Many elite athletes embraced a plant-based diet in the last few years, but did Usain Bolt decide to go down the same road and go vegan?
Usain Bolt is not vegan. The Olympic champion followed a rigorous diet during his sprinting heyday and ate a lot of fruits and vegetables, but never avoided consuming animal products.
Usain Bolt’s Diet
Usain Bolt revealed that he ate 1,000 chicken nuggets in 10 days while preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, so it goes without saying that he’s not vegan. His love for chicken knows no bounds, especially since jerk chicken happens to be one of the most popular traditional dishes in his home country of Jamaica.
The days of eating 100 chicken nuggets a day are long behind him, but what did his diet look like after he won two gold medals in Beijing? He discussed his meal plan with GQ in 2015 and revealed he adjusted his diet to eat more vegetables and protein.
Bolt said that he normally starts his day with an egg sandwich, while his lunch includes pasta and corned beef. When it comes to dinner, he would usually go for Jamaican dumplings and roasted chicken.
The Olympic champion revealed that his diet included a lot of vegetables and fruits, such as mango, pineapple, and apples. Bolt also told GQ that he eats just enough to have the energy for training throughout the day, and tends to consume a lot of food just before going to sleep.
The Jamaican sprinter admitted that hot wings are his biggest craving, but he tries to stay away from them. His diet changed a lot over the years, but his love for chicken isn’t fading away, so it’s hard to imagine he’ll go vegan any time soon.
Restaurant Owner
In addition to being an Olympic champion, Usain Bolt is also a successful entrepreneur. He partnered up with some of the world’s top brands, started electric scooter company Bolt Mobility, and opened a restaurant chain in his home country.
Tracks & Records serves traditional Jamaican food, and it’s currently available in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios. This franchise is apparently such a huge success that Bolt even decided to expand outside of Jamaica by opening another restaurant in London.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist called Tracks & Records his favorite restaurant in an interview with CN Traveller and explained it combines the best things that Jamaica has to offer.
“Jerk chicken is our national dish and of course you can get it in so many places, but my favorite is at Tracks & Records. It’s the best – and they also do Jamaican dumplings. I love sport, I love music and I love good food. At Tracks you can do all three,” said Bolt.
Tracks & Records’ menu also makes it pretty clear that he’s not vegan. The majority of its signature dishes are meat-based, including Jamaican jerk chicken, jerk plate, and U-Burger, named after its superstar owner.
Animal Rights?
Usain Bolt worked closely with the UK charity Small Steps Project and founded his own nonprofit organization Usain Bolt Foundation. Both of these charities are focused on bettering the lives of unprivileged children, but did he express an interest in other important issues?
Many vegan celebrities also happen to be involved with environmental and animal rights activism. Bolt never expressed a firm stance on these issues, but there are hints that he may be concerned about them.
In 2018, he co-founded electric scooter company Bolt Mobility, aimed at providing “sustainable transportation solutions throughout the world.” Electric scooters are often presented as an eco-friendly alternative to other means of transportation, but it’s still up to debate if they have a positive effect on the environment.
When it comes to Bolt’s stance on animal rights, he seems to be interested in wildlife conservation efforts. Back in 2009, it was reported that he donated $13,700 to the Kenya Wildlife Service to formally adopt a cheetah cub being raised at an animal orphanage.