4 Quick Meal Tips Every Athlete Should Know About

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As an athlete, it’s important that you’re taking care of your body and providing it with the nutrients it needs through the meals you eat every single day. The life of an athlete requires a lot of intense workouts, which means you need to properly hydrate and nourish your body in order to power through training and stay healthy. To help you out, we’re sharing four quick meals every athlete should know about. These tips will help you feel better, while also giving your workouts a major boost. While you read through these tips, you might want to check out meal prep services like Key to Food, which also have great meal plans that could help you keep on track with nutritious meals.

1. Have a High-Protein Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? If your parents said that to you when you were growing up, it turns out they were actually on to something. A great breakfast is going to set you up for a better day ahead. It’ll provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly while giving you the boost of energy you need at the start of the day. A high-protein breakfast is a great way to do this.

The best part is that you can easily make something in your own kitchen that you can feel good about eating. Plus, it won’t take you long at all! One great option is making a microwave egg oatmeal. Oats are great for lowering cholesterol and for heart health, while the egg provides the protein your body needs to power through the day.

If you’re someone who likes to hit the drive-thru for a breakfast sandwich, you’re better off making one at home. This gives you the ability to control exactly what does in it. You can create a protein-packed sandwich with black beans and egg, plus the healthy fat of an avocado.

For those that need a boost of caffeine in the morning, you’ll love a mocha banana protein smoothie bowl. With banana, almond milk, protein powder, instant coffee, spinach, and more, your body is sure to love it (and so will your taste buds).

2. Eat Meals Every 2-3 Hours

You’re probably used to eating three meals per day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well, that’s not really ideal for athletes. Instead of consuming three large meals each day, you’re much better off eating small meals more frequently throughout the day. This actually helps to balance your blood sugar.

When your blood sugar is balanced, you’re less likely to notice any feelings of lightheadedness or fatigue. Plus, having meals frequently can prevent you from overeating by cutting down on cravings you may experience throughout the day. If you’re guilty of hitting the kitchen during that mid-afternoon slump, this should help you eliminate any unhealthy snacking you’re doing.

If you’re worried about making this adjustment in your eating habits, you could try a healthy meal delivery service (a personal favorite of mine is Sun Basket). When you have fresh ingredients delivered straight to your door to whip up a great meal, there’s no excuses! You’ll be able to stay on track with your eating plan while giving your body the nourishment it needs.

3. Drink Water With Every Meal

If you aren’t already drinking water with every meal, you should start now. Your skeletal muscles are more than 70% water, meaning your muscles aren’t dry. And when you don’t have the proper amount of water to fill your muscle cells, the production of protein can slow down and protein breakdown increases. This ultimately means that the more you experience muscle breakdown, the less you are going to see any muscle growth.

Not only that, but a lack of water can cause dehydration, which has negative side effects of its own such as fatigue. When your body is too dehydrated, you can notice a decrease in your performance during workouts. You may even see a decrease in your mental performance and work ability when you’re not getting enough water as well. As an athlete, you’re no stranger to intense workouts and it’s important to replenish your body during, afterwards, and throughout the day.

4. Pack Snacks to Avoid “Cheating”

Let’s face it, the temptation to snack on unhealthy food is all around us, especially when you’re on the go. As an athlete, you want to make smart choices about the food you’re eating. And you certainly don’t want to undo all your hard work in the gym by overindulging in something you shouldn’t be eating.

While it’s fine to treat yourself once in a while, you’re better off packing healthy snacks to avoid any temptations. This ensures you always have something nutritious on hand to satisfy your hunger and you can avoid the salty bag of chips or something that’s loaded with sugar or processed ingredients. If you’re heading out for a busy day, take a few minutes to pack a bag with good-for-you snacks that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating afterwards. They’ll be there for you whenever you get hungry.