Introduce yourself…

Hi my name is Adam Stansbury and I’m The Plant Powered PT, I specialise in coaching men and women to get fit, strong and healthy on a plant-based diet. I went vegan in November 2014. I’m a 1-2-1 and Online Personal Trainer and Public Speaker. My motivation for going vegan was for ethical reasons, as it was the most black and white reason to make the change and then the environment to help protect mother earth.

 

What do you eat for breakfast?

At the moment the breakfast I’m loving is a buckwheat granola, with dried fruit, then I add pumpkin, hemp, chia and flaxseeds, along with some fresh organic berries and a dollop of soy or coconut yoghurt, made with oatly barista oat milk.

 

What do you have for lunch?

If I’m at home usually a dish that contains lots of veg, some kind of bean or baked tofu with a different grain.

If I’m working in the studio and I don’t take my own food with me, I’ll grab something at Pret a Manger or this great local cafe that serves plates of different fresh vegetables and beans.

What is your go-to dinner dish?

It depends. Both my wife and I enjoy cooking and we tend to make dishes on the fly but we do have a couple of regular favourites such as soy ragu with gnocchi, vegan cottage pie, homemade falafel, tofish and chips, pasta and beans, homemade burgers with freshly made oven chips and my wife made an inspired mushroom stroganoff with chickpea polenta the other night which was epic, we usually accompany all our meals with big salads as well.

 

Do you have a favourite snack for energy during the day?

Bananas, apples, mixed nuts, Pulsin, Cliff or Trek Bars and I do have a current addiction to dark chocolate corn cakes from Pret A Manger.

 

How do you plan your week? Do you create a meal plan or go with the flow?

We just go with the flow, fill the cupboards and fridge with as many plant-based whole foods as we can, then just make inspired meals on the fly.

I’ve lived through some very regimented nutritional times in the past competing in a few fitness shows, so I prefer to go with the flow now and not get too obsessed by what I’m eating from day to day.

 

How do you find eating out?

I love it, luckily there are now loads of vegan options available so we tend to stick with certain favourite restaurants of course but we always find something on the menu at most places and ask to have it tweaked.

If we can’t find anything on menus when we’re on holiday then our motto is “there’s always chips and salad!” worse case scenario.

Favourite recipe?

There’s so many I can’t think of one. Back when I was a meat eater that was a really easy question to answer but since going vegan I have so many plant-based favourites that all satisfy my taste buds depending on my mood.

 

Advice for someone in your position transitioning to a plant-based diet?

It’s all about ‘progress not perfection.’ Don’t try and be a perfect vegan overnight, it’ll cause you more stress, lean into the lifestyle and build it up slowly. A vegan meal here and there, a vegan day here and there, a week here and there, and so on.

From my experience the biggest reason most people fail the transition comes down to two things:

– There isn’t a strong enough WHY – a solid reason to make the change, that makes things like eating out or finding an option a doddle, because you have a clear reason WHY you’ve chosen this lifestyle.

– People put too much pressure on themselves – for someone who’s eaten meat for 20, 30 or 40 years the idea of leaving that all behind overnight is overwhelming. That’s why I suggest to people not to think of the label you may become, but to just enjoy creating and exploring different plant based meals without judgement. If they enjoy it and it makes them feel good, then they’ll automatically want to do more of what makes them feel good, without the panic associated with a new label.

 

Adam Stansbury

The Plant Powered PT

Gym Based Personal Trainer of the Year 2013

Instagram : @ThePlantPoweredPT

Web : www.ThePlantPoweredPT.com

 

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