Vegetarian Diet for Athletes: Smart Nutrition Tips

This article was written by University of Washington dietetic intern, Emma Huynh, and was reviewed/edited by Stephanie Magill, MS, RDN, CD, FAND.

When young athletes choose to follow a vegetarian diet, it can cause concerns about whether they’re getting enough of what they need to grow and develop as adolescents and to perform and recover as athletes.

The truth is, it’s absolutely possible to be a strong, healthy athlete while eating a vegetarian diet. Some of the world’s top athletes, like tennis stars Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic, soccer legend Alex Morgan, and track and field icon Carl Lewis, have trained and competed on plant-based athlete diets.

It just goes to show that performance doesn’t have to depend on meat.

Vegetarian diets tend to be made up of more carbohydrates, making them ideal for fueling athletes. Still, young vegetarian athletes have unique needs, and being a vegetarian athlete requires more knowledge and planning surrounding meals and snacks.

This blog will walk through how to meet those needs and build strong, energized, and balanced meals using only plant-based or vegetarian ingredients.

What Makes Vegetarian Nutrition Different for Athletes?

Vegetarian athletes may need to pay extra attention to their nutrition. During adolescence, the body is growing fast, and athletes need even more energy. Overall, it is a time when both energy and nutrient demands are higher and need to be met.

1. Vegetarians often eat fewer calories than people who eat meat. But getting enough calories is important for growing and for having energy during workouts and games.
2. Protein from plants is not as easy for the body to use as protein from meat. Also, plant proteins may be missing some important parts, thus called ‘incomplete proteins.’ That’s why vegetarian athletes should eat a variety of plant proteins to make ‘complete proteins’ and eat a bit more overall.
3. Some nutrients, like iron and vitamin B12, are harder to get from a vegetarian diet. Iron from plants is not absorbed as well, and vitamin B12 comes from animal foods. This means vegetarian athletes need to be extra careful to get enough of these.
4. Vegetarian diets are usually high in fiber, which is healthy, but too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating or stomach discomfort. It’s important to add fiber slowly and balance it with other foods.

With the right tools and attention, these challenges can be addressed so your athlete can fuel well, feel great, and perform their best. 

Energy Intake for Vegetarian Athletes

Adolescents already need a lot of energy to support growth. Add daily training into the mix, and their calorie needs are even higher.

But because many vegetarian foods, like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, are high in volume but low in calories, young athletes might feel full before they’ve met their caloric intake needs to support growth and training (Rogerson, 2017; Thomas et al., 2016).

In fact, vegetarians tend to consume fewer calories compared to non-vegetarians. This can lead to low energy availability (LEA), which can delay growth, fatigue, increase injury risk, poor recovery, and hurt performance (Mountjoy et al., 2018).

How vegetarian athletes can get enough calories to provide the energy they need

• Eat small, frequent meals and snacks
• Include energy dense foods such as
  • Pasta, granola bars, energy bars/bites
  • Avocado, nuts, seeds, and nut butters
  • Dried fruits or smoothies
  • Full fat dairy or fortified plant-milks

Carbohydrates for a vegetarian athlete

Vegetarian diets can be optimal and advantageous for athletes because they are often higher in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates fuel both the brain and muscles and are essential for maintaining glycogen stores, which help delay fatigue during long workouts (Thomas et al., 2016).

As shared in the daily nutrition and game day nutrition posts, carbohydrates are broken down into glycogen and stored in muscles. Then when exercising, glycogen is the fuel for athletes to perform well for a longer time.

If carbohydrates are not consumed enough daily, the body will have less glycogen to store in the muscles. Thus, impairing performance and increasing risk for injury. 

• Lower end for athletes training 60-90 minutes a day or less.
• Upper end for days before games/tournaments and for athletes training intensively for more than 60–90 minutes a day.

Great vegetarian carbohydrate options:

• Oats, brown rice, pasta, quinoa, potatoes
• Bread, bagels, granola
• Fruits, dried fruits, fruit smoothies
• Milk or fortified plant milks

Tip: Read the blog on nutrient timing to know how much and when it is best to eat carbohydrates for fueling and recovering from training, games, and tournaments.

Protein for a vegetarian athlete

Protein intake is essential for growing adolescents, and the needs increase as an athlete. This is because protein is needed to repair and build muscles after training and games. Protein needs for vegetarian athletes can be met, as long as meals are thoughtfully planned. 

How much protein for an athlete?

While vegetarian diets can absolutely provide enough protein, they typically require about 10–15% more than omnivorous diets to make up for differences in the reduced absorption of plant proteins (Rogerson, 2017; Thomas et al., 2016).

The recommended protein intake for vegetarian athletes is 1.35-1.75 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. That’s about 85-115 grams per day for most athletes. 

• Lower end supports general training and growth
• Higher end is ideal during intense training, injury recovery, or muscle building.

Tip: Aim for 20–30 grams at each meal and 10–15 grams in snacks.

Types of Protein

But it’s not just about how much protein for vegetarian athletes, it’s the type of protein.

Most plant-based protein sources are considered incomplete, meaning they lack one or more of the nine essential amino acids. Animal proteins (like eggs, dairy, or meat) are complete, containing all the amino acids our bodies need to recover, rebuild, and grow stronger.

Each amino acid plays a unique role in the body from repairing muscle to supporting the immune system. If you’re missing one, it’s like you’re missing a part to your car: it won’t run as well. 

But there’s good news! Each plant protein source has different amino acids. So, by eating a variety of plant protein sources, the proteins complement each other to create ‘complete proteins.’

The bottom line is you don’t need to overthink or track every amino acid, just eat a variety of plant-based protein sources throughout the day to cover your bases.

Great vegetarian protein options:

• Tofu, tempeh, edamame
• Lentils, chickpeas, beans
• Eggs and dairy*
• Quinoa, oats, whole grains
• Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
• Fortified plant-based protein powders (like soy or pea)

*If vegan, make sure to consume plant-based milk beverages that fortify with micronutrients to reduce risk for deficiencies.

Fat for a vegetarian athlete

Fats are important for overall health and the needs do not vary much from athlete to non-athlete or vegetarian to non-vegetarian.

Vegetarians typically consume more of the recommended unsaturated (good) fats, but total fat-intake still needs attention as it may fall short of the total recommended amounts. Not eating enough fat may impair vitamin absorption, hormone balance, brain development, and training recovery.

How much fat is recommended?

It is recommended to consume 60-80g per day or about ¼ of total food intake.

Great fat sources:

• Avocados, olives, nuts, seeds
• Nut butters
• Eggs (especially the yolk!)
• Dairy
• Oils (olive, flax, canola oil, etc.)

Easy ways to add fat to meals and snacks to reach the recommended intake:

• Oatmeal – top with nut butters or granola with seeds and nuts
• Sandwiches – add avocado, hummus, or olive oil
• Salads – olive oil dressings, top with avocados, add nuts and seeds for crunch
• Smoothies – add peanut butter for fat, protein, and thicker texture

Example Daily Macronutrient Needs**

Body Weight	Carbs (g/day)	Protein (g/day)	Fat (g/day)
40 kg	300–400	54–70	55–70
50 kg	350–500	67–88	60–75
60 kg	400–600	81–105	65–80
70 kg	450–700	95–123	70–90
80 kg	500–800	108–140	75–95

**Ranges vary based on sport, age, training volume, and growth status. 

Example Day of Meals for Vegetarian Athletes

Meal	What’s Included	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)	Fat (g)
Breakfast	Smoothie (banana, spinach, berries, milk) + toast or hashbrown with egg. Hydrate with water!	~67 g	~19 g	~14 g
Snack	DIY Snack Box: crackers + hummus, string cheese, grapes, nuts, and raisins/dried fruit. Hydrate with water!	~80 g	~15 g	~8 g
Lunch	Burrito or bowl with rice, beans, soy chorizo, lettuce, guac, salsa + fruit (apple/orange). Hydrate with water!	~80 g	~25 g	~13 g
Pre-Practice Snack	2 homemade energy bites, fig/granola bars, 1 banana. Hydrate with water and fruit juice!	~87 g	~7 g	~9 g
Post-Practice Snack	Chocolate milk, crackers + hummus, grapes. Hydrate with water!	~65 g	~14 g	~5 g
Dinner	Bean/veggie burger on whole wheat bun with toppings, sweet potato fries, veggie side. Hydrate with water and/or milk (+8 g protein)	~68 g	~20 g	~20 g
Dessert	Ice cream (1 cup) topped with berries. Hydrate with water one more time!	~35 g	~5 g	~14 g
Daily Totals		~504g	~105g	~83g
	60 kg Athlete Example: Doesn’t need to be perfect but aim for the suggested range, always depending on training intensity and energy levels.	400–600	81–105	65–80

Micronutrients of Concern for Vegetarians

Even when energy, carbohydrate, protein, and fat recommendations are met, vegetarian athletes should still pay attention to micronutrients that are harder to get in a plant-based diet. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals found in smaller amounts in the foods we eat.

Some examples are iron, vitamin D, zinc, and many more. These micronutrients are required for vital body functions from energy production to transporting oxygen to muscles.

Although they are only needed in small amount, iron and vitamin B12 are easy to overlook as a vegetarian, leading to health issues. 

Iron

Iron is essential for delivering oxygen to working muscles and preventing fatigue. It’s especially important for endurance athletes and growing adolescents, and even more so for vegetarian athletes.

Combine all three – endurance athletes, growing adolescents, and vegetarians – and we need to ensure our diets provide enough iron.

Why is iron so important for adolescent athletes?

Iron plays a role in delivering oxygen to muscles, thus helping them use the energy from carbs. Without iron, athletes will become easily fatigued and unable to train or perform well.

Secondly, as athletes sweat, and even just use the bathroom, they lose iron. Because iron is constantly leaving our body, we need to make sure we eat enough to replenish it.

Why is iron so important for vegetarians?

Iron from plant foods (called non-heme iron) isn’t absorbed as efficiently as heme iron from meat. That means vegetarian athletes may need to be more intentional about both what they eat and how they pair foods to increase our bodies’ ability to absorb iron. 

This combination of athletes needing iron to perform well, the constant loss of iron through sweat and urine, and the lower absorption of iron in plant-based foods makes iron deficiency a real concern for vegetarian athletes. This is sometimes called sports anemia.

So, how can we support iron status through a vegetarian diet?

1. Eat iron rich foods regularly. Some examples are lentils, tofu, fortified cereals, beans, seeds, and dried fruits. 
2. Eat iron-rich foods with vitamin C – rich foods like citrus, berries, and bell peppers. Vitamin C helps to absorb iron, which is especially helpful for these plant-based non-heme iron.
3. Avoid drinking tea or coffee with these iron rich foods. Coffee and tea have tannins and phytates that make it harder for our body to absorb the iron. 
4. Check iron levels at your annual checkup. Increase iron-rich foods or maintain based on the results

For most athletes, a diet rich in fortified cereals, legumes, tofu, and dried fruits will be enough to maintain iron levels. Reminder to eat these foods with citrus, berries, or other foods with vitamin C to increase absorption, while avoiding tea and coffee with these snacks or meals.

This doesn’t mean you have to cut coffee or tea out of your diet entirely, just wait an hour or two after these snacks/meals. 

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is vital for red blood cell formation, nerve function, and energy metabolism. All three of which are important for active athletes.

But here’s the catch: Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal products, which means vegetarian (especially vegans) need to be extra thoughtful about how they are getting it. 

Without enough B12, athletes can experience fatigue, weakness, or even neurological symptoms over time. And for adolescent athletes, who are still growing, a long-term deficiency may contribute to delayed maturation, reduced peak height, or other chronic issues later in life (Nieman, 1999).

So, how can we support vitamin B12 status through a vegetarian diet?

1. Depending on what meat products you eat, try to eat some products that come from animals. For example: eggs and dairy.
2. Fortified products are your friend! Check the label to ensure they fortify with vitamin B12
   • Plant-based milks
   • Cereals
   • Nutritional yeast (tastes like cheese so it’s perfect for seasoning popcorn, salads, soups, and pasta dishes)

Tip: When choosing a plant-based milk or cereal, check the label for at least 20–50% of the daily value for B12 per serving to help support your needs.

If you’re vegan or don’t consume fortified foods regularly, a daily B12 supplement can be helpful to prevent a deficiency. It’s easy to fall short, and unlike some nutrients, B12 doesn’t come from any plants.

Final Thoughts

With thoughtful planning, vegetarian adolescent athletes can meet all their energy and nutrient needs and do very well in their sport. A little extra planning goes a long way toward ensuring growth, recovery, and performance are fully supported.

If your athlete is exploring vegetarianism, focus on what to add to the plate, not what’s missing. To get you started, here are some high protein meal ideas that will support your vegetarian athlete!