Surprisingly, I did not qualify as the biggest cynic when Houston running back Arian Foster revealed he was turning to a vegan diet.

He’s quirky for sure, which I like, but he’s also developed into quite a pro. He’s not going to make such a big change without plotting it out and researching it. He’s not going to change his diet in a way that affects his play negatively right after he got a big contract.

Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle takes a broader look at the diet change today.

“…Texans dietician Roberta Anding, came to Foster’s defense, saying that while he may be seen as an outlier now, he’s arguably the prototypical pro athlete of the future. Anding expresses no concern about Foster’s ability to meet his caloric needs, sans meat and dairy products. The health advantages of a plant-based diet are myriad and well-documented.

‘Arian has been one of these guys I call a seeker, looking for optimum nutrition and variety,’ Anding said. ‘In my working with him, he has been open to a lot of strategies to get him where he needs to be, not only as a professional football player but, more importantly, as an adult man who has a child and a wife. That’s the new NFL player. I don’t think Arian is unique.’”

Anding has much bigger concerns about cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who admits he’s not had his first salad and loves fried food.

I feel the same way about Joseph that I do about Foster: He’s a very good professional and a very good football player.

If the diet starts to impact his play, he’ll alter it.