Plant-based fuelling: start with a workable plan.

Separate three jobs in your food plan

A useful plant-based ultra food plan covers everyday eating, supplies during the event, and meals around travel and recovery. These jobs overlap, but one shopping list will not automatically solve all three. Race snacks can be convenient during a run without being a complete everyday diet.

Here, plant-based planning includes fully vegan choices. Decide which ingredients you avoid, whether you have allergies or other dietary needs, and what you need to know about preparation. A food described as vegan is not automatically suitable for an allergy, and a familiar category name is not a substitute for reading the actual ingredients.

Start with foods you can identify, obtain and prepare. The most elaborate plan is of limited use if it depends on a meal unavailable at your start time or a checkpoint product you have never tried.

Build the everyday foundations first

The NHS explains that a varied, well-planned vegan diet can meet nutritional needs, with fortified foods and supplements playing a role. Its guidance highlights nutrients needing attention, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, iodine and selenium. Reliable B12 provision is particularly important; do not assume an unfortified plant food supplies it.

Look at how your usual meals fit together. The NHS includes starchy foods, pulses and other protein sources, fruit and vegetables, and fortified alternatives within a balanced vegan diet. Fortification varies between products, so check the label of the plant drink or other food you actually buy.

The British Dietetic Association identifies carbohydrate as a main fuel for exercising muscles and protein as important for repair and adaptation. Requirements change with training demands. Give ordinary meals and access to food after sessions the same practical attention as the contents of your running vest.

If you need to assess your diet, supplement choices, persistent fatigue or a suspected deficiency, bring a record of your usual food and training to a registered sports dietitian or an appropriate clinician. Choosing an iron or high-dose supplement from symptoms alone is not a substitute for that assessment.

• NHS: a balanced vegan diet, reviewed June 2026
• British Dietetic Association: sport and exercise nutrition, May 2026

Read the number for the portion you will use

For race food, distinguish the weight of a packet from the carbohydrate it contains. A 40 g packet does not necessarily contain 40 g of carbohydrate. Also check whether nutrition information is given per 100 g, per serving or per entire pack. Your inventory should use the amount in the portion you intend to consume.

For example, a fictional 60 g bar labelled as containing 50 g of carbohydrate per 100 g contains 30 g in the whole bar: 60 × 50 ÷ 100. Half the bar contains 15 g. Use the carbohydrate line, not just the “of which sugars” figure, when recording total carbohydrate.

Choose a usable mix of foods

Make a short list of options that meet your dietary requirements, then test how they work as carried food. This is a practical comparison of packaging, access and preference. It is not a ranking of products or a promise that a food will suit everyone’s digestion.

Ask what “vegan options” means at each checkpoint

An event may list vegan food without specifying which checkpoints have it or whether it is a snack, a substantial meal or a finish-line option. Map the information to the part of the course where you would use it. Do not let an unanswered question become an assumed refill.

• Which foods and drinks are planned for each checkpoint, and can the specific product information be shared?
• Which options meet my dietary requirements, and are ingredient and allergen details available?
• For an allergy, what can the organiser tell me about preparation, shared utensils and cross-contact?
• Is hot food or hot water available where my plan depends on it?
• May I collect my own food from a drop bag or approved crew point?
• What changes or substitutions should participants expect if supplies become unavailable?

Practise the plan and keep useful notes

The ISSN statement recommends practising nutrition strategies in training before racing. Use appropriate sessions in your preparation to try the foods and quantities planned for you, while recording the conditions and response. Change one practical element at a time where possible, so that the result is easier to interpret.

Include the unglamorous details: whether the food was reachable, how long a refill took, what remained in the packet and whether you wanted the same taste later. A plan can fail because a pocket is awkward even when the food itself is acceptable.

• ISSN: nutritional considerations for single-stage ultramarathon training and racing (2019)

Give drinks and symptoms their own attention

A carbohydrate inventory does not establish how much fluid you need. Check access to drinking water, required carrying capacity and any directions for the products you use. Discuss a personal fluid strategy in the context of your likely duration, conditions and health rather than borrowing another runner’s bottle schedule.

The ISSN statement warns that excessive fluid intake can have serious consequences. Adding electrolytes does not make unlimited drinking safe. Avoid treating a large fixed volume as an achievement or drinking extra solely to use up a planned carbohydrate amount.

Persistent or severe symptoms during a race need the event’s medical or emergency support, not a spreadsheet adjustment. Recurrent problems in training deserve assessment before the event. Tell the professional what happened and what you consumed, rather than assuming that a particular symptom proves you need more salt, sugar or water.

• ISSN: nutritional considerations for single-stage ultramarathon training and racing (2019)

Cover the meals on either side of the run

Check breakfast against your actual departure time and accommodation facilities. Know what you can prepare, what must travel with you and whether a shop or café will be open when you need it. Use a familiar arrangement you have tested within your preparation.

For afterwards, establish what the finish provides and whether it meets your requirements. Make a practical plan for food during the return journey, including possible delays. The BDA highlights the role of carbohydrate and protein in recovery; access to an appropriate meal matters more than relying on an unverified finish-line promise.

For stage races, extend this planning across the full itinerary, including non-running days. Who supplies each meal and when you can reach your stored food can change the load considerably.

• British Dietetic Association: sport and exercise nutrition, May 2026
• Plan meals across a desert stage-race itinerary

Put the working plan in one place

Keep your food inventory, checkpoint replies and rehearsal notes together. Record any agreed personal intake plan separately from this general guide, and revise the packing quantities when expected section times or supplies change.

Tick off the practical checks below and print a copy if useful. Ticks remain while the page is open. A completed checklist records preparation; it does not assess nutritional adequacy or replace individual advice.