS

• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup almond milk (I like Califia Farms Original the best)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ banana
• Handful berries
• 1 tbsp. almond butter (I usually buy Trader Joe’s brand)

LUNCH:

LENTIL CURRY & FRUIT

• Lentils, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and bell peppers sautéed & simmered in curry sauce (Maya Kaimal makes some good vegan Indian sauces)
• ½ cup rice
• ¼ avocado
• 1 apple (on the side)

AFTERNOON SNACK:

• Handful almonds w/ pretzels

DINNER:

BUDDHA BOWL

• 3 cups spinach
• Chopped veggies (raw):
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
• ¼ avocado
• 1 roasted sweet potato
• ½ cup beans
• Tahini sauce
  • ½ tbsp tahini
  • 1 lemon wedge
  • Hot sauce (I love using 1 tsp. gochujang—a Korean chili paste)

SNACK:

• Piece of dark chocolate (Alter Eco, Endangered Species, and Theo are some of my favorite brands)
• Bowl of popcorn w/ nutritional yeast
• 1 cup frozen grapes

If you have any questions about a vegan runners diet or the vegan runner meal plan please feel free to leave them in the comments. Also Anna is posting on her blog a new podcast episode every Monday where she shares more information about vegan diet as well. Her new written posts go live every Thursday.

Check her IG: @runningvegannyc

Thanks Anna for all your support and helping us out to understand how to fuel right as a vegan runner.

Happy Running!