Plant powered…

Being vegan, I often get questions about how it must be difficult to get all the necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals to build strength and energy in the training prior, and during a climb. It is actually fairly straightforward and minimal planning is needed. Ensuring an adequate calorie supply is usually more of a focus than adjusting macronutrient distribution.

My whole food plant based diet consists of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

5+ serves of vegetables

4 serves of whole grains

3 serves of fruit

2+ serves of legumes or tofu

1 serve of seeds such as flax, chia or hemp

(And will likely increase by about a third during intense training periods if I’m also wanting to bulk a bit for a big expedition)

And looks a bit like this:

• Wholegrains like buckwheat, rice, quinoa, oats, amaranth and millet.
• A variety of vegetables and colourful salads.
• Beans, lentils, legumes, tofu.
• Wholegrain bread, cereals and pastas.
• A daily green smoothie with loads of fruit and leafy veg.
• Hearty soups, caseroles, stirfrys, currys, and lots of macrobowls to use up leftovers.
• Mixed nuts for an afternoon snack and seeds like flax and chia in my salads or smoothies.
• Dark chocolate, dried fruit, chia pudding, raw balls, sorbet made from frozen fruit for treats.
• Tahini, tamari, avocado, hummus, bean and beetroot dips, vinegars and lemon for dressings.
• Loads of water, and Rooibos with plant milks or herbal teas.

I eat a good variety of the above, using lots of colourful fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed foods as much as possible. Essentially if I’m meeting my calorie needs on the above, then I know I’m getting in all the macro’s, essential amino acids and micronutrients I need for good nutrition (along with a B12 supplement – see below).

Of course, it is always best to consult with your dietary professional when making significant changes to your diet and it’s always a good idea to have your bloods taken accordingly.

There are thousands of healthy wholefood plant based recipes available. I like the wide variety on One Green Planet and I often refer people to Whole Food Plant Based Health Australia if they need nutrition support. For me usually, I really just enjoy throwing a wide variety of foods together without recipes, it’s also an excellent way to reduce waste. And I lucked in with my girlfriend who works in health and loves cooking nutritious food, so she keeps me on track after a long day playing Dr Rob when I would normally just order Vegan pizza, don’t get me wrong, sometimes the odd late night pizza still creeps in! (if only Vegan cheese didn’t taste so good)

Vitamin B12

These days Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) an important micronutrient for the synthesis of DNA, red blood cell production, and a healthy nervous system is virtually non-existent in plant foods because of the industrialisation of our food system. Once upon a time it occurred naturally in soil and running streams and thus in our food. Vitamin B12 these days is made artificially from commercial bacterial production and is added to fortify certain foods, and often used in animal agriculture to ensure humans are receiving enough at the other end. Look for non-dairy milks or cereals that are fortified with B12 and take a sublingual supplement for best absorption and bioavailability.

On an Expedition

Of course, what you eat on an expedition is always going to be different to what you eat back home, carrying around sweet potatoes is less than ideal. The aim is usually to get as much nutrition as you can with the least amount of weight and size to your pack. If you’re going through an expedition company you may be limited for standard meal choice off their menu, but I’ve found that if I give them a good heads up on my diet they ensure I’m well looked after, well-fuelled and satiated, however, I will often bring extra calorie dense snacks as a back up.

 

For further information on why I choose a Vegan diet please see the references in the ‘Why Vegan’ tab.