As a distance runner, I know that the food I eat directly correlates to how I feel and perform as an athlete. Each main food group and every vitamin helps with athletic performance in a specific way, from protein for muscle recovery, to iron that helps carry oxygen in red blood cells throughout the body.
While there are plenty of protein powders and supplements for athletes that promise great results, performing at your best starts with eating nutritious foods every day. This athlete’s guide to the grocery store includes my grocery list staples that keep me healthy and performing at my best as a distance runner.
[See: Supplements for Athletes.]
Dairy for Athletes
Dairy sometimes gets a bad rap for being inflammatory, causing skin and stomach problems and more. But if you can tolerate it, there are so many dairy foods that can help with performance and recovery.
For example, it’s no myth that chocolate milk can be an incredible recovery drink. It’s full of protein, which is necessary for muscle recovery, and contains carbohydrates and electrolytes. Dan Benardot, registered dietitian and Olympic team nutritionist, explains that milk is an optimal recovery beverage, not just because it contains protein and carbohydrates, but because it specifically contains high amounts of an amino acid called leucine.
“Protein in milk has a little bit more of the amino acid leucine than many other proteins. And leucine is a muscle protein synthesis stimulator, so it stimulates tissues to take up nutrients so that they can recover and grow,” says Benardot.
Other dairy foods can be great sources of protein as well. According to the USDA, a cup of small-curd cottage cheese contains 25 grams of protein, and Greek yogurt contains about 12 grams of protein per 150-gram container. Some Greek yogurts have added protein and can contain 20 or 30 grams in a small cup.
Dairy also contains calcium, which is a mineral that helps build and rebuild bone. Getting enough calcium in your diet can help prevent some bone-related sports injuries like stress fractures.
[Read: What Are the Best Foods for Building Muscle?]
Meat and Non-Meat Protein
Exercising muscles causes micro-tears in muscle fibers that have to be rebuilt with the help of protein. In addition to dairy products, there are meat and non-meat food options, as well as an overwhelming number of protein supplements and powders to choose from.
“I highly recommend whole foods first. The protein powders and the other supplements are for when don’t have access to food or if you’re on the go,” says Ashley Harpst, a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition.
Harpst recommends eggs, lean meats like chicken and fish, milk and yogurt as go-to protein options.
However, it’s still possible for athletes who choose to eat only plant-based foods to get enough protein. For example, leucine, the amino acid that’s present in milk that is particularly helpful at rebuilding muscle, is also found in high quantities in chickpeas.
Other plant-based proteins for athletes include:
— Tempeh, a soybean-based meat alternative that has 31 grams of protein per cup.
— Tofu, a versatile soy-based protein that has 20 grams of protein per cup.
— Pea protein, which is often sold as a powder and can be used to make protein smoothies or protein-packed baked goods.
— Lentils and other beans. Cooked, a cup of lentils contains about 18 grams of protein.
— Nuts and nut butters. ½ cup of almonds contains about 15 grams of protein.
Studies have shown that most Americans eat far more protein than they need in a day, and many people eat the bulk of that protein in one large meal at dinner. However, there’s a limit on the amount of protein that a person can actually absorb at one sitting. That limit varies by person, but for athletes often tops out around 25 grams.
While it’s important to include protein-rich foods in your diet, especially in the half hour immediately after exercise, it’s not helpful to overdo your protein intake since your body can’t absorb the extra. Eating excess protein can actually cause worsened body odor because ammonia, one of the byproducts of protein metabolism, will be released via your sweat and can smell unpleasant.
[Read: Plant-Based Diets for Athletes.]
Fruits and Vegetables for Athletic Performance
An apple a day isn’t going to be enough to get all the vitamins and nutrients that an athlete needs from fruits and vegetables. Additionally, one of the most important things that Benardot advises is to make sure you’re eating a wide variety of foods, not just the same thing every day.
In order to get the phytonutrients I need from fruits and vegetables while sticking to a grocery budget, I often choose the fresh produce that’s on sale and in-season, adding frozen fruits for smoothies and frozen vegetables when produce options are slim.
Benardot says that this approach to eating seasonally-available produce will help us get the nutrients we need, when we need them.
For example, the orange squash, pumpkin and carrots that are in-season during the fall all contain beta-carotene, which our body turns into vitamin A. The good news is that vitamin A is stored in adipose, or fat tissue, and can last for months. So eating that orange squash while it’s in season will help you have enough vitamin A to last through the winter season.
Tart cherry juice is one fruit favorite for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s been shown to improve recovery time by reducing oxidative stress and excess inflammation that hinder recovery. Just remember that one food isn’t going to be a magic bullet for recovery. All of the foods you eat contribute to your inflammation and oxidative stress levels, and therefore your recovery.
Some other fruit and vegetables favorites for athletes include:
— Bananas. High in potassium, these can be a great pre-workout food to help prevent muscle cramps.
— Beets. These red root vegetables have antioxidant effects and have been shown in studies to improve athletic performance.
— Blueberries. These small-but-mighty berries have been shown to have benefits for your whole body, and they are a good source of fiber and antioxidants. Add them to Greek yogurt for a post-workout breakfast.
— Dark green leafy vegetables. Chard, kale, spinach and broccoli have so many important nutrients, including iron. To get the most out of these vegetables, blanch them in boiling water and add lemon juice on top, says Benardot. This will help you absorb more iron from vegetables than eating them raw.
Sports Drinks and Hydration for Athletes
It’s true that some sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade contain a high percentage of the recommended daily amount of added sugars. But for athletes that are working out and sweating for long periods of time, sports drinks can be an important part of their workouts and practices because they have fast-acting carbohydrates and electrolytes.
“I like Gatorade because it’s higher in sodium. And that’s very important because when you’re sweating, you lose sodium, which is key for muscle function. Your muscles can’t contract without it,” says Harpst.
She says not to be afraid of the sugar in sports drinks.
“I know some people are scared because it has sugar, but sugar is okay for exercise because you need the sugars to absorb that electrolytes that help your body retain fluid.”
Homemade Gatorade sports drink
If you’re worried about the added sugars, flavorings and colors, you can also make your own homemade “Gatorade,” says Harpst. To make it, combine:
— ¾ cup coconut water.
— ¾ cup pineapple juice.
— Half of a lime.
— ¼ teaspoon of salt.
There are plenty of hydration operations at the grocery store and online. You can purchase powders and tables that get added to water, like Liquid IV, LMNT, Nuun, Pedialyte and others that contain electrolyte blends and various sugar or artificial sweetener options. These hydration and powders can be good sources of the electrolytes you need, but make sure to check out the ingredients and learn which ones sit well in your stomach.
Carbohydrates for Athletes
Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel for energy, both for exercise and for brain function. They’re generally divided into two categories: complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. The type of carbohydrates you need at a specific time will depend on your activity and goals.
Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and keep blood sugar levels from spiking. Some examples of complex carbohydrates include:
— Quinoa. This naturally gluten-free grain is packed with nutrients and easy to find recipes for online. You can eat it with a grain bowl or salad and even make it into pizza crust.
— Brown rice. An easy replacement for white rice, which is a simple carbohydrate, brown rice can be a great side dish or base for a grain bowl.
For everyday meals, complex carbohydrates are a great choice. They’re usually more nutrient-dense and keep your blood sugar levels more consistent than simple carbohydrates.
However, athletes also rely on simple carbohydrates for certain aspects of their sports. If you exercise without enough carbohydrates in your system, your body will start to break down muscle for fuel, which is not only inefficient but is likely harmful to your athletic performance.
“When you don’t consume enough carbohydrates, you’re depriving your brain, and it effects your energy. You’ll notice that you’re going to feel kind of foggy, kind of lightheaded, and often people often become irritable when they don’t eat enough carbs,” says Harpst.
Simple carbohydrates can be great for immediately before, during and after exercise when your body is most in-need of fuel. These can include:
— Fruit snacks.
— Applesauce pouches.
— White bread or bagels.
— Higher-sugar cereal.
Grocery List for Athletes
Keeping in mind that this list will vary by week and that one athlete’s shopping list won’t work for every athlete, here’s one example of my week’s worth of groceries:
Produce
— Bananas.
— Strawberries.
— Beets.
— Blueberries.
— Broccoli crowns.
— Mixed salad greens.
— Asparagus.
— Avocado.
— Cucumbers.
— Potatoes.
— Frozen cherries.
— Frozen edamame.
Dairy
— Chocolate milk.
— Whole milk.
— Butter.
— Shredded cheese.
— Greek yogurt.
— Ice cream.
Protein
— Chicken breast.
— Tempeh.
— Tofu.
— Salmon.
— Chickpeas.
— Almonds and other nuts.
— Nut butter.
— Lentils, chickpeas and other beans.
— Pea protein powder.
Whole Grains
— Brown rice.
— Quinoa.
Simple Carbs
— Fruit snacks.
— Higher-sugar cereals.
— White rice.
— Apple sauce pouches.
— White bread or bagels.
— Pasta.
Drinks
— Coconut water.
— Electrolyte drinks.
— Tart cherry juice.
Foods to Avoid
Just like how there’s no singular “superfood” that will miraculously improve your athletic performance, there are also no foods that should be entirely off-limits for athletes. As Harpst says, “anything in moderation.”
“I like to call it ‘sometimes foods’ and ‘always foods.’ So if someone likes Twinkies, you’re just going to have a Twinkie once in a while. I just wouldn’t recommend it right before you exercise,” says Harpst.
While it may not be the best idea to eat ice cream after every meal, and it’s generally healthier to eat whole foods rather than processed or packaged foods, you likely don’t have to give up your favorite treat entirely even as an athlete.
Bottom Line
There is no secret formula to nutrition as an athlete. While whole foods are generally better than processed foods, there’s a time and place for prepackaged snacks in an athlete’s nutrition routine. While Greek yogurt and tart cherry juice have great benefits, they should be accompanied by a wide variety of other foods.
“All foods are good, but they’re all imperfect,” says Benardot. “There isn’t a single food that has everything that you need.”
More from U.S. News
7 Top Healthy Protein-Rich Foods
Best Low-Carb Breakfast Ideas With High Protein
10 Best Electrolyte Drinks: Hydration Options for Optimal Health
Athlete’s Guide to the Grocery Store: A Shopping List originally appeared on usnews.com
