Run-Down Forums

[Guest]

hey dan i was wondering if you know of any good meal plans for a middle distance runner to further help me out. i am not a healthy runner, i like to eat fast food and drink sodas, but i'm willing to give that up for a great outdoor season this year. i was wondering what type of meals i sould be consuming, ones high in carbs, proteins, etc... anything would be most helpful, thanks in advance!

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Mark Wilkins']

[Dan]

It sounds like you know that fast food and soda is not the correct answer. I'm not a fan of the fad diets, such as high protein. The best approach, in my mind, is to eat as little processed food as possible and as much fruits and vegetables as you can stomach. Avoid things like bleached/enriched flour, refined sugars, etc. You can replace the usual pasta dinner with a non-wheat flour such as rice or corn, replace cereal with oatmeal, water instead of sugary drinks, bananas instead of poptarts...

Dan

[mjsbossman]

Eating foods that aren't processed will help you run better? I never knew that! So is bread proccessed? I eat alot of bread, I love toasted bagels with creame cheese and a glas of milk.

I'm just glad how much better I'm eating. Last semester during XC I would buy my lunch at school everyday. I would eat fries, nachos, pizza, and soda. Now I bring my own lunch, I eat 2 sandwhiches, a banana, apple, carrots, dried pineapple, chips, water. I drink more water during the day, and I don't drink soda on weekdays, only on Friday and Saturday night. I feel better when I run and I'm getting fast, in fact I just ran 4:55 for the 1600!

[Dan]

I cannot fault your diet, because you've made huge improvements there and it sounds like you do far better than most people. But, bread is indeed processed. At least, most of it is. If it does not (accurately) state that it is whole grain, then it is largely refined/bleached/enriched/processed flour. Not the worst thing in the world, but far from the best. Many people respond well to reduced or no wheat in their diet, so even whole grain may not be the answer.

Dan

[mjsbossman]

So what are some good non proccessed foods to eat, besides fruit and vegetables? Oatmeal? If so I'll start eating Oatmeal for breakfast. I do like Oatmeal, plus it keeps my filled up until lunch.

[Dan]

Oatmeal is good. I believe Shredded Wheat is also low in processing, as are many non-wheat flours like rice, corn, and soy flour (for things like pancakes).

Dan

[mjsbossman]

Dan how do you think raw potatoes would be? Since they aren't processed, plus I like them.

[Dan]

Raw potatoes are supposedly much healthier than cooked potatoes, which are still quite good. If you find that palatable, than that should be a very good option.

Dan