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| Basic portion control for a healthy meal. |
- Lifestyle & Physique : Similar to how your daily caloric intake is determined by a set factors, your meal plan should be based around who you are as a biological organism and as an athlete. As yourself: "What does this food have and how am I going to use it?" You don't eat foods high in calcium simply because the Nutrition Facts label says it helps fulfill a seemingly arbitrary daily requirement. No, you understand that as a growing young adult, it is important to consume plenty of calcium to build strong bones and teeth. You also consider when to eat a specific amount of a macronutrient. For example, if you've got a big game after a meal, you should focus on loading up on carbs for quick energy.
- Breakfast : A healthy breakfast should be high in fiber and protein. The fiber stabilizes your blood sugar so it doesn't spike during the day. Both fiber and protein keeps you full throughout the day while providing long, sustained energy. If you're eating a lot of carbs, then try to eat as little fats as possible. A high intake of carbs causes glucose levels in your blood to rise. This causes the pancreas to produce insulin, which makes body tissue to use sugars exclusively as energy. This leaves any consumed fat to be stored in the body. It's also important to eat vitamins and minerals involved with energy conversion in your breakfast, such as thiamin or riboflavin, which help the body use energy efficiently.
- Eating Around Exercise : Before exercise, your food portions should get smaller as the activity draws nearer. Large meals should be eaten at least 3-4 hours before exercise, small meals should be eaten 2-3 hours before, and small snacks should be eaten within 1 hour of the activity. The foods you should eat varies depending on your activity. As a general rule, carbs should comprise a majority of your meals before exercise, as they provide quick energy. To help muscle recovery and replenish glycogen in your body, eat a combination of carbs and protein within 2 hours after said activity.
From there on, it's all about your lifestyle. Some people choose to eat the standard 3 meals a day, while others prefer up to 5. Count your calories and monitor your nutrient intake, and adjust if necessary. The key to choosing the right diet is how you feel.
Example Day #1: The Student Athlete
Breakfast
- Whole grain cereal: a good cereal has at least 5 grams of fiber and no more than 5 grams of sugar. Some cereals have whole grains other than oats and wheat. Most of these grains are high in protein as well. Tastes too much like cardboard? Either man up or add fruit for flavor.
- A glass of skim milk or orange juice: milk is rich in a bunch of vital nutrients, and boosts energy as well as alertness. Vitamin C in orange juice helps the body absorb the calcium and iron in your cereal. Orange juice has a lot of antioxidants as well.
- A small serving of fruit: a cup of strawberries or a banana will do.
Lunch
- Deli sandwich: pick a lean meat, like chicken or ham. Load up on as much veggies as you like; just go easy on the condiments. Remember to use whole grain bread.
- Salad: For the main greens, opt for romaine over iceberg lettuce. It has far more vitamins and minerals. In fact, your salad should be a rainbow of mixed veggies and fruits to cover the whole spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The only thing that can go wrong with a salad is its toppings. So show some restraint when adding dressing or bacon bits.
- Fruits: Eat a variety of fruits for lunch! Chances are, you'll be exercising before or after lunch, so it's important to stock up on sugar. As for post-exercise fruits, some prevail over others. Fruits such as pineapple and papaya contain enzymes that help break down protein and reduce inflammation to help you recover.
Dinner
- Pork tenderloin or lean beef fillet: Tasty, high-protein, rich in vitamins and minerals. Enjoy. (Just don't overcook it.)
- Mixed vegetables: Steamed veggies should be preferred over stir-fried. You don't need the extra oils.
- Healthy starches: Make starches healthier buy adding your own ingredients. Mash in some extra vegetables with your mashed potatoes, or cook a mixture of whole grains instead of plain rice.
Snacks
- The first thing you should reach for are fruits and vegetables. You can never go wrong with those. If you're feeling hungry, eat a handful of nuts or some whole grains.
Example Day #2: Grazing on Mother Nature
Morning- Cottage cheese & berries: You've got your protein & fiber for a breakfast that will produce slow and steady levels of blood sugar. And you'll feel like Lil' Red Riding Hood in the forest. Congratulations.
- Low-fat yogurt & granola: Keep the yogurt plain, preferably greek, and then add fruit for flavor. Your yogurt and granola should be low fat — remember, the high sugar in the yogurt causes your blood sugar to spike, telling your body to store fat.
- Fruit & toast: Another perfect combination. By now you should automatically think "whole grain" whenever you see a source of carbs. But especially for this diet, you bread should have large and distinct grains and seeds. Heck, why not just replace your toast with raw grains and seeds. Yeah.
Midday
- Tofu: a great substitute for meat. It lowers LDL levels and helps prevent cancer. If tofu is too gelatinous, just eat plan soybeans.
- Turkey/chicken breast: These lean meats can be prepared in a variety of ways; their versatility on the plate makes for an excellent main dish. Just be sure to buy them as natural as it gets. No preservatives, no additives, and no growth-hormones. Cover them up in greens for that hippie flair you always wanted.
- Beans: Beans, beans, the magical fruit. Except they aren't fruits, but rather legumes. These magical legumes have fiber and protein in one package. They also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, lowers the risk of cancer and heart disease, and improves health of the prostate and bones, among many other benefits.
- Fruits & veggies: You know the drill, pile them on! Make a salad, blend them into a smoothie, throw them in with your entrées — eat 'em up! While we're on the subject of produce, it's important to eat the best. Some fruits are better than others. Better how? On having more vitamins, having less sugar, having a variety of micronutrients — you'll have to decide for yourself. Do some research and compare different produce to maximize your nutrition.
- Seared fish: Fish is a delicacy from the sea — and a very healthy one at that. Fish is loaded with protein, omega-3s, and many, many nutrients such as calcium and iron. The nutrients found in fish benefit your heart, brain, and immune system. Be careful, though. Some species of fish, as well as farmed fish, are high in mercury and other nasty contaminants. Wild salmon and farmed rainbow trout are some of the most nutritious and cleanest fish out there. Remember to use unsaturated, non-hydrogenated oils such as olive oil to sear you fillet. Or you can eat it raw. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe.
- Exotic grains: Replace your boring rice with something more exotic and healthy. Kamut is high if vitamin E, omega fatty acids, and contains 40% more protein than wheat. Quinoa is loaded with manganese, an important component of many enzymes involved in critical functions.
- Super Salad: Replace the old romaine lettuce with nutrient-rich spinach or alfalfa sprouts. If you must have dressing, lightly coat your salad with olive oil for a dose of healthy monounsaturated fats.
Snacks
- A smorgasbord of fruits and nuts will keep you full and energized, all the while providing a wide range of micronutrients and antioxidants.
Example Day #3: Master Chef
Breakfast
- Eggs benedict: Low-fat yogurt with a dash of lemon juice and hot sauce makes a fine substitute for the traditional fat-filled hollandaise sauce. Now you've got a delicious, nutritious main course: you've got fiber from the English muffin, lean protein from the Canadian bacon, a host of antioxidants, omega-3s, and iron from the egg, and enough vitamins and minerals to fill a textbook in the spinach. Just limit yourself to 3 eggs a week to keep your cholesterol in check. If a slice of Canadian bacon is too little, add a salmon fillet for a heart-healthy substitute.
- Acai berries & oatmeal: The acai berry is perhaps the king of all fruits. It's packed in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. The oatmeal will keep you full throughout the day — it'll stick to your stomach like dried cement.
Lunch
- Shrimp tacos: Shrimp is one of the leanest proteins you can eat, and is a great source of vitamin B12 and D, which aids in growth of new cells and the protection of bones. Switch the cheese and sour cream for some antioxidant-rich salsa or heart-healthy guacamole. Opt for corn tortillas over flour — they have 50% more fiber and half the calories.
- Caesar salad: By now you should be familiar with salad-etiquette. Go easy on the dressing, choose your greens wisely, and top it with lean protein, such as grilled chicken or seared tuna.
Dinner
- Pizza: The thinner the crust, the better. Top it with healthy ingredients, like pineapple, artichokes, chicken breast, or spinach. Be sure to use natural cheese. If you're going to top it with pepperoni, go for the turkey version, which has half the calories an a third of the fat. And boy, does pepperoni have fat.
- Tomato & cheese with toasted rye: Much classier than bread and butter, rye is loaded with fiber and micronutrients such as manganese, selenium, and tryptophan. It helps you feel better and perform better. Tomatoes are 95% water and loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants, which makes for a topping thats easy on your gut, but hard on disease. And don't be afraid to go full-fat cheese (just eat sparingly). Unlike low-fat cheeses, the full-fat counterpart is an excellent source of casein, one of the best muscle-building proteins in food.
- Milk: This is more of a magic potion than a typical beverage. Milk builds muscle; strengthens bones; helps prevent arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes; signals to body when to store and burn fat; protects against viruses; and keeps you alert and energized. Milk can be in any on of your meals, snacks, and even desserts — and it's always beneficial. Just remember, if you're watching you fat intake, drink skim milk.
Snacks
- Hummus on whole wheat: Aside from the usual fruits, veggies, and nuts, if you're feeling extra hungry, try spreading some hummus on whole wheat crackers or pita bread. The fiber and manganese keeps your blood sugar in check. This low-fat, low calorie spread is great for any snack or meal.
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Zinczenko, David, and Matt Goulding. Eat This, Not That! New York: Rodale, 2008. Print.
Zinczenko, David, and Matt Goulding. Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide New York: Rodale, 2009. Print.
Zinczenko, David, and Matt Goulding. Eat This, Not That! The Best (& Worst) Foods in America! New York: Rodale, 2008. Print.
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