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Ever wondered what top athletes eat to get into tip-top condition? It goes beyond just getting enough carbs and protein. Rugby player Jonny Wilkinson shared with The Guardian that he favours drinking plenty of water, avoiding carbohydrate-rich foods just before bed, and eating his five a day. He sticks to a healthy food routine every day, not just when training, so that his body is always functioning at its best. Here’s what his food plan looks like.
The breakfast of a champion
According to Wilkinson, people are at their most dehydrated in the morning. ‘Considering that you have spent eight hours without any intake of fluids while you have been sleeping, it is a good idea to start the day with a drink of water to make sure you are hydrated from the outset,’ he says. To make sure you’re drinking the best water possible, consider investing in a water filter.
Most mornings he has muesli with fruit, and always uses low-fat milk, as he steers clear of high-fat foods. He’s also a fan of egg white omelettes, as egg whites are fat free and rich in protein. To eat healthily, he says, he has protein with every meal. He adds that you should incorporate toast or porridge into your breakfast, as ‘you need energy at all points during the day’.
Lunch
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‘I tend to keep my lunch healthy and simple,’ Wilkinson says. He often eats avocado for its healthy monounsaturated fat and sustained energy release, and eats carbs at lunch to keep his energy levels high. Pasta and potatoes, as well as beets, are often a part of his lunch. This is because ‘Beet greens are a very good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. Beetroots are an excellent source of folic acid, which helps you rebuild your body after training.’
Dinner
Wilkinson avoids carbs at night, because their release of energy could interfere with sleep, he says. He loves eating out, and the good news is that you can eat healthily at a restaurant if you make the right choices. He normally orders chicken or oily fish for protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
That’s it. The diet plan of a top athlete. It doesn’t look that hard to eat healthily after all, does it?
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