By Doug Corbett (NASM, FMS, NS, PES, Fitness Nutrition Coach)
Today I am going to post Part 2 of Doug Corbett’s (NASM, FMS, NS, PES, Fitness Nutrition Coach) article on Six Great Foods for Athletes. Please click here if you would like to review Part 1.
As I mentioned in the preamble of Part 1, there are 1,000s of options of foods to eat when you go to a grocery store. Truthfully, there are actually a few dozen foods athletes should be eating and the rest have no place in their diets, ever. This is especially true if you’re serious about gaining muscle. So, here in Part 2, I will list foods four through six, in no particular order….
4. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is great because not only can you cook it but it blends very well into protein shakes giving an athlete the extra calories and carbohydrates they need for off-season muscle gain and in-season athletic performance. I have been putting ½ – 1 cup in my shakes for years. I do recommend you having a decent blender if you are going to do this. A Nutri-bullet, Ninja, or Vitamix will work. If you opt to eat your oatmeal, try adding a scoop of peanut butter to it in the mornings so you get an extra boost of healthy fat, protein, and calories.
5. Egg
Eggs are a food that I think most people know about the incredible benefits. Eggs are very high in healthy fats and protein but before you skip over to go to number 6 because you think you know everything about eggs, there might be some things you don’t know. Eggs are very high in riboflavin, vitamin b12, and vitamin D. These are three vitamins that are crucial for providing the body energy. Everything comes down to energy. When you have energy you exercise. When you don’t have energy you might not work out, or your workout might not be as good. Also, one of the most efficient ways to cook eggs, so you have them on hand throughout the week, is to hard cook them in the oven. The egg comes out like a hard-boiled egg would but it’s a much easier process and you can make many more at one time. You can do this is by placing the eggs in the oven either in muffin tin or just right on the rack. Set the oven to 325F and bake them for 30 minutes. Once the eggs are done, take them out of the oven and immediately put them in a bowl of ice water. As soon as the eggs are cool enough to touch, peel off the shells.
6. Grass Fed Cow
Grass fed cow meat is a valuable source of healthy fats, protein, omega 3’s, and a lot of branch chain amino acids (BCAA). These BCAA’s have been proven to increase endurance and strength in athletes. Both of which are needed in the off-season and in-season. So this should be consumed several times a week all year round. Grass fed cow meat can get expensive in a regular grocery store so you’re best off going to a wholesale store such as a BJs or Costco. I buy 3lbs of grass fed cow ground beef from BJs for $15. Typically in a grocery store like an A&P the same amount runs closer to $30 for 3lbs.
Once again, what is just as important as knowing the best foods to eat are what not to eat. All the processed foods out there full of trans-fat, sugar, nitrates, and chemicals do nothing but wreak havoc on our bodies. Remember, input controls output. If you want to be faster and stronger and bigger don’t expect miracles if 80% of your diet is from low quality food source, fast food, sodas, and chips.