3 balanced meals to nourish, fuel and satisfy

As an athlete, you have unique nutrition needs compared to the inactive. The interrelated roles of macro- and micronutrients, along with hydration, impact your health and physiology.

As an example:
 • Water is needed to maintain body temperature, remove wastes and lubricate your joints. 

 • Carbohydrates provide energy for your muscles, maintain blood glucose levels and fuel the central nervous system. 

 • Proteins are the building blocks of your muscles and help with rapid recovery. 

 • Fat is an essential nutrient that provides energy while supporting body functions necessary for human health. 

 • Vitamins and minerals optimize immune system health and provide the flame to metabolic reactions to help you turn food into energy during exercise. 

No single food will help boost your health or performance but instead, it’s the synergistic role of all the foods in your diet that affects the functioning of your body during exercise. Your diet should be periodized just like your training.

In the off-season (base phase), you should be creating a foundation diet - a well-balanced, satisfying, nutrient-dense style of eating to support your training needs. From here, you can adjust your carbohydrates, snacks and nutrient timing based on increasing training volume and intensity. 

To help you get started, here are three meal ideas with 60g carbs, 30g protein and 15g fat. Snacks should look like mini meals. 

For more recipes and fueling advice, check out my book Essential Sports Nutrition on Amazon.