Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life

listed below all offer high levels of nutrition in a compact form. These nuts can be substituted in recipes for the more common nuts such as almonds and macadamia. Because of their diversity, incorporating them into your diet will ensure a greater variety of taste and nutrition. However, these nuts may not be readily available in grocery stores.
     
    Brazil nuts
Cashews
Filberts
Hazelnuts
     
    Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachios
     
     
    Hazelnut trees grow wild in Europe and Asia. A staple in early humans’ diet, hazelnuts have been eaten for thousands of years. Filberts are a variety of hazelnut that are cultivated, and are often produced larger than wild hazelnuts to increase crop yield. Wild hazelnuts and filberts are nutritionally similar; both are excellent sources of the minerals manganese, selenium, and zinc.
     

grains
     

brown rice
     
    A staple of many countries, rice is one of the most consumed foods in the world by volume. Since brown rice has been unaltered over the years, the possibility of it causing an allergic reaction is low. Brown rice has a mild, nutty flavor.
     
    The processing of brown rice is far less extensive than that of white rice, making it nutritionally superior to its white counterpart. Since only its outermost layer, the hull, is removed, brown rice retains its nutritional value. Brown rice is very high in manganese and contains large amounts of selenium and magnesium. It is a good source of B vitamins as well.
     
    Purple sticky rice, or Thai black rice, is a nice alternative to standard brown rice. It can be substituted for brown rice at a 1:1 ratio.
     
    To add extra flavor and nutrition to rice when cooking, add 1 teaspoon of rooibos leaves for each cup of uncooked rice.
     
    Preparation: Cook at a 1:2 rice-to-water ratio. Put rice and water in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer; simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir. Let cool.
     

millet
     
    Millet is one of the most easily digested grains. It is gluten-free and its digestion creates a slight alkalizing effect in the body. Probably also the most versatile grain, millet can be either creamy or fluffy, depending on how long it’s cooked.
     
    High in B vitamins, magnesium, and the essential amino acid tryptophan, millet is nutritionally dense and complements many meals. Millet flour, with its mild, easily influenced flavor, adds nutritional variety to recipes.
     
    Preparation: Cook like rice, at a 1:3 millet-to-water ratio, for about 35 minutes. It can also be sprouted.
     

spelt
     
    Referred to as an ancient grain, meaning that it has not been altered over time by either primitive crossing techniques or modern genetic modification, spelt has a long history. Spelt is rich in energy-producing B vitamins and has 30 percent more protein than standard whole wheat. Spelt does contain gluten but in considerably smaller quantities than whole wheat. Because of its gluten content, spelt flour can be used to bind other grain and seed flours in baking. For this reason, and because spelt takes longer than most grains to prepare, spelt flour is the most useful form of this grain. Spelt has a mild, slightly nutty flavor.
     
    Preparation: Soak spelt overnight, then cook like rice, in a 1:3 spelt-to-water ratio, for about 1 hour. It can also be sprouted.
     

teff
     
    Teff is a mineral-rich grain. Along with its large amounts of calcium, magnesium, boron, copper, phosphorus, and zinc, teff has about twice as much iron as whole wheat. This tiny grain becomes creamy when cooked; reduce cooking time for a slightly crunchy texture. Teff has a slight molasses taste, adding flavor when combined with other grain and seed flours.
     
    Preparation: Cook like rice, at a 1:4 teff-to-water ratio, for about 15 minutes. It can also be sprouted.
     

next-level foods
     
    Next-level foods are foods that offer a host of benefits above and beyond those in a standard healthy diet. They provide more nutritionally than simply their food value: Because they are easy to digest and have a neutral or high pH, they can help reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, and speed recovery. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting properties. However, because they are less common foods, you may have difficulty finding them in all stores; health food stores and larger supermarkets will carry them, and they may be fairly expensive. While next-level foods are not necessary to consume as part of