Lewis Hamilton's Shares His Daily Plant-based Diet
By now, you’re probably aware that Lewis Hamilton follows a plant-based diet. But that wasn’t always the case. When Hamilton shot out of Formula 1’s starting grid as a precocious 22-year-old, animal foods were his fuel.
Even though Hamilton was an early bloomer in Formula 1 – achieving a podium finish in his first ever F1 race – he has never driven better than he is doing right now, having won six of the past seven world championship titles. And although he's currently sitting in second place in this years constructers championship, you wouldn't bet against him adding to that number.
Of course age, experience and a having a damn good car have contributed to Hamilton's recent success, but he also credits the plant-based diet he began following in 2018 as one of the reasons for his consistent form.
Speaking exclusively to Men's Health UK, Hamilton explains that while he grew up eating meat, and used to go out of his way to eat the chicken, fish and red meat, as he has grown older, he's become more aware of the impact his diet has on his performances. So when Hamilton was looking for ways to boost his energy levels in order to make him more consistent on the track, he experimented with a plant-based diet, and in his own words it "frickin' changed my life".
"I have more energy; I'm so much more productive," says Hamilton. "I wake up feeling way better, clearer in thought and fresher in my body. I recover quicker; I sleep better. My skin cleared up. I have fewer allergies. There are just so many impacts."
"I'm physically in better shape than I've ever been, and I'm more successful than ever right now, and my plant-based programme has played such a big role in that," he adds.
Hamilton says the only regret he has is that he didn't go plant based sooner. Not that he went from eating meat to steering well clear of it. He transitioned to plant-based eating by giving up his previous diet incrementally, and that's how he would recommend you adopt a plant-based diet too.
"Don't go hard," says Hamilton. "You've just got to taper off things: stop eating chocolate, stop eating dairy and then slowly stop eating meat and stop eating fish. Go pescatarian for a while. That's what I did...and I don't miss a single thing."
Lewis Hamilton's Daily Plant-based Diet
When you're Lewis Hamilton, you don't always get the chance to eat a normal breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. But, he says, in the off season, his diet is a little more regular. Here, Hamilton reveals what he'll eat throughout the day when he's not travelling the world – and more often than not – winning Formula 1 races.
Breakfast
"I'll get up and I'll have avocado on toast in the morning, for example, or if I'm cutting carbs, I'd have avocado and fruit in the morning and a smoothie," says Hamilton. "I always have smoothies. I love having various smoothies with plant-based protein. I generally have that probably two or three times a day because it's super quick, super easy, put it in the blender and you can take it with you."
Lunch
"For lunch I'll always have salads," Hamilton admits. "My salads usually include avocado and lots of vegetables."
Dinner
For dinner," Hamilton says, "I love plant-based curries which are a little bit more fattening, but they taste great." When he's not eating plant-based curries for dinner, he'll either eat something like a "big salad" (not intentionally referencing Seinfeld) or Middle Eastern food, like falafels.
Snacks
"When I go to events always have a lot of nuts, protein bars and all those things. I'm generally snacking through the day," says Hamilton.
You Might Also Like
