What I'm Eating Lately

I was going to make this one of those 'what I eat in a day' style blog posts, but to be honest it's been a bit more flexible in off season and so I feel I'll give a more broad look at types and quantities of the foods I've been eating these last 3-4 months with a few basic examples.

One thing I've learned with eating in this body-building way is that it is calculated and consistent. So I tend to alternate between a handful of go to meals where the macros can be tweaked easily and don't rely on a lot of additional sauces/oils etc. Always calculating my protein intake is a must and as you might guess, as a vegan athlete my flavour profile is admittedly fairly basic.

Right now I'm working with a new coach with 180C/82F/132P on my high days and 125C/70F/118P on my low days. And it is a lovely satiating spot to be hovering with calories sitting at about 1900/1500 respectively. I do tend to go over on protein by a few grams since my go-to protein powder is 30g per serving (Vega Sport Peanut Butter Flavour). I use tofu or tempeh as my other main protein sources for dinner and lunch. So you might just say my main source of proteins are really just different forms of peas and beans.

I'll say this about tofu - there are different firmness selections for different meals and if you don't like the texture there's a variety of ways to alter or cook it to suit your needs. However I am the most plain-jane style tofu eater you will find and so I'm likely not going to appeal to those who are looking for a delicious tofu recipe to wow their meat-eating friends. This is not the place I'm afraid. I'm the girl who will cook a whole block of tofu with sesame oil and tell you straight to your face it's the best thing ever. And that's exactly what I'm about to do.

My go to meal lately is sesame tofu with quinoa or rice and 1-2 cups of mixed vegetables. It's a lot like your typical buddha bowl you might have at the local indie cafe. I make a light dressing out of Frank's Buffalo Hot Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil and Peanut Butter (roughly 20cals per serving, I water it down a bit for an even spread among veggies and so the tofu kinda absorbs it).

To prep the tofu I slice them up into chunks and line them up on parchment paper. I lightly brush sesame oil over each one. I'll cook two packages at a time in the oven at 375 degrees for ~30 minutes. I like them crispy/dry but you can store them in the fridge for multiple meals throughout the week. You can do the same method with firm/extra firm tofu but I wouldn't recommend cooking soft tofu in this way.

I'm lazy when it comes to meal prep so I keep a few bags of pre-cut veggies in my freezer and toss them in when either the rice/quinoa is nearly done cooking. I do meal prep on one or two days per week at the moment and divvy up my portions day to day.

Protein:

• Medium-Firm Tofu

• Tempeh

• Plant-Based Protein Powder

• Homemade Seitan

Carbs:

• Quinoa

• Jasmine Rice

• Oats

• Sweet Potatoes

Fats:

• Sesame Oil

• Peanut Butter

• Olive Oil

• Avocado

• Almonds

Snacks/Other:

• Coconut Yogurt

• Chickpeas

• Strawberries

• Bananas

• Apples

• Rice Cakes

• Cucumbers

• Carrots

• Pickles

• Edamame

• Lentils

Unlimited amounts of fresh lettuces, herbs, kale, endive, broccoli, bok choy, zucchini etc. Which do a lot more than just fill a plate. They deliver a steady stream of micronutrients, antioxidants, and fiber that support recovery, gut health, and hormone balance. Their phytochemicals and chlorophyll help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress from training, while minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium aid muscle function and hydration.

Sporadic/Minimal use of: sesame seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, mustard, hot sauce etc. Seeds bring a compact mix of healthy fats, minerals, and plant-based protein that support hormone balance, recovery, and immune health. Nutritional yeast adds natural B-vitamins and umami flavour, helping bridge common vegan gaps. And light use of mustard or hot sauce can enhance flavour and digestion without excess calories or sugar.

Since my first prep I'm hyper aware of the additional sweets/sauces and oils in store bought foods and while I absolutely have cheat meals and evening's out where I'm not on plan, I don't generally struggle with binging too much besides over eating on my peanut butter protein mesh. Somehow I have rewired my brain to believe protein powder is a comfort food so I'm essentially working with it while in this growth phase.