The Triathlete's Kitchen?
Ellen Coleman, RD, MA, MPH © 2004

Athletes can stock the kitchen with high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods to eat healthier and save time and money. However, these grocery staples must be individualized to the athlete's preferences and lifestyle or the food will go to waste. The following sample grocery shopping lists provide ideas on how to stock "the athlete's kitchen."

For the Refrigerator:

Fruit: Pick up at least three different types of favorite fresh fruits from the grocery store. Eat two to four servings daily.

Vegetables: Select vegetables that don't require cooking and can be eaten raw or thrown into a salad. These can include preferred kinds of lettuce, celery, baby carrots, peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Eat three to five servings daily.

Dairy Products: Emphasize non-fat or 1% fat milk and yogurt. Select cheeses that are lower in fat than Swiss and sharp cheddar such as parmesan, mozzarella made with part-skim milk, string cheese, gouda, low-fat cottage cheese and reduced fat cheeses. Grating a half-ounce of sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese on salads or sandwiches provides a great cheese taste without a lot of fat. Consume two to three servings daily of dairy products daily.

Protein sources: Egg protein has the highest biological value of any animal or plant protein. Eggs are an excellent, inexpensive protein source. Control egg intake, as they are high in cholesterol. Scramble an egg without fat in a non-stick pan with onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Place the mixture into a heated tortilla and add several tablespoons of grated cheese and salsa.

Condiments: Low-fat options such as mustards, salsa, light mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon and lime juice improve taste while adding little or no fat. Other good flavoring items include pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, pre-chopped garlic, and roasted red peppers.

Reduced fat salad dressings can be used for salads, dips, or sandwich spreads in place of higher fat dressings and mayonnaise.

Next: "For the Pantry"