Jesse Lingard says going vegan left him ‘starving’ during games

J Lingz is trying to do away with meat things

Jesse Lingard says he is transitioning to a more plant-based ahead of the new football season - but admits the process hasn't been easy. Last season, Lingard impressed on loan at West Ham, scoring nine times in just 16 games after joining the East Londoners in the January 2021 transfer window. He helped guide David Moyes' side to sixth place in the table, securing Europa League qualification in the process. [caption id="attachment_278142" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Jesse Lingard with West Ham teammate Declan Rice. Lingard was in hugely impressive form for David Moyes' side last season, bagging nine goals in 16 games. (Photo by Justin Tallis - Pool/Getty Images)[/caption] Moyes made it his number one goal to try and secure the Manchester United man's services on a full-time basis, but his parent club also took notice of his sensational form. Reports in the media have linked Lingard with a new, bumper contract at Old Trafford - and the 28-year-old has already begun putting the hard yards in ahead of the upcoming season. Admitting it was "emotional" to miss out on England's Euro 2020 squad, Lingard has begun his pre-season fitness training already and has also set about revamping his nutrition too. Lingard is attempting to transition to a more plant-based diet, but admits the process hasn't been easy. He said: "At first, I tried to go fully vegan straight away, but after five days, I found I was starving during a game. "Plant-based foods are always going to be a good fuel component and put you into a really good mode going into a game, so I'm making sure to have as much as possible." https://www.instagram.com/p/CQRcd6apP_-/ Instead, Lingard is making the move to a plant-based diet through small steps instead of the big leap he originally - and mistakenly - attempted. Basing most of his meals on plant-based protein with the occasional animal source thrown in, this approach has been described as 'flexitarian'. Although he is still attempting to transition to a vegan diet, Lingard's pre-match meal is one of the few occasions when he still opts for meat. He said: "Ahead of a game I tend to have scrambled eggs and chicken and broccoli pasta." Lingard's typical match day meal plan consists of a mixture of carbohydrates and proteins; scrambled eggs, chicken, broccoli, pasta, potatoes with bananas and American pistachios as snacks. In terms of in-game nutrition, Lingard prefers whole foods rather than energy gel supplements given to him by the club. "They give us energy gels to take but I rarely do," he admits. During a game, whilst many players use energy gels to aid performance, Lingard sticks to fruit and nuts for fuel. "I take pistachios to games and snack on them at half time to refuel me and give me the good protein I need on a match day." Jesse Lingard is a brand ambassador for American Pistachio Growers. To learn more about the game-changing nutritional benefits of American pistachios, go to www.americanpistachios.org