VARIETY IS ESSENTIAL
It is important to have sufficient vitamins, minerals and protein each day - especially when you are pushing your body to its limits. Eating a wide variety of different foods from these different food groups will help you to achieve this.
Bread, other cereals and potatoes: As well as a source of carbohydrate and energy, these provide you with certain B vitamins and minerals. Eating higher fibre varieties (such as wholemeal bread, crackers and wholegrain breakfast cereals) will help to maintain a healthy digestive system.
Fruit and vegetables: All types of fruit and vegetables are good - fresh, frozen, tinned, dried. Include different fruits and vegetables to get a range of vitamins and minerals. For example, green leafy vegetables, red and orange peppers, mango and papaya, citrus fruits, pulses (beans and lentils).
Aim for at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. 1 portion is: 2 tablespoons of vegetables, a bowlful of salad, 2 small fruit (eg. plums, clementines), 1 medium fruit (eg. apple, pear), a slice of large fruit (eg. melon, pineapple), a cupful of berries or grapes, 1 tablespoon of dried fruit or a glass of fruit juice. You can only count fruit juice and pulses as a portion once a day.
Meat, fish and alternatives (eg. eggs, nuts, pulses, soya, Quorn products): Choose 2-3 portions of these foods each day. They provide protein, some B vitamins and minerals like iron. Eating adequate iron-containing foods enables your blood to carry enough oxygen to working muscles. Keep fat intake low by choosing lean cuts of meat, taking the skin off chicken and cooking without adding fat or using the minimum amount of oil (eg. rapeseed, sunflower or olive oil). Pulses are low in fat as well as high in fibre and iron. Tinned varieties, like tinned kidney beans, chick peas and butter beans are quick and easy to use - more convenient than the dried varieties.
Milk and dairy foods (eg. cheese, yogurt, fromage frais): Choose 3 portions of these foods each day. They are the main source of calcium in the diet but also provide protein and some vitamins. Go for the lower fat versions whenever you can.
DEVELOP A ROUTINE
Get used to a routine with your food and drink during training. You will find what suits you, how much you need and what is best for your performance. The worst thing you can do is to eat different foods or experiment with different fluids before Race Day - even if someone tries to convince you otherwise. Strenuous exercise, or even just nerves on the day, may upset your stomach, so you don't want to add to this by changing your eating habits too.
MEAL IDEAS
BREAKFAST
- Cereals with dried or chopped fresh or tinned fruit, semi-skimmed milk and low fat yoghurt
- Toasted teacakes, crumpets or English muffins with polyunsaturated spread and honey, jam or marmalade
- Bagels with low fat cream cheese and banana
- Thick sliced bread with polyunsaturated spread and baked beans, mushrooms and tomatoes
- Fruit juice or semi-skimmed milk to drink
SNACK MEALS
- Thick cut sandwiches. Fill with lean meats, reduced fat cheeses, tuna, salad, raisins, chopped apple, nuts and seeds (toasted sunflower seeds, pine kernels)
- Use different breads and rolls - white, wholemeal, granary, with nuts or seeds, rye bread, French sticks, ciabatta, pitta bread
- Pasta or rice salads, tabbouleh (bulgar wheat or couscous salad)
- Jacket potatoes with baked beans, tuna, vegetable chilli
- Go easy on the mayonnaise and dressings. Look out for the lower fat versions or give it a miss
- Pizza. Choose low fat toppings without too much cheese but lots of veg like peppers and sweetcorn. Make your own mini pizzas using English muffins or rolls as the base
QUICK MAIN MEALS
- Mix pasta with tomato based pasta sauces and vegetables like carrots, courgettes, leeks, broccoli spears, tinned beans and cooked chicken, tuna, prawns, bacon, ham or lean mince
- Stir fry chicken or turkey with vegetables like bean sprouts, pak choi, peppers, baby corn, mangetout, chinese leaves, spring onions and loads of egg noodles
- Whilst cooking a jacket potato and roasting vegetables (like red onion, tomatoes, aubergine, garlic, olives, thyme and a little olive oil), use the oven to bake a portion of fish or chicken in foil
- Add a mixture of frozen vegetables towards the end of cooking your rice. After draining just stir in some tinned beans, cubes of cheese or tinned fish
SNACKS
- Popcorn, pretzels, breadsticks, dried fruit, unsalted nuts, cereal or breakfast bars, plain biscuits or cakes, breakfast cereal (with milk or by the handful), fruit bread, currant buns, scones, teacakes, malt loaf, crumpets, bagels, English muffins, scotch pancakes, toast or sandwiches, low fat yoghurt or low fat custard and fruit, crackers with reduced fat cheese spread, cartons or cans of Ambrosia low fat rice pudding.
