The Engine 2 Diet

• Where will I get my protein?
  Calorie for calorie, some of the best sources of protein come from plants (baby spinach is 51% protein).
• It's too expensive.
  Most people find they are saving 25% on their grocery bills. It's not necessary to buy organic.
• I don't have time to cook.
  Most of the recipes in The Engine 2 Diet are super easy and take a minimal amount of time to prepare. In addition, I'm a big fan of leftovers for lunch the next day and even dinner.
• What will I eat?
  99% of the food on the planet comes from plant-based sources. A measly 1% comes from animal based sources. There is a wonderful world of plants out there waiting for you to say hello and become their friend.  

Do you remember back to when you first started eating a plant-based diet? If so, what were the difficulties you had in transitioning? 
My parents started eating this way in 1984 when my father started his research to show people they could prevent and reverse their heart disease. I was away at college but when I came home for the holidays I kept getting exposed to this "new" way of eating. By 1987, it made complete sense for not only health reasons but also to enhance my performance and give me the edge as I started a career as a professional tri-athlete. I've never looked back.

What's your favorite go-to meal for days when there's not much time to cook? 
Breakfast: The first recipe in my book; Rip's big bowl. I've been eating this 4-5 days a week for over 20 years and love, love, love it.

• 1/4 cup raw old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup whole-grain cereal
• 1/4 cup bite-size shredded wheat
• 1/4 cup high fiber-cereal
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
• 2 tbsps raisins
• 1/2 handful of walnuts
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 kiwi, sliced
• Segments of one grapefruit and juice
• 3/4 cup milk substitute of choice

Toss all ingredients except the grapefruit and milk substitute into a bowl. After cutting the grapefruit in half, use a small, sharp knife to remove the segments. Add the segments to the top of the bowl and sueeze in the juice. Top the bowl with milk substitute.

Lunch: Leftovers from dinner stuffed in several pita pockets. 
Dinner: Black beans and brown rice extravaganza: simple yet amazing.

Click here for an outline of the 4-week Engine 2 Diet.
Click here to see 3 firefighers who are now Dr. Oz and Engine 2 success stories and here to read Rip's reaction to their success.