A chocolate bar, a pastry, a sweet or savory pie… Athletes also have the right to step out of line from time to time and treat themselves to something! The only condition is knowing how to balance the intake of this type of food devoid of nutritional interest. Sometimes what’s good for the brain can be good for the body too…
“ Not knowing how to balance the intake of pleasurable foods is one of the main reasons for impoverishing nutritional density”, explains Dr. Stéphane Cascua (Paris), author of L’alimentation pour le sportif ( Food for the athlete) . That is, the consumption of products rich in fat can destabilize the balance of meals and this is incompatible with the search for sports performance.
However, these foods should not be completely eliminated from the menu, “We must not neglect the psychological comfort that these foods bring to people “, emphasizes the doctor. “You just need to know how to manage the frequency of your consumption”. It’s easy to say … An example? Cold and fried foods should not be consumed more than once a week. The same goes for sweets and soft drinks.
One last piece of advice: meals (including breakfast) that are high in protein and starchy will limit the urge to “snack”. And that starts with a hearty breakfast. On the menu: a lot of liquids (tea, coffee,…), some milk derivative (yoghurt or white cheese), a fruit and slow sugars: wholemeal bread, cereals, with no added sugar. As a snack, give preference to dried and oilseed fruits such as almonds, walnuts and chestnuts.
Source: L’alimentation pour le sportif (Food for the athlete), Dr. Stéphane Cacua, Véronique Rousseau, Editions Amphora
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