Way to many people try to complicate nutrition with crazy rules, food restrictions, counting calories, crash diets, 24-day "cleanse", etc.
The reality is, inherently we all know what we should and shouldn't eat. Nutrition doesn't have to be complicated, rather, just a few things to keep in mind. Remember, you don't have to be perfect. If you follow these guidelines 80% of the time - it's ok to be flexible the other 20% of the time.
Here are some basic guidelines to follow for better nutrition for performance
1. Get enough Protein
Shoot for your .75-1g of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 125lbs = ~94-125g of protein per day
Healthy Protein Sources:
2. Get more servings of fruits and vegetables
Aim to get a serving of veggies at EVERY meal, so 5-8 servings. Aim to get a serving fruit at every other meal, so 3-4 servings. Goal is to eat a wide variety of colors, don’t just stick to 1-3 kinds.
A serving of vegetables/fruits is about the size of your palm
3. Eat quality Carb sources
With your goal of sports performance, eating some extra carbs will be beneficial, especially quality sources like potatoes (white and sweet), rice, whole wheat pasta’s, squash. Carbohydrates provide the main source of energy which will be supplied during physical activity and during the recovery period. So it is especially important to have good sources of carbs before and after workouts.
Healthy Protein Sources:
- BBA Shake
- 3 oz - meat (ie - size of a deck of cards) <--- Includes beef, pork, turkey, tuna, chicken
- 3-4 eggs
- 3 cups of milk
- 2 serving of Greek yogurt
- 1.5 c - cottage cheese
- 2.5c - dried beans/peas
2. Get more servings of fruits and vegetables
Aim to get a serving of veggies at EVERY meal, so 5-8 servings. Aim to get a serving fruit at every other meal, so 3-4 servings. Goal is to eat a wide variety of colors, don’t just stick to 1-3 kinds.
A serving of vegetables/fruits is about the size of your palm
3. Eat quality Carb sources
With your goal of sports performance, eating some extra carbs will be beneficial, especially quality sources like potatoes (white and sweet), rice, whole wheat pasta’s, squash. Carbohydrates provide the main source of energy which will be supplied during physical activity and during the recovery period. So it is especially important to have good sources of carbs before and after workouts.
4. Eat healthy fats
Try to get 80-130g of fat each day.
Healthy Fat Sources:
5. Stick to Water
Try to avoid Gatorades, energy drinks, soda’s, etc. Stick to water and get at least ½ your BW in ounces of water – 200lbs = 100oz of water.
Healthy Fat Sources:
- 1/2c – Avocado 1 tbsp
- Olive Oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil) 1 tbsp
- Coconut Oil 2 tbsp
- Butter - use butter in place of margarine - 2 tbsp
- Peanut Butter – 2tbsp
- Peanuts~ 30 pieces
- Almonds ~ 1/4c
- 3 eggs (whole)
5. Stick to Water
Try to avoid Gatorades, energy drinks, soda’s, etc. Stick to water and get at least ½ your BW in ounces of water – 200lbs = 100oz of water.
Save the Gatorades and Powerades for really hot days and/or if playing multiple games or especially intense games. They are great for those times, but outside of that they come packed with excess sugars and empty calories that aren’t beneficial on normal days.
Supplement Suggestions
Supplement Suggestions
- Whey Protein: 20-30g/post workout
- Creatine: 5g/daily
- Fish Oil: 1-2g EPA+DHA
