TreeUnit

Anyone here powered solely by plant products? What's it like? Does a lack of meat make biking harder?

Smallwheels

I wish I could eat only a plant diet but my taste buds and body don't work well on vegetables. Even as a child I hated most vegetables.

The book "Eat Right 4 Your Type" explained it to me so well. There are four different blood types: A, B, O, and AB. Each one thrives on certain types of foods and is irritated by others. Type O people work best on high protein meat diets. My blood is type O.

Type A people do best as vegetarians. Type B is the only type that does well with dairy products.

The other day I was thinking that Vegans can't use Brooks saddles because they don't use products from animals. I wonder if someone who converted to veganism who also owned a Brooks saddle would get rid of it.

Vegan eating looks to be more expensive than meat eating unless the vegan grows his own food.

Daboo

A lack of meat has nothing to do with riding. Your body runs on carbohydrates for energy - not protein. Plenty of pasta and you're good to go.

I eat and cook vegan at home, but am vegetarian.

Here's my new ride:




I live in Chicago, a place which really lends itself to living car free - no hills, and bike friendly

TheKingFiphtin

I've been vegan since before I got into biking and haven't had any problems. I keep up just fine and recovery after hard rides hasn't been an issue, either.

Eating vegan is pretty cheap if you cook your own meals and don't get all that pre made stuff. I spend less on food (and eat really well) than most of my omnivorous friends. I rarely go out to eat, though. That saves a lot of jink.

Blue Order

I'm mostly vegan, with occasional dairy (cheese) or egg. Being vegan is way, way cheaper than eating meat, unless maybe you're buying a lot of fake meat products. I could see how that could potentially get expensive, although I haven't done any cost comparisons between a fake-meat-centered diet and a meat-centered diet.

To answer the OP's question, the difference between being vegan or vegetarian and being omnivorous is that you need to eat more, and more often, to get the same amount of energy as you'd get from eating meat. I.e., if you eat meat, you're satiated for a longer period of time than if you're vegan. Think vegetarian animals versus meat eating animals. The vegetarians eat all day long, the meat eaters eat occasionally. The key to being capable of expending energy as a vegan athlete, then, is to eat many small meals throughout the day.

SirGrant

I don't know about this. I am a O positive vegetarian. I live car free and have 0 problems. Especially after joining my school's bike club I've been healthier then ever. I went vegetarian about the same time I've started cycling and have been handling it fine. I don't feel like the lack of meat makes it any harder. Like someone said you get your energy from Carbs so as long as you eat enough of those to have enough energy when you ride. You just need to make sure you get enough protein to keep your muscles developed.

Lamplight

I eat a little meat, but I've contemplated going vegetarian. My problem is, most "real" meat is disgusting to me. I like hot dogs (if you can call that meat), hamburgers unless the patty is really thick, and chicken and turkey on sandwiches as long as it's sliced very thin. What I can't stand are things like steak, roast, chops, etc. Any large natural hunks of meat make me sick to my stomach. Every time I've tried steak I literally gagged before I could swallow just one bite. I once loved fish but I now have some sort of allergic reaction to it, so that's out.

However, I haven't discovered enough vegetables that I like. I like corn and green beans. I like salads but only with a decent amount of Ranch dressing and bacon bits, which just about defeats the purpose of a salad. I LOVE cheese but I don't think it's good for me so I try to avoid it now. I also love spaghetti and lasagna, but I'm not fond of other pasta.

Blue Order

The trick is that you don't eat the same as you would with a meat-centered meal (i.e., a first course of salad, followed by meat with a vegetable on the side.).

What you do is you replace the meat with carbohydrates-- a pasta dish, a rice dish, a potato dish, or even something more exotic if you're adventurous (cous cous-- which is also a pasta dish-- quinoa, amaranth, bulgur, etc.). So you make a pasta with vegetables and protein mixed (example, a pasta dish with broccoli and tofu), a rice pilaf, a stuffed baked potato. Then you can still have your salad first course (I've been eating a lot of three bean salad lately-- green beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans in a vinaigrette), and even have a vegetable dish, or a fake meat, on the side. Last night I had a first course of steamed broccoli, followed by pasta with a tomato sauce that also contained sundried tomato and dried mushrooms, and a breaded vegetarian cutlet on the side.

Last week, I was eating a lot of hummus and cous cous...mainly because it was so good I kept making more hummus.

Not to mention those home-made burritos for lunch....and breakfast.

There are lots of ways to get a lot of variety in a vegetarian diet. It doesn't have to be-- and shouldn't be-- about eating a heaping plate of vegetables.

By the way, meat was my favorite part of the meal.

Now I'm getting hungry....

hotwheels

i get by just fine

FXjohn

what happens if someone eats the salad last? What are the implications?

Blue Order

Time reverses direction.

rockmom

My husband, children, and I are all vegetarians and car free. We are not hardcore into biking though, the vast majority of our trips are under 5 miles. However, we are in very good shape. Yeah for lowest rates on life insurance.

Lamplight

I think I just need to try a larger variety of foods. I've always been very limited in my food choices, mainly because nearly every time I've tried something new I didn't like it. Therefore, I'm reluctant to try something new when I know for a fact that I like something else. This is why when I go to restaurants, I always get the same thing. A few items I've tried and didn't like:

Rice
Any Asian food I've ever tried
All forms of potatoes that aren't mashed or, unfortunately, fried
Most fruit
Oatmeal

I'd guess that in an average week, I only eat about six or seven different dishes, tops.

lukey

I've been vegetarian for about 15 or 16 years, and car-free for about 5 or 6 of those.

It's hard to remember eating meat at this point, but I have raced at an international level and still do tons of group rides and I generally have never had any issues at all. I've competed at a good level with 12-hour solo mountain bike races as well, where you have to eat a ton of food mid-race to keep your energy up.

However, I do know, in fact, that some fellow rider friends of mine (omnivores) have had stomach ailments, indigestion after eating, food-borne illness (buddy sick two days on a recent vacation) which have wrecked rides or prevented rides for them. As a vegetarian, in all those years I honestly can never remember having my riding impacted by food choices (beyond the normal things like running out of snacks on a long ride, etc.).

But hey...this would be the easiest thing in the world to try for yourself and just see how you go, I'm guessing every person is different in this department. So good luck!

Newspaperguy

I'm car-light and meat-light. I've been known to go weeks without meat. It doesn't slow me down as a cyclist. If anything, it might make me a better rider.

With or without meat, the body needs protein, carbohydrates and fats. I prefer to get my protein through beans, tofu, cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy products. When I buy meat, I'm careful to look for low-fat cuts since the saturated fats can have some unpleasant consequences in the short term and in the long term.

ijgrant

I'm vegan and car free. The two go somewhat hand in hand where I live. Not eating alot of calorie dense foods, and being so active (I run as well) I eat huge amounts of food. I feel like a glutton some days. At the same time, I've lost 25lbs, and my performance and general health have vastly increased since becoming a vegan a year and a half ago

Domromer

I'm a vegetarian but I eat eggs and milk because I make it all here on my farm.

gerv 

I'm not a vegetarian, but I do try to reserve meat for less than 3 times a week. One of the reasons is that a planet of humans eating meat every day is a very short-lived scenario. We could extend our ability to live on this planet if we moved to a vegetarian diet.

I don't think a vegetarian diet has any bearing on one's ability to use the bicycle for transportation. For example, most Indians are vegetarians and bicycle riding is rampant.

peace_piper

I'm Type B and quite lactose-intolerant. -__-

Also, a lifelong vegetarian, going on 27 years. I guess the proper word would be "vegan". While I don't eat eggs, I do use them in cooking from time to time.

As far as biking goes easier for a non-veggie or not, I can't say, I've never eaten meat so I have nothing to compare it to.

Ekdog

I stopped buying meat some months ago after reading articles like this one. I don't turn down meat if someone gives it to me, however, and I eat fish every now and then. I'm not willing to give up my Brooks saddles.

I find that I have more energy now that I'm meat light, and I'm saving a hell of a lot of money.

knowpain

I agree - great book! I'm almost a vegetarian. I eat some salmon once or twice a month 'cause I live on the west coast. Another great book is the Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier. Brendan is vegan tri-athlete. The book is packed with awesome recipes. If you combine both books, using the blood type book without eating meat, and the Thrive book, but without going entirely vegan, you'll get an awesome combo. Other than the salmon I haven't eaten meat for about a year and I feel great, lost 15 lbs and have increased energy. If you become a vegi, make sure you avoid pasta with wheat and don't start eating too much cheese. If you read the Thrive book you'll find plenty of great sources of protein without having to eat meat.

mavimao

I am meat-lite. I like to eat meat and I won't deny it, and I tolerate the idea that animals are killed in order for me to eat them. However, I disagree with the way in which animals are raised and killed on factory farms so I will pick out an organic steak every month or so. A special treat. The rest of my diet consists of a vegetarian diet with soy milk replacing all of my regular milk needs.

urban rider

The information I just read has been most helpful. I have been a vegetarian for years. I have been moving towards becoming a vegan. I have discontinued fish. I am lactose intolerant. I have been eating a lot of eggs, which I plan to discontinue by June 1, 2008. The problem has been that I have been hungry, starving by early evening. Based upon some of the information I read in this thread I realize I have to eat more often. Usually my meals consist of the following Oatmeal or grits for breakfast-9 a.m peanut butter sandwhich by 12:00 almonds at 3 pm starving by 8 pm. Dinner unfortunately has been junk stuff. I am too ashamed to mention it. No meat or fish but junk snacks. I commute daily 4 miles. I am in the process of menu planning for the month of June. Any further suggestions would be appreciated.

rockmom

Are you not eating anything between 3pm and 8pm? I'd be starving too. I'm moderately active these days so I am eating about every 3-3.5 hours. When I am using a lot of calories, I eat every 2 hours. Usually it's a lot of snack type food: apple with peanut butter, 1/2 bagel with cream cheese, hummus with carrot sticks or crackers, popcorn, etc.

mark9950

Are you kidding me,I live here in the south side of chicago close to the border of indiana and this city is not bike friendly the idiot drivers do not want to see you and try to run you off the road ,they think they own it.

Everyday I pray to allah for $250.00 barrel for oil and I am not a muslim.