Fully stocked frig for the week…
Many people call me crazy when it comes to food. Sorry folks, in this case when it comes to triathlete nutrition, I am the sane one. My husband is the one that trains 2-4 hours or sometimes even 6 hours a day. He is the one that dawns spandex and swims, bikes, and runs for 11 hours for a race. Me, I prefer to throw on a cute little pair of Lulus and pretend that I am coming from or going to yoga. Come on, you know you do it, too! Okay, I actually throw in a good run a few days a week and am still working out with my trainer…
I just really like supporting my husband, as he does me. Every marriage should be about support and it can take many forms. A big way I show mine comes in terms of preparing food. I prepare snacks, meals, and nutrition each day, but I confess that I benefit from it, too.
I love food, but real food and great food. Putting bread up to rise and coming back hours later to see it more than double in size and a bit airy thrills me. Don’t get me started on the aroma when it comes out of the oven.
Homemade bread fresh out of the oven…
Having a full bag of vegetable ends or left over bones to make broth is exciting to me. (Okay, you are now probably thinking I’m not only crazy, but a little weird, too.) BUT, peeling eggs, yuck. Making the same snacks over and over or counting items for long ride nutrition, BORING!
So, I have managed to find a way to balance the crazy of a real food triathlete and me not getting bored. But, believe me, there are days he does take a GU package…While I know you can buy prepackaged everything these days, it is so much better to prepare it all fresh when possible. Plus you know the type of fruits, produce, etc. you are getting.
A sample of snacks for my triathlete…
Here are my 10 Tips to Balance Triathlete Nutrition With Your Sanity:
- If you love food like I do, schedule your time in the kitchen so other things don’t get in the way. I want to be able to totally concentrate on one activity that brings me such joy and peace of mind!
- Keep your food clean and real, but don’t beat yourself up if you cheat!
- Set a menu for the week and prep accordingly. For example, dice onions for tonight and Wednesday and you can save a step later in the week.
Chopping for more than one meal really saves time…
- Spend some time learning about nutrition and serving sizes and calories. Both David and Carl work with a nutritionist, who is nice enough to speak with us, too, but you can also find out a lot online and in books.
- Use your leftovers for other meals.
- Shake it up and buy a new cookbook. My most recent addition isCleanSlate from Martha Stewart.
Some of my most recent purchases…
- Make snacks for the week, then you only have to assemble when they’re needed. This can include prepping hard-boiled eggs and pre-washing and cutting fruit and veggies.
- Don’t always make dinner an all night affair. Use our 30 Minute Healthy Dinners recipes or create your own!
- Pre-pack training nutrition with your athlete, such as brownie bits or items that last a long time, such as fruit chews. David and I do this together, especially for his rides.
- Give yourself a day off during the week with either a freezer meal or go out. You can even make it a date night!
So, with race season getting into full swing soon – our first races are in 4 and 6 weeks – I hope you find an easy way to handle the food issues in your household!
– DANA
WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR SUPPORTING YOUR TRIATHLETE’S NUTRITION?
Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
Come be my cook please 🙂 I try to eat this way as much as I can but its hard when it’s just you with 3 jobs…I end uo eatting clean in life except when I train its all gu and Efs and chomps. I highly recommend the cookbook “21 day sugar detox” it’s all clean recipies but also with no added sugar. It’s amazing! I just need to win the lotto so
I can have a chef of my very own.
Dana needs to start a meal prep business!!! Carl & David’s new nutritionist is trying to get them away from most processed nutrition even for races. Hasn’t been tested yet! I have that book actually. I’m not a big sweet person so don’t have much added sugar in my diet, but my downfall is wine. Having a personal chef would be my one big indulgence too.
I don’t think you’re crazy at all, I also love a fresh home-baked loaf of bread and get excited about good food, made from ingredients as close to their source as possible, but I agree, sometimes it’s ok to do a quick easy meal.
Thanks Christina. Glad I’m not alone in my love of all things food!!!
Love the idea of this article. Unfortunately my triathlete is carb-free and we have a baby so I need to make foods that the baby can eat too. My husband eats about $70 of organic mixed nuts every week, no exaggeration.
Oh my gosh, you have your hands full with a baby and triathlete. I order all of my nuts in Bulk or from Vitacost.com, it has helped with the cost. When the twins were young we did the same one dinner for all! Where are you all racing this year?
We have been doing the real food thing for a while including John’s fueling. We have tried every which way – vegetarian, vegan, no sugar, no grains, high carb, low carb. Now we just stick with real food. It is actually a lot simpler to eat this way. Last night was Salmon with spinach and broccoli. Pretty simple and satisfying. We don’t do a lot of elaborate recipes because we don’t have the time. 5 ingredients or less. 30 minutes or less. Sundays we do a big food prep. It’s definitely a commitment but one we gladly make. But lately this weather is killing my food prep mojo – give me a book and a cuppa tea 🙂
Couldn’t agree more re the real food. Easy, healthy, and quick! Just can’t wait til I can hit the Farmer’s Markets again. I take it the kids are happy with spinach and broccoli! Never easy being a busy parent trying to manage life. I’m toasting my cuppa tea to you for a quick end to winter.
The kids are picky in the sense that what they eat one day, they won’t eat the next time we make it. They have a few go-to’s that they like. They will eat salmon and broccoli not the spinach. My son loves Sheppard’s Pie with cauliflower mash topping. I really can’t complain. They love to help in the kitchen, try new things at the farmer’s market, and grow their own food. I fill in with frozen stuff from Trader Joe’s a few times a week for them to keep peace. They know what healthy is…their pallets will catch up eventually.
It sounds like they are so far ahead, I can see why you’re not worried! Most adults won’t try new things at the farmer’s market!