It makes sense that in order to become a record-breaking, touchdown-scoring, yard-grinding athlete, you have to pay attention to how you’re fueling your body. Although some people may need meat as their main dish, did you know that NFL players including Bennie Fowler, Trent Williams, Demaryius Thomas, and Deuce Lutui have turned to plant-based diets to power their plays? We typically think of a linebacker lining table with meat, starches and foods laden with lots of fat and calories to build muscle, endurance and sustain satiety. But these and other professional athletes are increasingly exploring the power of a plant based diet, finding ways to fuel with fewer animal-based foods.

These pros are ditching meat, fish, cheese, and eggs for fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains. That means they’re for foods that are high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, instead of artery clogging fatty and cholesterol rich foods. And while The Centers for Disease Control says NFL linemen in particular have a 52 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than the general population, specifically because they spend their careers gorging on burgers and meats, the switch to veganism doesn’t come without skepticism from fellow-players and fans who think football and animal-free eating just don’t mix.

While according to a 2016 Harris Interactive Poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group about 3.7 million American adults are identified as following a vegan diet. People typically go to plants to lose weight, improve heart health, “clean up” their diet, or improve the environment… not improve performance on the field. But in addition to health benefits like decreased risk for heart disease and colorectal cancer, as well as decreased blood sugar, some people will experience real field-gains from a vegan diet. That’s because, according to Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, vegan diets can help promote increased energy, improve blood and oxygen flow which helps repair torn muscles and tendons faster, and speed up recovery from training and injuries.

But maintaining weight is important for these pro football players. How many calories might a tight end need on a daily basis? According to CBS Sports, professional NFL players consume anywhere from 6000-9000 calories a day during season, looking for a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fat – much like any athlete. For an NFL player that looks like eating high-in-plant-protein meals and snacks every two hours. That might look like 2 dozen oat blueberry pancakes with a large almond milk avocado smoothie for breakfast, nuts, fruit, and lots of vegan protein smoothies or hummus and veggies for a snack, a whole grain bean burrito and roasted vegetable salad with corn bread for lunch and a cauliflower pizza topped with all the veggies for dinner. A peanut butter banana oatmeal muffin for a snack before bed with some herbal tea for better digestion.

What about for your athlete at home? Whether you have a child playing on the high school football team or a gymnast, dancer, swimmer or skeet ball enthusiast, young athletes are as always influenced by what they see in the professional arena. So when four months after tweeting that he had stopped eating animal foods, Arian Foster was running more yards on the field than nearly any other player in the NFL (over 650 yards and 9 touchdowns), leaf-eating started looking attractive for young athletes everywhere. Or at least, made skeptics stop short in their tracks, and make some sports-loving kids and their chefs take pause.

If you have concerns about your child’s interest in vegan eats, the same rules apply as with nutrition in general. Eating a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat is key. But before getting into the nitty-gritty of macronutrients, determining a young athlete’s calorie needs is key. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that girls between 14 and 18 years old eat between 1,800 and 2,400 calories per day while suggesting that boys in the same age category need 2,000 to 3,200 calories daily. The more active the young athlete is, the most calories they need to consume.

Teenagers involved in sports should be getting 130-160 grams of carbohydrates a day, which is about 45-60% of their total calories, according to the Canadian Paediatric Society. In both vegan and non-vegan diets, the majority of carbohydrates should come from minimally processed foods that are high in protein and nutrients like whole grain breads and pasta, brown rice, legumes, and vegetables.

The rest of a young athlete’s diet should come from 30% of good fats like olive oil, omega-3 fatty acids, seeds, nuts, and avocados. And lots of protein. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, young athletes should be getting .5 grams of protein for every pound of weight. So a teen weighing 100 pounds should get 50 grams of protein, while a teen weighing 160 pounds should consume 80 grams of protein. If your teen athlete is interested in a plant-based approach, try to encourage inclusion of great tasting and protein plant-based foods featuring ingredients like green peas, quinoa, nuts, chickpeas, edamame, hemp, seeds, and more. Be sure to read food labels to see what you’re really getting.

If you’re hesitant to start your athlete on a vegan diet or they simply love the occasional burgers too much, consider suggesting the 80/20 plan that Tony Gonzalez uses– 80 percent plant-based foods, and 20 percent animal protein that mostly comes from fish and chicken. Just look at his stats over the last 5 years and you’ll know it’s working for him: he’s as strong as ever, hardly ever comes out of the game, and has double-digit touchdowns.

Below are some fun snacks that are great for all athletes, vegetarian, vegan or otherwise… and they make fantastic game day appetizers when couch-gating at home:

Disclosure: I partnered with Sabra Hummus to bring you this post and the opinions are my own.