Aditi Ashok joined the LPGA tour in 2017 and is having her best year yet. She was the runner up in the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro and finished tied for fourth in the Mizuho Americas Open in June. During her time as a pro, Ashok has learned to overcome challenges both on and off the course. For example, eating for health and performance on tour can be a challenge for many players due to the constant travel, time changes, varying practice schedules, and unpredictable tournament tee times… but for Ashok, who follows a strict vegan diet, it is even more challenging to fuel her golf game on the road.

Ashok had been primarily following a plant-based diet most of her life. If she ate meat growing up, it was a little chicken or fish. However, five years ago she started following a strict vegan diet mainly for ethical reasons.

“I never used leather or other animal products,” Ashok explained. “I also began to read a lot about the dairy industry and its effect on the environment. I mostly only ate fish before this, but then I started to cut out all fish, dairy, and other animal foods. While I think [veganism] is good for the environment, it is mostly the ethical reasons for me.”

While both vegetarian and vegan diets are plant-based and exclude meat and animal-based products, vegan diets also exclude all animal-derived products including honey, eggs, and all dairy foods. Those following a vegan diet eat only plant-based foods including fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, soy, grains, lentils, and beans.

“Going vegan helped me cut out unhealthy foods such as fried foods, sugary drinks and desserts like ice cream and cake, which was really good for me,” Ashok said.

Cutting out unhealthy foods is just one of the benefits of eating a plant-based diet as an athlete. Additionally, a plant-based diet provides increased carbohydrate intake for energy needed while playing. A stronger emphasis on fruit and vegetables that contain phytonutrients has added antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits for recovery between practices and tournament rounds. While eating a generalized plant-based diet is beneficial to health, it is important to recognize that when entire food groups are cut out, it could lead to some deficiencies. Working with a dietitian to make sure you are consuming all the nutrients you need on a vegetarian or vegan diet is highly recommended.

When asked about the challenges of being vegan on tour, Ashok said, “I have trouble sometimes in player dining. Some weeks my only choices are salad and broccoli which are not filling. Sometimes tournaments can make me a tofu stir fry or something similar. It is usually sweet and sour tofu with rice. If there isn’t enough vegan protein available like tofu, chickpeas, beans, or lentils, I’ll carry a protein shake with me.”

Eating in restaurants on the road week after week is also challenging. Ashok can usually find vegan dishes at most Indian restaurants wherever she plays, but “it gets boring because it’s basically the same thing all week.”

Her favorite meals at home are her mother’s eggplant stir fry with onions and other vegetables. One of her goals for the off season is to learn to cook from her mother. She will have more food options on tour if she stays in places with a kitchen and can cook for herself. Ashok likes a lighter breakfast before she plays such as oatmeal or cereal with berries or raisins. If she tees off in the afternoon, her go-to meal is tofu and vegetable stir fry. She sticks with bananas and vegan protein bars on the course.

Ashok has some great advice for other golfers about how to eat healthy on tour.

“Eat what you feel comfortable with and remember that even if we all eat the same, we will all look different. It is important to eat what is good for you. Stay away from fads. If you want to try going vegan, try one meal at a time or one day a week. Ease into it because it is too hard to do it all at once. If you do it all at once and you don’t find anything to eat, you might end up just not eating at all because there aren’t many options.”