Oh man, Kari! Not only is this gal a vegan but she’s also a personal trainer who packs in swimming, metabolic training, and Muay Thai kickboxing in one day. How’s that for some Monday morning inspiration? Her menu sounds both super healthy and super delicious—especially that shake (and the chocolate covered coconut). Anyone else make a great morning shake they want to share?

Name: Kari

Hometown: Mystic, CT

My dietary leanings: I’ve been vegan for about 4 and a half years

My favorite vegetable: Sweet potatoes!

This morning I ate…

The usual for me – a shake with half water, half rice milk, a frozen banana, a spoonful each of peanut butter, milled flaxseeds, wheat germ, and cacao nibs,  a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, and a scoop of SunWarrior WarriorBlend chocolate protein powder (so smooth and tasty – if you’re hunting for a delicious, non-chalky plant protein powder, I highly recommend it!). I’m a personal trainer and am on the go quite a bit, so I like to load up with protein and carbs in the morning. I was ravenous after my morning metabolic training session and swimming session, so I had some walnuts, a pear, and a slice of sprouted 7-grain bread (yup, plain – just wanted some carbs!).

Then for lunch it was…

A spinach salad with pineapple chunks, red pepper slices, curried maple cashews,  and balsamic vinegar (recipe from For the Love of Salad cookbook), followed by a baked sweet potato with a bit of Earth Balance, salt, and pepper.

Finally for dinner I had…

An apple and a handful of brazil and pili nuts before heading out for muay thai kickboxing. After that, I didn’t feel much like cooking, so I made a sunflower-butter open-faced sandwich with strawberry-rhubarb jam made by my grandma.

Last but not least, dessert…

I had a few pieces (okay, maybe more like 8 to 10) of dark-chocolate-covered coconut that just came in the mail from nuts.com.

Pretty heirloom sweet potatoes via