It seems like it was yesterday when I told you that I had not eaten meat or fish for six months and I told you how my body reacted to it. After a year and a half of having opted for this type of food, I am still happy with the choice I made at the time and that I intend to maintain.
The passage of time and distance always give us a certain perspective on things. In the last year I have changed a little my food (always within vegetarianism) especially in order to achieve a better sports performance. I tell you what has changed, what has remained the same and how I have lived this first year and a half of vegetarian food.
New changes in my diet
As you know, vegetarianism allows some foods of animal origin, such as eggs, honey, milk and dairy products. Of these, I told you in the previous post that what I consumed the most was milk, while the eggs had left them a little apart, simply because I was not too excited to consume them (a matter of taste).
However, in recent months one of the biggest changes I have introduced in my diet has been the consumption of eggs quite often, especially in the form of omelet (with a yolk and usually some spice like oregano to give it a little flavor).
Many days it was difficult for me to get the protein intake by having to raise menus quickly and running, and the most effective way for me was through the egg. I have also opted for products with a high protein intake (I am now testing the protein and pasta) to help me reach the number of proteins I need.
To improve in the coming months: If an omnivorous diet is important to organize the menus in advance to ensure that we reach our macronutrient needs, it is even more so in a vegetarian diet. Looking ahead to the next few months, to avoid imbalances, my idea is to have prepared (or at least targeted) menus a week in advance.
Changes in the social environment and daily life
The visit to the supermarket has been anecdotal, simply to buy the things of the house and the milk, which I continue to consume. At first I continued to buy fruits and vegetables in the supermarket, but in the last year I have gone to the market and, from my own experience, there is no point in comparing the taste and quality of fruits and vegetables on one side and in the other.
This obviously is not applicable in all cases, but even in the case that you follow an omnivorous diet, I recommend you look for a good greengrocer where to stock vegetables. In addition, buying in the small business will benefit these small businesses and the consumption of proximity.
When it was time to eat out, I used to worry a lot more if in a restaurant they would have a vegetarian option for me (to be, I do not know the eternal “salad with nothing”). But in recent months I have noticed that the vegetarian offer, and even the vegan, has tended to grow in most establishments aimed at the general public.
Carrying a vegetarian diet does not have to be more expensive or boring than an omnivorous diet
I can also say that I have saved time and money that I can now invest in other things : the fact of carrying a vegetarian diet, if it is well thought out, will bring us closer to consuming more food and less products. This for me has resulted in less time reading nutritional labels that I’ve reinvested in longer in the kitchen.
Also, although many people think that a vegetarian diet tends to be more expensive, the truth is that I have saved doing the shopping . It is true that I rely more on my food in fruits, vegetables, legumes and cereals, and that I rarely buy products that can have a higher price such as tofu, tempeh, seitan or quinoa (which, incidentally, Are not essential in a vegetarian diet).
Changes in sports performance
We assume that a well-planned vegetarian diet is perfectly compatible with strength or endurance training. If we have doubts about how to raise it, it is always best to go to a specialized nutritionist who can inform us about our particular case and give us personalized advice.
In this case my training has changed because I have focused more on the race : in 2017 I run my first marathon and for months all my efforts are aimed at it, while in the past I chose more for strength training (which I have not Left completely aside).
Nuts: source of energy in the vegetarian sportsman
To be able to face the marathon training I am including some foods that were previously unnoticed in my diet, such as nuts: for me they are the best source of energy before a demanding training, and allow me to perform as I need.
Aside from this, I continue to supplement myself every week with B12, the only supplementation that is recommended to all vegetarians (and vegans).
I keep thinking about going to veganism when I feel ready, a moment that has not yet arrived. When you do, you will undoubtedly be in the hands of a nutrition professional who can advise me personally and according to my tastes and needs.