Fuel for the Running Machine

A few months ago I decided to stop eating meat - cold turkey. This wasn’t the first attempt, but definitely the last. My decision came about after reading a particular book that discusses many of the environmental, economical and ethical consequences related to the current meat industry. As someone who majored in nutrition in college and grad school, and is generally interested in the subject, I have heard all of these arguments before, but something about the way the author presented them finally clicked for me.

Making the switch to a vegetarian diet didn’t change my daily routine all too much – I prepare most of my meals at home, and I rarely, if ever, buy meat. However, once I made the conscious decision to cut it out of my life, I realized that I needed to consider my diet carefully in order to make sure that I’m getting all of the requisite nutrients for health and of course, to fuel running.

One of the biggest misconceptions in sports nutrition is that you can’t possibly be a competitive athlete and not eat meat. Meat does contain a lot of essential nutrients –complete protein, iron, B12 – but it is by no means the only way to a balanced diet. The trick is to add more variety: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and soy products.

I have been enjoying trying lots of new foods (farro, wheatberries, millet, soba noodles, etc) and recipes, and have found that my diet has been a lot healthier, in general, than it was before. If you are feeling ambitious and looking to cook up something new, here is a recipe that I tried a few weeks ago, and loved. It has everything I look for in a recipe: good flavors, veggies, a good ratio of carbohydrate and protein—great for a post-run meal.


Ottolenghi Soba Noodles

1/2 cup brown rice vinegar

1/3 cup fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
grated zest and juice of one lime
1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium eggplant 3/4 lb cut into 1/2-inch chunks

8 ounces dried soba noodles

1 large ripe mango, cut into small chunks
8 ounces grilled or pan-fried tofu, cut into tiny cubes
1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
a handful of basil leaves, slivered
a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped


While you are prepping the rest of the ingredients bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for up to 1 minute, or until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Allow to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and shallow fry the eggplant in three batches, until deeply golden. Transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt.

Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, per package instructions, or until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

In a large mixing bowl toss the noodles the dressing, mango, tofu, eggplant, onions, and most of the herbs. You can now set this aside for an hour or two before serving topped with the remaining herbs.

Serves 4-6.

Slightly adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Soba Noodles with Aubergine and Mango from Plenty.
Prep time: 15 min - Cook time: 30 min