Nutrition

 

We must first establish the 10 important rules of adopting healthy eating.

 

  1. Make breakfast a priority.
  2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal (ex: chicken, lean beef, tuna, fish, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt).
  3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal (eat more veggies).
  4. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).
  5. Eat a balanced meal every 3-4 hours. You should eat between 5-8 small (200-500 calories) meals per day.
  6. Drink only non-caloric beverages, the best choices being water (48-64 oz a day) and green tea (that means no soda).
  7. Ensure that the bulk of your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.
  8. Eat mostly whole, natural foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).
  9. Minimize intake of refined carbohydrates and sweets (i.e. cookies, cakes, ice cream, muffins, bagels, waffles, pancakes, sugary cereals).
  10. Limit intake of alcohol.

 

Terms to Know:

 

Carbohydrates - the body's preferred energy source

 

Best Sources in order of preference:

  1. Vegetables (choose more raw veggies, than cooked)
  2. Fruits
  3. Whole Grains
  4. White Flour products (breads, bagels, muffins, etc)

 

Protein - the nutrient needed to repair and build muscle

Best Sources in order of preference:

  1. White meats, fish, poultry
  2. Eggs and egg substitutes
  3. Non Fat or Low Fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese)
  4. Red Meats

 

Fat - an essential nutrient; must make up 30% of total calories; not the "bad guy"

Best sources:

  1. Cold-water Fish
  2. All types of nuts, avocadoes (guacamole)
  3. Olive oil, safflower oil

Worst sources:

  1. Animal fat
  2. Anything that looks like fat (butter, mayo, etc.)
  3. Anything fried

 

Carbohydrates

Good Choices Fair Choices Poor Choices

Apples, applesauce

 

Whole grain breads/rolls

 

Pancakes, waffles, white rice

 

Cherries, peaches, plums

 

High fiber cereal

 

White potatoes, white bread

 

Pears, blueberries

 

Brown or wild rice

 

Pasta, bagels, sweetened cereals

 

Chick-peas, beans, lentils    

 

Oatmeal

 

Fruit drinks, soda, candy

 

Barley

 

Squash, peas, sweet potatoes    

 

     Maple syrup, corn syrup, dates,      figs

 

Eggplant, mushrooms

 

Corn, baked beans

 

     Corn chips, crackers, pretzels

 

Onions, tomatoes, lettuce

 

Unsweetened fruit juices

 

     Honey, molasses, ketchup

 

Broccoli, brussel, sprouts

 

Bananas, grapes, raisins

  

 

Protein

 

Good Choices Fair Choices Poor Choices

 

Skim milk, fat free yogurt

 

2% milk, low-fat cheese

 

Whole milk, regular cheese

 

Cottage cheese, egg whites

 

Yogurt

 

Ice cream, frozen custard

 

White tuna (packaged in water)

 

Whole eggs

 

Ground beef (75% lean), fried chicken, fish/seafood

 

White meat poultry (skinless)      

 

Darm meat tuna (packaged in water)

 

Bacon, sausage, bologna

 

Ground beef/turkey (95% lean)

 

Dark meat poultry (skinless)

 

Hotdogs, pepperoni, salami, beef or pork ribs

 

Non-fried fish/seafood

 

Ground beef/turkey (85% lean), turkey bacon or sausage

 

Untrimmed steak

 

Trimmed beef/pork tenderloin

 

Trimmed pork chops or lamb

 

Cheeseburgers

 

Beans, peas, lentils

 

Nuts, seeds, natural peanut butter

  

 

Fat

 

Good Choices Fair Choices Poor Choices

 

Seeds, pumpkin seeds

 

Tropical oils (coconut, palm)    

 

Hydrogenated oils

 

Flaxseeds or oil

 

Vegetable oil

 

Partially hydrogenated oils

 

Primose oil, olives

 

Peanut oil

 

Bacon, butter

 

Extra virgin olive oil

 

Sunflower oil

 

Cream, cream cheese

 

Avocados or guacamole    

 

Light mayo

 

Sour cream, ice cream

 

Fish, clams, oysters

 

Sesame oil

 

High fat dairy products

 

Scallops

 

Soybean oil

 

Lard

 

Nuts

  

 

Veal
   

 

Lamb

 

Meal Options

 

Breakfast Lunch Dinner      Snack

 

Egg beater omelet
(w/ ham, Canadian bacon,    
peppers, onions)

 

Chicken breast      sandwich
(on rye or pumpernickel w/      
lettuce,tomato, onion)   

 

2 chicken breasts or
broiled fish          

     Balance bar

 

Bowl of oatmeal

 

Nonfat mayo or mustard

 

Chef salad

 

     PR bar

 

16 oz. skim milk

 

16 oz. skim milk

 

2 pints skim milk

 

     Any meal replacement shake and fruit

 

Apple/orange

 

Apple/orange/pear

 

Fruit salad

 

     Cottage cheese and fruit
     

 

     Peanut butter, fruit and skim milk
     

 

     Low fat yogurt
     

 

     Mix of nuts/dried fruit and low fat milk

Fast Food Options

If you must eat fast food the following brief list is relatively O.K. but you should certainly avoid it if at all possible.

Burger King

2 BK broiler Chicken Sandwiches

2 Plain hamburgers

Jack in the Box

2 Chicken fajita pitas

Hardee's

2 Grilled chicken sandwiches

McDonalds

2 McGrilled Chicken Sandwiches

2 McLean deluxes without the cheese

2 Egg McMuffins

4 Small regular burgers (combine the patties to make two double burgers)

Taco Bell

2 Soft chicken tacos

Wendy's

Grilled chicken sandwich

2 Chili 2 plain hamburgers

Banned Substances

For more information, please visit the NCAA website.

*To view the Strength and Conditioning homepage click here.