Zdeno Chara’s new plant-based diet is paying off on the ice - The Boston Globe
Zdeno Chara is 40 years old. He weighs 250 pounds, his preferred playing weight. The Bruins captain is averaging a team-high 23:15 of ice time per game. Chara’s bosses count on him for extended shifts, like the 4:18 monster he submitted in a 4-1 win over Montreal Jan. 18 to help kill off a five-on-three Canadiens power play.
He feels fast, strong, and fit — and that is partly because of what he’s eating.
In September, shortly upon his return from Slovakia, Chara adopted a plant-based diet. He no longer eats beef, chicken, pork, or dairy, the usual go-to sources of fat and protein for an NHLer. He sometimes eats salmon and eggs, but has otherwise gone vegetarian: fruit, quinoa, brown rice, beans, chickpeas, lentils, salad, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Chara likes Sweetgreen. He is a regular Whole Foods shopper.
The morning after a recent game, Chara ate oatmeal, fruit, and a smoothie for breakfast. After road games, he sometimes tucks into tofu on the plane. The travel crew adapted a recipe from Tatiana, Chara’s wife, for the entire team to enjoy postgame: rice pie with egg whites and dried fruit. Chara’s performance proves that even a 6-foot-9-inch colossus does not need porterhouses to fuel or rebuild his bulging muscles.
Zdeno Chara is 40 years old. He weighs 250 pounds, his preferred playing weight. The Bruins captain is averaging a team-high 23:15 of ice time per game. Chara’s bosses count on him for extended shifts, like the 4:18 monster he submitted in a 4-1 win over Montreal Jan. 18 to help kill off a five-on-three Canadiens power play.
He feels fast, strong, and fit — and that is partly because of what he’s eating.
In September, shortly upon his return from Slovakia, Chara adopted a plant-based diet. He no longer eats beef, chicken, pork, or dairy, the usual go-to sources of fat and protein for an NHLer. He sometimes eats salmon and eggs, but has otherwise gone vegetarian: fruit, quinoa, brown rice, beans, chickpeas, lentils, salad, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Chara likes Sweetgreen. He is a regular Whole Foods shopper.
The morning after a recent game, Chara ate oatmeal, fruit, and a smoothie for breakfast. After road games, he sometimes tucks into tofu on the plane. The travel crew adapted a recipe from Tatiana, Chara’s wife, for the entire team to enjoy postgame: rice pie with egg whites and dried fruit. Chara’s performance proves that even a 6-foot-9-inch colossus does not need porterhouses to fuel or rebuild his bulging muscles.
, so yes it was nice to see him nail it this time.
