Do you know that what you eat is crucial to how you perform as a runner. There are certain foods that can boost your performance, likewise, there are also foods that are not so beneficial to you as well. As a general rule of thumb, I like to follow the few pointers below when choosing my food.
Easily Available - What use is a superfood if you can’t get it readily from your supermarkets. If you need to get it online or a specialized store, then it’s probably too much trouble.
Affordable and Tasty - Who says good foods have to taste bad and eating good food doesn’t have to be taxing on your wallet.
Suitable for You - Eating good food may be important, but do not force yourself to eat something you don’t enjoy or not suitable for your body. There are plenty of substitutes out there.
All right, without further ado, let’s proceed with our list of 7 best food for runners!
1. Eggs
The most egg-citing food to kick start the list is one of the most versatile food of all, Eggs! They contain a good amount of proteins and essential amino acids to help you with recovery. The best thing about eggs is that they are cheap and very easy to conjure up a wide variety of mouth-watering dishes.
2. Salmon
Salmon is one of the best fish you can consume. It not only contains a high-quality of protein, there is also a lot of omega 3 fats inside as well. Omega 3 fats can help boost heart health which is important for runners.
3. Bananas
Bananas are one of my favourite foods ever. Bananas are very useful for a morning pre-run snack because they are easy to consume and digest. Usually, one or two bananas are enough to fuel me for a 4 to 6km run because they are almost all carbohydrates. Furthermore, they contain a high level of potassium which is lost in sweat when you run.
4. Oatmeal
Some good old fashioned oatmeal your grandma always ask you to eat has many benefits. They contain a good amount of carbohydrates which are essential for runners. What’s more, oatmeal is a high-fibre, low-glycemic index food which provides long-lasting energy. This could only mean good news for long distance runners because they can run much longer.
5. Kale
Kale is one of the most antioxidant rich foods you can buy in the market. The reason why it looks like cabbage is because it belongs to the same family. It contains vitamins A, B6, C and K, when is the last time you hear so many vitamins in a food, especially a vegetable! Furthermore, It has anti-inflammatory properties which reduce the risk of exercise-induced muscle damage that is very common among runners.
6. Milk
Milk contains many important nutrients. A glass of milk (200ml) can give you protein, calcium, potassium, iodine, phosphorus and vitamins B2 and B12. These are all nutrients that are highly beneficial for runners and they are easy to consume and absorb. For those who have lactose intolerance, you can check out my previous article on Soy Milk vs. Almond Milk.
7. Whole Wheat Pasta
For all the pasta lovers, you are in luck. Pasta is one of the best foods to consume before or after a long run or race because they contain a high level of carbohydrates. Not only that, whole wheat pasta is also considered a long-lasting energy source. This means that runners can conquer those marathons with stamina to spare and tell the other runners ‘Hasta la pasta, baby’ (Let me show myself out LOL).
There are definitely many others out there that are considered as best food for runners but these are my favourites so far. One more thing, you do not have to be a runner to consume all these food to reap its health benefits.
Do you agree with this list or do you have any other food you wish to add on? Comment below and let us know. Till next time!
Cheers and Start Running Today
