To create great performances both on and off the sports field, we need to know how much fuel we need, what fuel makes us perform at our best, and if we are getting enough nutrients like protein for muscle growth and for repair and growth. Imagine putting the wrong fuel in a car and expecting it to run smoothly and efficiently. Just like an engine, we need the right types of food in the right quantities.
Eating a healthy diet means choosing a variety of types of food throughout the day to get all the nutrients you need, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fat, and protein. But how do you know what is in the food you eat? We read the food label. By law, companies must publish the ingredients within food and drinks.
The ingredients contained in the food will be listed in order of the highest weight first. So, if sugar is listed first then it is the largest component. The lower down the list of ingredients the smaller percentage there is of that ingredient.
Items that are known allergens are usually in bold.
Many foods are made to look healthy especially cereal bars, cereals, and drinks. It is important that you know how to check whether a food you choose is high in sugar, salt, or saturated fat or whether there is enough protein or calories in the product to suit your energy requirements.
Many products now have a traffic light system on the packaging so that it is easy to recognise foods that are high or low in certain nutrients. It is not that you can’t eat foods high in saturated fat or sugar, but you should only do this infrequently, not at every meal. Make sure you check the serving size of traffic light labeling as often the serving size is much smaller than perhaps you might eat and is therefore not a fair indication of what you are about to eat or drink.
The numbers on the label show you how many calories and how much fat, saturates, sugars, and salt a serving of the food or drink contains. This is often displayed in the number of grams (g) and as a share (%) of your daily allowance (RI or RDA).
How to use the nutrition label
When we choose a snack such as a cereal bar, we can look at the label for several key bits of information:
- Serving size: The levels for a portion size are often given but it is better to use the nutrition information per 100g to make comparisons between foods.
- Energy content per 100g to fuel the tank. How much energy is expressed in calories you need per day depends on how much you do each day, your age, and sex. Females may need less, and certainly growing athletes need more. This may fluctuate between 2000 calories to 4000 calories on days when you are training hard and varies from person to person. If you are losing weight, it may be too low, and if you are gaining weight it may be too high, but this is best discussed with a health professional. Eating too few calories can affect bone health and wellness.
- Protein content per 100g for growth, muscle development, and repair. There are very few figures available for the protein needs of adolescent athletes. For an adult, around 1.2 – 2g per kg of bodyweight is about right spread across 5 equal portions in a day not just within one meal.
- Fat content per 100g – this is split into unsaturated and saturated fat content. Fats are necessary for fuel and development so not all fat is bad fat. Eating foods with high-fat content just before playing can reduce energy availability.
- Sugars – look at the sugar level as a ratio of the carbohydrate level – sometimes we need a sugar fix to top our energy levels back up, but it can be very short-lived as the sudden spike in sugar levels are followed by a rapid drop.
- Fibre – for healthy digestion and to keep you full for longer
- Minerals and vitamins are shown as a % of the daily allowance for an adult. Often these figures are too low for a growing athlete.
Think of your snack as a mini-meal. Keep it balanced by choosing a little protein, some healthy fats and carbohydrates but keep a watchful idea on salt and sugar content. It is always better to eat more natural foods so try to avoid shop bought bars and snacks. It is not only what we eat but when we eat it but that is for another day. Let’s get shopping for some healthy snacks or better still why not try making some fab healthy oat based cereal bars or protein balls with dates and almonds.
Try out new foods and combinations on training days not match days so you can learn what your favourite “Recipe for Success” is and what works and importantly what doesn’t work for you to fuel excellent performances.
For more information about other aspects of recovery and athlete development follow me @angiejphysio on instagram and twitter and check out my courses for athletes and therapists www.angelajacksonphysio.com
