Healthy Diet for Athletes

A healthy diet for athletes is not an oxymoron. While many athletes' bodies require extraordinary amounts of food to sustain the energy requirements of their respective activities, this does not mean that they should eat unhealthy foods.

A healthy diet for an athlete does not consist of cheeseburgers, steaks, and ice cream. Athletes, like normal people, should eat a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables as well as high protein meats like fish and poultry. They should avoid eating too much red meat, fatty foods (unsaturated fats are okay), and foods with high cholesterol. Foods typically considered unhealthy will hurt an athlete's performance, as the athlete will not be able to benefit from vitamins and minerals found in healthier food. Good eating habits lead to people having more energy and stamina to complete the day's goals - whether athletic or not.

For breakfast, an active athlete might consider consuming a couple eggs, a piece of toast, and some fresh fruit. Lunch may consist of some yogurt, a sandwich, and some nuts or healthy variety of chips. Finally, for dinner, consider eating wild salmon, rice, and a garden salad. Variations of this meal plan are certainly acceptable. Also, it is better to consume multiple small meals a day rather than three large meals. Small amounts of "junk food" are acceptable in any diet, but keep them to a minimum. Food rich in carbohydrates, like pasta, may be a good choice when preparing for any extended aerobic activity.

Diet powers, like whey protein powders, are an acceptable supplement to an otherwise healthy diet for athletes, specifically for those looking to build muscle mass and gain weight. Weight lifting workouts and trying to gain weight at the same time can be somewhat counterproductive, so diet powders featuring such ingredients as creatine may be helpful in speeding up progress in training. Allow plenty of time between the consumption of diet powders and exercise, as the powders can irritate the stomach and cause unpleasant side effects if consumed right before working out.

A healthy diet for any athlete should always include a lot of water. Otherwise, the body will become dehydrated while working out, possibly causing injury or death. Alcohol and soda are not an acceptable part of any athlete's diet, as both will dehydrate the body. Healthy diets for athletes do exist and the internet is a great resource to finding them.