“What you eat daily will determine how strong and fit you can become,” says Page Love, a sports nutrition expert and former NCAA tennis player at Baylor University who has served as on-site dietitian for WTA events. “For grains and vegetables, start with healthy high-fiber carbs. Half your plate should be whole-grain breads, rice, pasta and cereals, plus various raw or cooked vegetables.”
Regarding fruit, Love says athletes often make the mistake of eating too much of it by itself. “It’s better to combine fruit with carbs and protein rather than eating a lot of it with nothing else,” she notes. Why? “Too much fruit can cause a hypoglycemic reaction, meaning you’ll be fatigued and crave simple carbs like sugar and soda.
“Consume two to four servings of fresh fruit daily. As a natural sugar source, fruit is an excellent dessert or snack option to satisfy sugar cravings, especially in the evening.”
For recovery and muscle building, Love recommends a serving of protein such as lean meat, poultry,seafood, beans, nuts, seeds and soy products. The average person needs five to six ounces of protein daily,while athletes may require eight to 10 ounces. When trying to lose weight, choose the leanest options.
“And be aware of portion sizes,” she warns. “The equivalent of a serving is one small chicken breast or one fillet the size of a deck of cards.”
On the dairy front, adults need two to three cups of low-fat products per day to meet calcium needs.This can be a cup of milk on your whole-grain cereal, yogurt as a dessert, or a slice of low-fat cheese on your sandwich.