The medal-winning meals of champions
No matter what sport you prefer, nutrition is just as important (if not more so!) than the actual training. Want to know what your favourite athletes eat to perform at the peak of their abilities? Try out some of these champion worthy meal ideas and you'll be feeling healthier and beating your PB in no time.
Beans on toast — Tom Daley
With a gruelling training regime that has to fit around his busy school and promotional schedule, young diving superstar Tom Daley needs meals that are both speedy to make and healthy. Baked beans on wholemeal toast fits the bill perfectly. The low Glycemic Index of beans means that the energy they provide is slowly released throughout the day, which will keep you feeling fuller and more energised for longer.
Tuna — Victoria Pendleton
Pasta served with tuna is the go-to lunchtime option for sprint cyclist Victoria Pendleton. Pasta is a great source of carbohydrates, as well as vitamin A, which will strengthen your bones and even improve your vision. Add to that the omega-3 filled tuna which boosts heart health, and it quickly becomes clear why this is a meal favoured by champions. Victoria is also strongly against trendy 'fast weight-loss diets', and warns that they will leave you feeling worse than when you started, with any lost weight being quickly piled back on.
Ham and turkey sandwich — Jessica Ennis
Arguably Britain's most loved athlete, heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis has to carefully plan her diet to be able to compete in such a wide variety of events. An easy to prepare favourite lunch of Jessica's that everyone can try is a ham and turkey sandwich on wholemeal bread. Lean meats such as ham and turkey are low in fat and high in protein, which helps to build and maintain strong muscles, as well as boost metabolism.
Bagels with peanut butter - Andy Murray
Tennis ace Andy Murray swears by this sweet snack, and although it might not sound healthy, you'll be happy to hear that it actually is. The quick hit of carbohydrate from a wholemeal bagel serves as a great energy boost, and the high amount of potassium in the peanut butter will help you to develop stronger muscles. Just make sure you go for natural peanut butter — the more commercially developed brands will be full of sugar and sweeteners.
Mixed nuts — Paula Radcliffe
For such a small snack, nuts certainly pack a punch when it comes to health benefits. The high amount of monounsaturated fat found in nuts has been proven to keep cholesterol down, which in turn will reduce your risk of heart disease. They also contain a high amount of calories, so their energy boosting properties are perfect for long distance runners like Paula Radcliffe.
Pasta — Sir Steve Redgrave
You don't win a record-breaking five gold medals in a row without putting some serious thought into your diet. Carbohydrate loading was the order of the day for rowing great Sir Steve Redgrave when he was competing, and the main way he did this was a high amount of pasta dishes. Not only does pasta contain high levels of energy, providing complex carbohydrates, it's also extremely low in sodium and cholesterol.
Grilled chicken — Mo Farah
When you're running big distances in training like Mo Farah, you need to do everything you can to help your muscles recover from the strain you've just put on them. High protein dishes like chicken are perfect for this, and grilling the meat will keep fat levels to a minimum. As well as watching what he eats, Mo is extremely disciplined when it comes to drinking. He doesn't touch a drop of alcohol or go on nights out when he's training for a competition, and he has the gold medals to prove that this pays off.
Bran cereal — Chris Hoy
As a sprint cyclist, triple gold medal winner Chris Hoy needs to be able to have the capacity for quick bursts of energy at any time, which is why he starts every day with a bowl of bran cereal. Try this medal-winning breakfast and you'll stay full for longer because of the high amounts of fibre, and increase your energy stores as a result of the iron in the cereal. Chris also keeps a food diary of everything he eats, which is a great way of keeping your healthy eating organised and in control.
Apples and bananas — Rebecca Adlington
Swimmers have to eat a huge amount of food to build up the energy they need to compete, but they still need to make sure that it all has nutritional benefits. When she's not eating mammoth meals, Rebecca Adlington likes to top up her energy levels by snacking on fruit, such as apples and bananas. Apples are great for maintaining cardiovascular health, and the fructooligosaccharides in bananas ensure that the body absorbs more nutrients.
Eggs on toast — Dai Greene
400m hurdle world champion Dai Greene is a firm believer in healthy eating, and has even said that improving his diet helped cure his epilepsy. His diet is made up of healthy meals that are easy to prepare, such as eggs on toast. The eggs are a superb source of muscle-building protein, and if served with wholemeal bread this dish has the added benefit of vitamin B, which boosts energy levels, and vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant.
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