What did vegan racing driver Lewis Hamilton eat to fuel his fifth Formula One world title?

British racing driver Lewis Hamilton is one of today’s most famous athletes in the modern world of sport. Hamilton who has just finished the Formula One season by winning his fifth world championship, including victory in Sunday’s final Grand Prix race, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He also holds a number of records in the sport, including 83 pole positions on the starting grid of races, 41 fastest laps and 3,018 career points. He is constantly evolving as an athlete and a driver and even changed his diet last year, at the age of 33, to strictly follow a plant-based diet. So what sort of food does the vegan king of the F1 racing track eat? What does F1 champion Lewis Hamilton drive when he’s not racing? Here’s everything Hamilton likes to eat and drink for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like many people, Hamilton enjoys breakfast. However, because he strictly follows a plant-based diet, he cannot eat breakfast foods such as pastries that might be made with dairy butter. Hamilton has said he regularly eats porridge for breakfast. 5 best vegan menus that meat lovers in Hong Kong will also enjoy Porridge is a staple food of many F1 drivers, but every now and then Hamilton has something more adventurous, such as beans on toast. I feel the best I’ve ever felt physically and mentally. All year I’ve felt very strong mentally, but I think physically I’m now taking also a big step and that’s really the decision I made to change my diet Lewis Hamilton, British racing driver who follows a vegan diet Before he became a vegan, Hamilton also enjoyed eggs with avocado on toast – a meal he could still enjoy without the egg since avocado is rich in healthy fats. Dr Rob Child, a performance biochemist who has worked with F1 teams, including McLaren and Ferrari, said vegan athletes might experience reduced testosterone levels unless they carefully planned their diets. “For Lewis, he’s probably taking in a lot of healthy fat to be able to make that testosterone,” he said. Eating only a plant-based diet means that Hamilton does occasionally miss certain foods that he used to eat. “[Veganism is] not for everyone,” he said. “I miss [the chocolate and nut spread] Nutella. I miss sweets, but now I know what’s in that stuff, it’s gross.” One meal a day: are K-pop stars going too far with their harsh diets? One thing Hamilton does not deny himself is a pancake. Hamilton admitted that he would go on summer or winter holidays and always, without fail, have a “stack of pancakes” for breakfast when he arrived in the morning. “I love pancakes,” he said. Well, doesn’t everybody? Hamilton also loves burgers and, although he found it tough to find a tasty version when he stopped eating meat, fish and dairy and switched to a plant-based diet, ultimately he succeeded. While competing in Japan he said: “I found a vegan burger in Hong Kong and had them send burgers to me in Japan, where I ate them every day.” Like the real deal? We test four meals made of Impossible Foods’ new plant-based ‘meat’ During a 2017 interview with Men’s Health magazine, Hamilton ate a lunch of chicken breast, tomato salsa, vegetables and drank a glass of water. However, one year on, nutritionist Tara Ostrowe told CNN that lunch for the vegan racer would now consist of things such as falafel sandwiches, a vegan chilli, or a quinoa power bowl. Veganism: why it’s not just a diet, more a way of life Business Insider obtained a sample menu given to Ferrari racers in 2017 and, although Hamilton is competing for the Mercedes F1 team, it is likely that his dinner will look similar. For Ferrari, one meal eaten by drivers could include a tofu garlic stir-fry with vegetable and whole grain rice. Fresh coffee (or green tea) can be drunk, along with a few squares of 85 per cent plain chocolate. Ostrowe said that whole wheat pasta, tempeh, and baked sweet potato would all be excellent nutrition-rich dinners for Hamilton, as the pasta can be mixed with vegetables and vegan pesto, the tempeh can be served with a carbohydrate, such as ravioli, and sweet potato would go well with a quinoa patty and fresh kale. Hamilton’s Instagram biography includes an emoji and these key words. “[Plant] Based Diet. Love Animals.” He reportedly updated his Instagram webpage earlier in the year with video clips that appeared to show what he likes to eat throughout the day. Every time I eat, actually, I pray. So, whether it’s a couple of seconds, a minute or whatever you are praying for, take that moment Lewis Hamilton One of the dishes was a “slow-cooked zucchini with toasted pine nuts alongside a couscous, pomegranate, raisin and orange peel salad”, while he also had “orzo pasta with steamed green beans and sun-dried tomatoes, a unique guacamole dip, a sprouted grain mix and hummus with vegetable crudités”. One thing that does not cause that many problems when switching to a vegan diet is deciding what to have to drink. Hamilton drinks lots of water and, as an ambassador for the energy drink company, Monster Energy, he also has plenty of energy drinks, too. He even has his own personalised blend of Monster called “44”, which he said he “loved immediately”. View this post on Instagram When it starts to feel real #LHFive A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Oct 29, 2018 at 8:57am PDT Of course, the diet of an F1 racing driver is not complete without the obligatory champagne – something they tend to get only when they win races. For five-time world champion Hamilton that means a lot of champagne. Cheers! Halle Berry has used ‘keto’ diet, but is the bad breath worth it? View this post on Instagram What a way to end the season! Grateful for everything, your positive energy and being with me every step of the way. Now let’s celebrate!! #StillIRise #TeamLH @f1 A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Nov 25, 2018 at 8:37am PST While the transition to veganism may have been a challenge for his taste buds at first, he said that the diet was one of “the best decisions” he could have made – second only to moving to the Mercedes team. “I feel the best I’ve ever felt physically and mentally,” he said. “All year I’ve felt very strong mentally, but I think physically I’m now taking also a big step and that’s really the decision I made to change my diet.” View this post on Instagram No days off. Ready for what’s around the corner #24Seven @pumaperformance #trainhard A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Oct 26, 2018 at 10:02am PDT Before every meal, regardless of whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Hamilton prays. “Every time I eat, actually, I pray. So, whether it’s a couple of seconds, a minute or whatever you are praying for, take that moment. “Everyone is talking, and I say, ‘Sorry, one second’ and you just make the time.” Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter This article originally appeared on Business Insider .

What did vegan racing driver Lewis Hamilton eat to fuel his fifth Formula One world title?

The British sportsman, who started his plant-only diet last year, says it is not for everyone, but he feels ‘the best I’ve ever felt physically and mentally’