Vegetarian marathon meal plan - Wednesday
Give your body all it needs the week before the marathon with our vegetarian running meal plan. Discover why protein-rich foods are essential on Wednesday
Overall dietary guidelines:
Contrary to previous beliefs, the week before the marathon isn’t all about piling on the pasta. In fact, to maximise carbohydrate (fuel) stores before the race, runners only need to start 'fuelling up' or 'carb-loading' two or three days before the race (three days if you prefer slower increase in your daily intake). Read more in our guide to carb-loading.
With an increase in the number of runners following a vegetarian diet (or even 'flexitarian' one, including meat with some meals), we have put together a plan for a week's worth of meals leading up to the marathon to suit those requirements. A well-structured vegetarian diet should deliver the main macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) required during training, but vegetarians should also make sure they are getting enough iron and B12 (both important for energy production).
While these recipes provide a good framework, there will also be times where an extra serving of higher-protein foods (such as dairy, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds) can be added to meals to increase the overall daily intake.
Earlier in the week, it may be useful to start including snacks to train the gut in preparation for increased carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the race.
As a general rule, what you eat should be different depending on the training demands for that day (or when you are preparing for the race itself) to promote sufficient fuelling and recovery. Discover what to eat on different training days with our training meal plans for runners.
We’ve included examples of the race training programme from the TCS London Marathon to plan your nutrition for this day.
Wednesday training:
20 mins easy run
* Beginner's guidelines as recommended by the TCS London Marathon.
Wednesday nutrition:
Protein-rich foods at each meal are the priority for today with a light training session. Carbohydrates are lower today before increasing tomorrow, leading into the race. Try out some new meal options with a range of fruits and vegetables to provide micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for the regeneration of muscles.
Breakfast
Creamy yoghurt porridge with banana, blueberry & almond topping
This hearty breakfast option has added fruit and nuts to help keep you satisfied until lunch.
Morning snack
Sweet & spicy nuts
Add flavour to protein-rich nuts with cinnamon and mixed spices.
Lunch
Halloumi and quinoa fattoush
Quinoa is a good source of vegetarian protein – paired with crisp, grilled halloumi it makes a really delicious lunch.
Afternoon snack
Frozen fruit sticks with passion fruit & lime drizzle
This colourful mix of fruit adds a hit of natural sweetness to your day.
Dinner
Vegetable tagine with apricot quinoa
Try this colourful veggie tagine with chickpeas and protein rich apricot quinoa for a truly tasty supper.
Go back to the week-long vegetarian marathon meal plan.
Not vegetarian? Try our basic, vegan and gluten-free marathon meal plans.
Find more expert advice and answers to your training questions in our marathon hub.
James Collins is recognised as a leading Performance Nutritionist through his work with Olympic and professional sport. Over the last decade he has worked with Arsenal FC, the England and France national football teams and Team GB. He has a private practice in Harley Street where he sees business executives, performing artists and clients from all walks of life. He is the author of the new book The Energy Plan, which focuses on the key principles of fuelling for fitness.
All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.
