1. Do some research. (Or just read below because I did it for you!)
Check out my article called Nutrition 101: The Vegan Athlete. This post goes into detail about major nutrients to be aware of in a vegan diet.
2. Eat enough (...of the right foods)
Eating enough is one of the most important things to do as a plant based athlete. As a teenager, your metabolism is already at it's fastest, add being vegan (where plant based foods tend to be lower in calorie) AND add being an athlete, your body is going to be constantly in need of nutrition! It can be seriously harmful to athletes when they aren't eating enough- it's happened to me! My performance decreased, I was always tired and I even got stress fractures.
Don't be afraid to listen to your body - It's smart! And don't forget to feed your body fuel. Reaching for a bag of Oreos before a workout is not the food your body needs.
3. Find fast energy
As I previously started to mention, an athletes body will respond well when fed food that will energize it. Usually that means "fast energy" foods that are higher in fast metabolizing carbs, such as:
-dates (magic energy)
-coconut water (liquid magic energy)
-bars (Bars are great because they are energizing due to the fruit but also satiating due to the nuts, so these are a great after school pre workout snack. My favorite energy bars are Lara Bars.)
4. Know what foods to eat and when
A big problem I had when I started getting into fitness more a few years back was that I didn't really change my protein intake. While I didn't have to work as hard to get in protein before my activity increase, I now have to pay a conscience effort. Protein is great to have after a workout while fast metabolizing carbs, like fruit, are better before a workout.
--> Eat foods like beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, lentils or vegan protein powders after workouts
5. Listen to your body
Like I said before, your body is incredibly smart. Listen to it when it's hungry and stop when it's full. Also, listen to your cravings! If your body is telling you, "No! Not another salad for dinner! I want pasta!" Feed your body that big yummy pasta dish with a vegetable filled tomato sauce on top!
The great thing about eating a diet full of whole plant based foods (and by this I mean foods that are in their whole form rather than processed) is that you don't have to worry about having too much of a certain nutrient, like fats or sugars. If you want a whole avocado with your dinner, eat the whole avocado! If you wanted two apples for a snack, eat them both! These foods are so full of nutrients, unlike their processed counterparts (like getting fat from french fries or sugar from soda) so you don't have to worry about eating too much of a certain nutrient. Trust your body!