An All-American Triathlete Shares Her Eating Plan

Proper nutrition is imperative in every athlete’s training plan.

Training and competing at your highest level would not be possible if you don’t fuel your body for success. I am not a big meat eater, but I do consume dairy and fish. Dairy and plant foods play a major role in my nutrition for the protein, vitamins and minerals they provide.

I do sometimes eat some of the same meals each day but mix it up a little.  An absolute favorite of mine is Greek yogurt.   just change up the toppings to keep it interesting!

I recommend keeping a nutrition journal to help you track your food and nutrition intake. A journal should include everything you eat in a day. You may choose to record just a few days, or a complete month. Whatever your preference, repeat the recording periodically. You may be surprised to see what you’re eating when you write it down! Eating enough of the good stuff can make a huge difference

Here is a one-day sample of my eating plan and some of my favorite refueling recipes.

 Monday

Breakfast

• Organic coffee and an all-natural real milk creamer (I like sweet cream or hazelnut)
• Plain Greek yogurt with blueberries and coconut chai granola, drizzled with honey

Author’s Note: 1 cup of Greek yogurt gives you 18-20 grams of protein and blueberries are a great antioxidant!

Snack

• A piece or two of fruit (my favorite is sliced apples to dip with almond or peanut butter) OR sliced veggies to dip in a yogurt ranch dressing

Editor’s Note: Try our Reduced-Fat Ranch Dressing!

Lunch

• Organic spring mix salad with white cheddar cheese, avocado, berries or other fruit, sprinkled with sliced almonds or flax seeds with avocado ranch or Greek yogurt salsa dressing
• Flavored sparking water
• Cauliflower cheddar crackers
• Two squares of dark chocolate almond. Look for 60% cacao chocolate.

Snack

1. Before a workout, I will have an energy bar (banana dark chocolate is my favorite flavor)

Editor’s Note: Try our homemade Savory Energy Bars or Crunchy Granola Bars

• Water
• After my workout, I will have c or a smoothie made with dairy, veggie and fruit.

Dinner 

• Homemade crockpot veggie chili with sprinkled cheddar cheese on top (See recipe below)
• Few slides of a baguette
• Glass of milk

Other Snack Ideas

• I treat myself to either air popped popcorn drizzled with melted organic coconut oil, Himalayan salt and nutritional yeast
• A few dark chocolate and almond squares, or a cup of my favorite ice cream
• 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips with organic unprocessed almonds

Recipes

Crockpot Veggie Chili Recipe

I like to mix up the veggies I use in this. I really like this chili recipe because you can personalize what veggies and toppings you love the most!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

6 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, or more if needed

1 cup vegetable broth, or more if needed

Directions

Put all ingredients into a crock-pot and stir.  Cook on high for 4 hours. Top with cheddar cheese, avocado and sour cream.

Black & Brown Bean Burritos

Ingredients

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained,

1 can of refried fat free pinto beans, drained

1 onion, chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis

Fresh cilantro, chopped

1 package of whole wheat or white tortillas

Cheddar cheese

1-2 avocados, sliced

Salsa

Directions

Add chopped onion to a nonstick pan coated with cooking spray and cook on medium until transparent. Add black beans and refried beans, slightly mashing with the onions with a fork, and heat through.

Add tomatoes and chilis and cilantro and stir together.  Put a spoonful into a tortilla and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Fold the tortilla over and put on the griddle to warm and melt everything together.  Wait the tortilla is browned and a little crispy, then flip them over and heat on the other side until crispy.  Remove from heat and serve with salsa and avocado on the side. Enjoy!