Veganism is the practice of abstaining from animal-products, particularly in diet, whether for health or ethical reasoning. Planning ahead and prepping your food is always a good idea, but when adopting a vegan diet as a bodybuilder, it’s absolutely necessary to ensure your plate is nutrient dense and that you’re taking in adequate amounts of protein for muscle-building.
We caught up with Ashley Marcum, a vegan bikini athlete and transformation specialist/head coach at The Vegan Gym— an online fitness and nutrition coaching business dedicated to transforming the lives of vegans all around the world. Ashley first adopted a plant based diet for health reasons, but later fell in love with the supportive community that encourages the ethical treatment of all living beings.
Snapping a quick progress picture post back day 
Competition-ready 
Ashley sports her trademark ‘Not Bad for a Vegan’ tank
She’s made some phenomenal progress, and she’s only getting started. “Education is power,” she notes. “I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without amazing mentors/teachers who taught me a lot.” Her hard work and dedication have clearly paid off! Just check out her impressive transformation:
Closely following a plant-based macro-focused diet, her training regimen dictates the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein she consumes on a day-to-day basis. Although she’s not currently training for a competition, Ashley is enjoying her improvement season and getting ready to step on stage again next year.
So what exactly does she eat on a training day? Read on to find out!
Morning
Usually hitting her workouts first thing in the morning, this bikini athlete kicks off her day with a healthy dose of carbs, greens and protein.
Pre-Workout
255g Jasmine Rice
200g Banana
30g True Nutrition Soy Protein Isolate
24g Nutrigen (Greens)
Macros: 37P/125C/4F
Intra-Workout
70g Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin from True Nutrition
13g Powdered Gatorade
Macros: 0P/70C/0F
Post-Workout
94g Rice n Grinds
30g True Nutrition Soy Protein Isolate
260g Pineapple
140g Strawberries
Macros: 38P/124C/1F
Afternoon
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring— Ashley switches it up with exotic flavors and plenty of veggies.
Lunch
¼ Block Firm Tofu
125g Broccoli
71g Carrots
100g Cabbage
75g Bell Peppers
100g Rice
2 tbsp. Thai Peanut Dressing
17g Peanut Butter
Macros: 22P/62C/20F
Snack
60g Oats
5g True Nutrition Soy Protein
13g Flax Seed
16g Peanut Butter
Macros: 16P/40C/16F
Evening
She finishes off her day with a variety of fresh vegetables and a sweet treat for dessert.
Dinner
¼ Block Firm Tofu
100g Brussels Sprouts
140g Bell Peppers
28g Clover Sprouts
100g Rice
17g Peanut Butter
Macros: 21P/48C/15F
Dessert
1 Joseph’s Flatbread
15g True Nutrition Soy Protein
32g Peanut Butter
Macros: 31P/25C/19F
Voila! A full day of delicious, nutritious vegan food. Are you considering adopting a plant-based diet? Ash has some tips. “Hire a credible vegan coach to help you with the transition,” she says. “Not only will their guidance help make the transition easier, but they can help educate you further to help make it sustainable for the long term.”
Yours in Health,
True Nutrition