I'm a proud omnivore. I firmly believe that eating a balanced, "whole-foods" diet is the key to both long-term health and improved running performance.

But the issue isn't which diet is best, but the results that a certain diet can give to you.

Over the past decade, I've been borderline obsessed with discovering the optimal diet for running performance.

I've read many of the best diet books, interviewed Registered Dietitians, pro athletes, and best-selling diet authors:

• Q&A Podcast with Anne Mauney MPH, RD
• How elite OCR athlete Kimber Mattox fuels her running
• Matt Fitzgerald on "The Endurance Diet"
• How pro marathoner Ariana Hilborn eats

I've also heard first hand from elite runners, USA Track & Field instructors, and world-class coaches about the best approaches to eating for endurance runners.

And they all include meat.

But… not one person (anywhere) thinks we should eat a meat-based diet.

Whether you're vegan or an omnivore like myself, we should all eat a plant-based diet. Here are 3 strategies that work well for me.