Fuel your training with these healthy balanced meals

As athletes we place a lot of physical and mental demands on ourselves. Training and racing will require our bodies to continually respond and adapt to stress, this extra demand has an energy and nutrient cost. A well-chosen diet offers many benefits to all athletes irrespective of event, sex, age or level of competition. Benefits include:

• Enhanced recovery within and between training and events
• Achievement and maintenance of an ideal body weight and physique
• Reduced risk of injury and illness
• Consistent in achieving high level performances

A varied health diet that meets energy needs which is based largely on nutrient rich choices such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, cereals, lean meats, fish and dairy foods should ensure an adequate intake of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Excluding any of these food groups increases the risk of missing out on important nutrients. In essence, fuelling is vital for optimal performance.

Here are some easy to make well-balanced meal ideas:

Lemon Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 Breast of Chicken

Some Mixed Lettuce Leaves

1 Red Onion

1 Raw Carrot

Juice of Half a Lemon

1 Clove of Garlic

Parsley

Cherry tomatoes

For the Dressing:

12ml of Udo’s Choice® Ultimate Oil Blend

White Wine Vinegar

Dijon Mustard

Method

Slice the raw chicken into strips. Place in a bowl. Crush the garlic and add to chicken along with the lemon juice and parsley. Cover with cling film and place in fridge for at least an hour. Using a griddle pan cook the chicken strips. Slice the carrot into baton strips and place into a salad bowl. Add the mixed lettuce leaves, quartered cherry tomatoes and sliced onion.

To make the dressing: In an empty jam jar place a heaped teaspoon of Dijon, add 2 dessert spoons of Udo’s Oil and a cap full of white wine vinegar. Place the lid back on and store in fridge.

To serve: Place the chicken strips into the salad, add the vinaigrette and toss.

Serves: 4

Quinoa Super-food Salad with Udo’s Oil Dressing

Ingredients

100g Quinoa

400ml Water (Boiled)

Low Salt Vegetable Stock Cube

150-175g of Edamame Beans (Frozen)

Seeds of 1 Pomegranate

½ Red Onion (Diced)

Feta Cheese (Crumbled)

Baby Spinach Leaves

Optional: Toasted seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin)

For the Dressing:

30ml of Udo’s Choice® Ultimate Oil Blend

30ml of Aged Balsamic Vinegar

30ml of Honey

2g Dijon Mustard

A Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Mint & Basil

Method

Cook the quinoa in vegetable stock for 12-20 minutes, depending on how al dente you like your grain. Once cooked, drain any remaining water and allow to cool in a large bowl. Next, cook the edamame beans in boiling water for about 4 minutes until tender.

 Drain and add to quinoa. Prepare the remaining ingredients and gently toss with the edamame and quinoa mix. To make the dressing: Simply combine all of the ingredients and mix. Use raw agave nectar in place of honey if you’re watching blood sugar levels. Drizzle as much of it as you fancy over the quinoa.

To serve: Place the quinoa salad on a bed of baby spinach leaves and top with crumbled feta cheese.

Optional: Toast the seeds in the oven with a bit of soya sauce if desired. This should take about 5 minutes in a hot oven.

To garnish sprinkle with seeds and desired herbs (mint and basil go well).

Serves: 3 to 4

Courtesy of Triathlonireland.com