If you’re a runner, you need all the energy you can get. Between training, working, and all of the other obligations you have in life, it seems like eating right is just another part-time job. As difficult as it can be at times, it’s important to be filling your body with all the right calories, so that you can burn through them without overextending yourself. Indeed, if you’re consuming the wrong kinds of calories, you will struggle with burning them for fuel, and you’ll have a lot more fat to burn – quite the vicious cycle. But eating well for your running lifestyle is actually easier than you think. You just have to know exactly what to eat and when to eat it. Here are 5 great energy foods for runners.
- Acai bowls – these dishes are rich in antioxidants and they taste great. If you are going on a big run, you may want to try making an acai bowl. All you need is a frozen packet of acai, a little granola, some coconut flakes and maybe some blueberries. Quite easily, you’ll have a super-powered energy bowl on your hands. If you want to make it super nutritious, add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, goji berries, and bee pollen.
- Trail mix – a bag of trail mix contains a lot of different mixed nuts, each with their own unique nutritional qualities. The best part about mixed nuts is that they are easy to take with you on your run. Just be sure not to get anything too sugary. A lot of trail mixes include lots of chocolatey additions, like chocolate chips and other candies. You can easily trade chocolate out for cacao nibs to keep the refined sugar down.
- Quinoa salad – quinoa is the only grains that is also a complete protein, so a bowl of this stuff will give you the fortification and energy you need to get out there and run day after day. Prepare yourself a hearty quinoa salad, with plenty of veggies, like broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, and chickpeas for a flavorful (and colorful) blend of protein and nutrient rich food.
- Lentils – lentils are a legume that are low in fat and packed with protein. Mix them with some brown rice or couscous, throw in your favorite veggies, and they will light your fuse so that you have the energy to keep running without burning out. If you want to give your lentil bowl a bit of a southern French flair, add shredded carrots, a hint of mint, and herbes de provence.
- Kale salad – kale is rich in a number of nutrients that can give you your complete daily dose of green, and it’s filled with antioxidants. Dark, leafy greens like kale are great because they are wonderful detoxifiers. All the chlorophyll will not only help you to detoxify, it will reduce the potency of your body odor, breath, and even your feet. So you can run or workout atFitness 19 all you want without worrying about offending anyone too badly with all those toxins you’re burning off.