CrossFitter Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr Goes Vegan for a Day With James Newbury
In late 2019, CrossFit Games veteran James Newbury revealed that he became fully vegan after following a plant-based diet for approximately four months. It was a decision that he contemplated since 2013, as he did not like how animals used for food production were treated and wanted to contribute to a healthier environment.
Fast-forward to 2021 and five-time Fittest Women on Earth®, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and her husband and coach, Shane Orr, invite Newbury to their home for a full day of vegan eats. Toomey-Orr does not follow a vegan diet, but after a day of scrumptious eats whipped up by the 2021 CrossFit Games Demo Team member, it seems to be a future possibility. Check out their day of eating that featured many a bagel, a lot of almond butter, smoothies galore, and more:
This particular day was one of recovery training for Toomey-Orr, so it was presumably easier to manage a stark diet change while still hitting her macros. During the CrossFit Open season, Toomey-Orr will train up to five hours per day. That’s a lot of activity, and the caloric needs to sustain that can be high. For reference, here is the macronutrient breakdown Toomey-Orr aimed for during the 2020 CrossFit Open season:
Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr’s Daily Macros
Toomey-Orr stands five feet, four inches tall, and weighs 135 pounds:
- Calories: 2,500
- Protein: 140-150 grams
- Carbs: 230-250 grams
- Fat: 65-70 grams
Toomey normally sources her protein from animals or animal products. Newbury eased the reigning CrossFit Games champion into the day of eating with a breakfast textured like what she’s used to — part savory, part sweet.
Breakfast
Newbury sliced a bagel in half and loaded both sides with almond butter. The similarities end there. The savory slice included alfalfa sprouts, sliced tofu — referred to Toomey-Orr as “tofu bacon” for how Newbury sizzled it on the skillet. Orr spiced up his plate with a few spritzes of vegan hot sauce.
For the sweet slice, Newbury tacked on raspberry jam and banana in addition to the almond butter. The meal was finished with a handful of blueberries and blackberries.
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Note: the video did not specify calorie or macros breakdowns for each meal.
[Related: 14 CrossFit Games Women Reveal Their Daily Macros]
Although Toomey-Orr has never followed a fully vegan diet before, she has dabbled in non-meat days. Orr shared that during their prep for the CrossFit Games, Toomey-Orr will have a “non-meat or non-red meat day” on her active recovery day each week.
Lunch
Newbury received high praise for the flavors he brought to breakfast, so the bar was raised somewhat for lunch. He met the moment by making smoothies that are normally thick enough to be smoothie bowls. They consisted of:
- Bananas
- Mango
- Mixed Berries
- Plant-Based Protein Powder
- Peanut Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Oat Milk
- Salt
In addition to the smoothies, he made a stir-fry bowl of rice and Beyond Meat® topped with seared kale and chopped nori sheets. Toomey-Orr was not only a fan but joked that this meal could replace her favorite dish of steak and chips (read: french fries).
Very filling. Very satisfying. That’s all you need in a meal.
They bridged the gap between lunch and dinner with a small snack bowl consisting of acai, mangos, blueberries, raspberries, passion fruit, hemp protein powder, and aloe vera blended with oat milk.
Dinner was the largest meal of the day as it was a combination of the main dish and a dessert.
Dinner
- Gluten-free Pasta
- Vegan Meat Tomato Sauce
- Nutritional Yeast
- Alfalfa Sprouts
For dessert, Newbury blended up an avocado mousse in the blender by combining four avocados, raw chocolate, salt, and maple syrup (with the option for some vanilla or cinnamon). He topped with raspberries, cacao butter, and raw cacao.
Feeling Full
Newbury and Toomey-Orr both dislike eating six or seven smaller meals per day as they are less efficient and don’t line up well with their schedules. Bigger meals are more convenient in their opinions. When asked if Toomey-Orr could be a vegan, she responded affirmatively:
Honestly, if James cooked for me every single day, absolutely.
Toomey-Orr felt satiated through her full day of training. Both she and Orr were impressed with how much variety there was to the meals Newbury made.
Whether or not Toomey-Orr will adopt a vegan diet in the future is not entirely clear, but the potential is on the table. We’ll see if her diet for the 2022 CrossFit Games season is the same as years past or if Newbury’s cooking inspired a change.
Featured image: @jamesnewbury on Instagram and Tia-Clair Toomey & Shane Orr’s YouTube channel