Protein and Vegetarian Swimmers
Protein and Vegetarian Swimmers
By Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN, CSSD
Recently, a swimmer sent me an email about her coach’s concern about her choice to be a vegetarian. She chose a vegetarian diet for “ethical reasons,” but her coach told her she needed to eat meat to be a competitive swimmer.
I don’t want to contradict her coach’s advice, but I responded that what she needed was the nutrients in meat, not necessarily the meat. Don’t get me wrong, I honor everyone’s dietary choices, and you can eat a healthful performance diet while being a meat-eater or being a vegetarian. Lean meat is a nutrient-rich choice for many athletes, but non-meat eaters can, with good food choices, meet their nutritional requirements and remain competitive.
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I don’t want to contradict her coach’s advice, but I responded that what she needed was the nutrients in meat, not necessarily the meat. Don’t get me wrong, I honor everyone’s dietary choices, and you can eat a healthful performance diet while being a meat-eater or being a vegetarian. Lean meat is a nutrient-rich choice for many athletes, but non-meat eaters can, with good food choices, meet their nutritional requirements and remain competitive.
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