3 Tips For Good Nutrition When Pursuing Athletic Accomplishments

If you are seriously dedicated to an athletic endeavor, be it being a part of a team sport, like soccer, or pursuing individual athletic achievements, such as participating in a triathlon, good nutrition is just as important as a good workout. If you want to succeed with your athletic goals, you need to make sure that you are giving your body the nutrition it needs to meet those goals.

#1: Always Eat Green

As an athlete, it can be easy to focus on making sure you are taking in enough protein to increase your muscle mass. However, that doesn't mean that vegetables suddenly become unimportant.

In order to properly break down and process your food you need the vitamins and minerals that you get from eating vegetables. Try to add vegetables to every meal that you eat and be sure to add variety by eating at least three different vegetables.

Eating vegetables doesn't just have to mean eating a big leafy salad. You can add veggies to your pasta, enjoy some curry with sautéed vegetables and rice, roast up some veggies to go with your roasted chicken, or add some veggies to your morning omelet.

#2: Eat Some Berries

When it comes to eating fruit, it is easy to focus on fruit that is easy to just grab, peel, and eat, such as apples, bananas, and oranges. However, you need to make sure you are not skipping out on your berries.

Berries, ranging from raspberries to blueberries and acai berries, are not only tasty, but they can also help boost your immune system and help your body fight inflammation. Berries contain flavonoids, which are a special type of antioxidant that helps your body fight inflammation. Berries also contain important chemicals that can help your immune system.

Eating berries can help your muscles recover more effectively in between workouts, so adding a cup of berries as a dessert to your meals can help you feel better between workouts.

#3: Vary Your Sources of Protein

As an athlete, protein needs to be central to your nutrition plan. Protein plays a vital role in helping your muscles repair from damage and get stronger.

It is important to remember that there are lots of sources of protein that you can add to your diet, besides protein shakes. You can get lots of protein from eating lean chicken breasts, tuna, or beef. You can get protein from non-meat sources such as tofu, lentils, Greek yogurt, seeds, almonds, and broccoli.

As an athlete, what you put into your body will impact your athletic performance. Make sure you eat various sources of protein, lots of vegetables, and remember to add some berries to your diet as well. A nutrition plan based on whole foods will help you get the best performance out of your body. To learn more about nutrition plans, contact a company like Plan 7 Coaching.