- Start with a healthy breakfast. Eating first thing in the morning helps to energize the body and get your brain working in high gear. Include food from 3 of the 4 food groups and be sure one of them is the Grain group. Eating carbohydrates here is very important as you will have depleted your stored energy as you slept throughout the night.
- Eat regular meals and snacks. Try to eat about every 3-4 hours. This helps to maintain a stable state of energy for active working muscles. Keep in mind the difference between a healthy snack and a treat.
- Include a lean protein source such as skinless poultry, lean beef or pork or fish at each meal. Try nuts and seeds, dairy and beans as alternatives sometimes. This helps meet our nutrition requirements, but also helps to slow the rate of digestion and provide a sustained energy release over time. Be sure to stick to an appropriate portion size. Protein is not an unlimited food item.
- Try to include a variety of foods and don’t make the same choices every day. Change it up a little bit. The wider the variety of food, the more likely you are to meet your nutrient needs.
- Load up on vegetables.
- Opt for whole grains when choosing carbs. Typically look for whole wheat breads, fibre rich cereals and crackers and try brown rice, barley or other grains every once and a while.
- Watch your fat intake but don’t over restrict. Include healthy fats such as olive or canola oil, nuts and seeds and fish.
- Hydrate – a minimum of 8 glasses of hydrating fluids per day, plus extra before, during and after your workouts and training sessions.
Most very active athletes can require almost double the food that the average population needs to stay fueled and ready for their next game or work out. The chart below will help you determine the potential amounts of each food group you should aim for if you are in heavy training or competition.