Brendan Brazier is a badass athlete who dispels the “vegans are scrawny” myth like nobodies bidness. He is a professional Ironman triathlete, two-time Canadian 50km ultra marathon champion, bestselling author on plant-based performance nutrition, formulator of Vega whole food nutritional products (available at a health food store near you), and just overall a truly sweet and compassionate guy.
When he sent us a copy of his newest book; “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life,” I put it on our side table straight away thinking “I am as about as athletic as Smurfette after a shoe sale.” But on one lazy Sunday, I scrolled through this must-read treasure trove of advice and couldn’t put it down. I felt inspired to move my tuchus! Not only will your bod thank you, so will your palate; Brendan’s optimum nutrition recipes are friggin DIVINE!! Here are some of our faves;
Apple cinnamon chia granola (nut-free)
Nutrient packed and easy to digest, this cereal is a good fuel option a few hours before a workout, or soon after to help recovery. Rich in: electrolytes, essential fats, and calcium.
- 1 cup oats
- 1/2 cup hemp protein
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup un-hulled sesame seeds
- 1/2 apple, diced
- ¼ cup hemp oil
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tbsp apple juice
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp whole stevia leaf, dried and ground
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Preheat oven to 250F. Mix all dry ingredients together. Blend liquid ingredients until reaching a consistent texture. Combine liquid and dry. Mix well. Spread on bake tray. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool; break up. You will notice that I suggest to bake this granola at 250F instead of the traditional 350 F. this it to prevent the EFAs in the hemp and Salba from converting to trans fats. Baking at a temperature lower than 300F will not damage healthy fats.
“Thrive has revolutionized the way I go about fueling my body and helped push me to a higher level of performance and workout recovery. There’s no other resource like it out there.”
– Mac Danzig, Ultimate Fighter 6 Champion
Chocolate Almond Smoothie
- 1 banana
- 2 fresh or soaked dried dates
- 2 cups cold water (or 1 1/2 cups water plus 1 cup ice)
- 1/4 cup almonds (or 2 tbsp raw almond butter)
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp hemp protein
- 1 tbsp roast carob powder (or cacao nibs to make smoothie 100% raw)
Blend. Enjoy!
“Thrive is an authoritative guide to outstanding performance, not just in top-level athletics, but in day-to-day life.”
– Neal D. Barnard M.D., President, Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine
Sunflower Seed Beet Pizza
Crust
- 2 cups ground sunflower seeds
- 1 cup grated beet
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, hemp oil, or EFA Oil Blend (p. xxx)
- 1/2 tsp parsley
- Sea salt to taste
Topping
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1/2 Spanish onion, diced
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Procedure: Preheat oven to 300 °F. In a food processor, process all crust ingredients until mixture starts to ball up. Lightly oil the baking tray with coconut oil. Spread mixture on tray to about 1/4 inch thick (it can be thicker or thinner if you prefer). Spread Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto on crust; add topping. Bake for 45 minutes. (This will vary slightly depending on the moisture content of the vegetables and the desired crispness of the pizza.)
Sweet Pepper Hemp Pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast and Sesame Seed Topping (p. xxx)
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 2 tbsp hemp oil
- Sea salt to taste
In a food processor, process all ingredients together until smooth. Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Variation: Roast the peppers for 30 minutes in a 300 °F oven, lightly coated in coconut oil, before blending. This will intensify the flavor. Makes about 2 cups.
Too lazy to cook? Try one of Brendan’s VEGA bars. They are truly 2 legit 2 quit.
“Thrive is a life changing book!”
– Jon Hinds, former LA Clippers strengh training coach and advisor to MLB and NFL teams