Healthy Options When Eating Out

Many athletes have to travel quite often and may need to rely on fast food restaurants due to money and time constraints. In fact, even when not traveling, we will have days where we are in a rush and looking for something easy and fast. Taking in consideration the main goal, which is fueling for optimal performance and health, with some planning you can easily turn a fast food stop to a healthier choice.
Here are some general rules:

• Choose grilled and/or baked options
• Stay away from fried foods. Consider a baked potato or side salad instead of french fries
• Hold the mayo
• Do not drench your salad with dressing
• Have water instead of soda
• Prefer milk, chocolate milk or 100% juice over soda if trying to gain weight
• The less legs the better (the less legs the healthier it is for you). Fish then chicken/turkey then cow/pork
• Don't forget your vegetables and fruits!

Here are some healthier ideas to choose in some of these establishments:

McDonald's/Burger King/Arby's/Wendy's

• Fruit and yogurt parfait 
• Fruit and maple oatmeal
• Egg white Mcmuffin
• Grilled chicken salad with light dressing
• Grilled chicken sandwich with BBQ instead of mayo and a side salad with light dressing
• Veggie Burger (BK) with no mayo, apple slices and milk
• Regular hamburger and cheeseburger with side salad
• Sweet chili grilled chicken wrap with apple slices
• Wendy's large chilly and baked potato/sour cream & chive baked potato

Subway/Jimmy John's/Quizno's

• Choose whole wheat bread
• Light on the mayo and dressings
• Choose lean meats (chicken, turkey, roast beef)
• Baked chips or fruit as side
• Load up on the vegetables

Taco Bell/Taco John's

• Bean burrito
• Burrito Supreme chicken/steak
• Any Fresco taco or burrito
• Gordita Supreme chicken/steak
• Black beans or black beans and rice
• Chicken soft taco
• Santa Fe regular fish bowl (Taco John's)
• Regular bowl - veg/chicken/beef

Pizza Hut/Domino's/Papa John's

• Thin crust. If possible whole wheat
• Veggie pizza
• Cheese pizza
• Hawaiian pizza
• Pizza with veggies and 1 meat (preferably chicken) 

KFC

• Grilled chicken breast with green beans and mash potatoes
• Chicken littles with no mayo, green beans and corn on the cob

*** Although it may not be the healthiest, these options can fit in any athletes diet. Just don't make it an everyday thing and apply MODERATION.

Sleep, an Essential Component

There are 4 main components that are essential for any athlete: training, recovery, nutrition and sleep.
We tend to talk a lot about the first 3 components but not much on the last one.
The recommendations for sleep duration are as follows:
Children - 10-11 hours/day
Teens - 8.5-9.5 hours/day
Adults - 7-9 hours/day

Lack of sleep has been shown to: impair cognitive performance and mood, disturb glucose metabolism and appetite regulation which in turn can cause higher weight, decrease immune function and decrease production of hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone (these hormones assist with building and repairing muscle). 

When it comes to physical activity, sleep deprivation has been noted to cause: slower reaction times, slower sprint times, decreased aerobic performance, decreased cognitive processes (visual tracking, focus, mood, determination) and higher odds for injury.

Although there are not many studies out there, the University of Stanford has done several studies on swimmers, tennis players and basketball players. They tried to see what happens if you extend sleep time to 10 hours/day. College students had their baseline (performance and psychological tests) measured while sleeping regularly for several weeks (typical sleep day ranged 6-9 hours) and then got them to sleep at least 10 hours a day for several weeks. If they could not sleep the whole time at night, they were encouraged to take naps throughout the day. Interestingly enough the results showed they all had faster sprint times and they all had increased mood and decreased day time fatigue. 

Each sport also had specific improvements:

1. Tennis - Had about 24% better accuracy in hitting as well as 42% better hitting depth.
2. Basketball - Had improved shooting accuracy by 9% in both free throw as well as 3 point field goals. They also had a better reaction time
3. Swimming - Had faster reaction times, total faster times and 25% more kicks 

Are you ready to go to sleep yet? If you are, here are some things you can do to get a better sleep:

1. Sleep on a comfortable mattress with comfortable pillows
2. Finish eating about 2 hours before you go to sleep
3. Schedule time for sleep. If need be, set an alarm
4. Avoid caffeine or energy drinks close to bed-time
5. Dim the lights in your room and when its time to go to bed make sure your room is dark as possible
6. Turn off all screens at least an hour before bed: TV, laptop, computer, Ipad, cell phone, X-box, etc. If you feel you must text or email before bed make sure you use the light dimming apps 

Athletes should make sure they are not only training, eating and recovering right but also sleeping enough!

Good Night

Snacks to Pack While Traveling

These foods can be packed in your bag and carried right on the bus with you. They are quick and easy snack ideas.

• Whole grain crackers
• Pretzels
• Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, etc)
• Bagel
• Granola Bars
• Granola
• Nuts (almonds, cashews, etc)
• Baked tortilla chips
• Whole grain Fig Newtons
• Banana chips 

If you have a cooler on board these foods can also provide the healthy snack you are craving.

• Cheese stick
• Yogurt
• Baby carrots
• Celery sticks (with peanut butter, if desired)
• Sliced fresh fruit 

Guest Blogger: Duncan Anderson, USD Dietetic Intern

Athlete's Guide for Eating on the Road

Eating well on the road is hard for everyone because of the limited access to fresh, healthy foods. Fast food options are endless, but there are ways to still get the nutrients your body needs without the extra fat and empty calories. Choose foods that will help your performance, but not leave you feeling sluggish. 

• When possible, substitute vegetables and fruit in place of higher fat options that provide little nutrition quality to your meal (aka French fries)
• Get things on the side when possible (salad dressings, etc). Put the meal in your control!
• Look for words: bake, broil, steamed, and roasted. Avoid the words: fried, sauteed, and au gratin. The way that it is prepared can totally change the nutrient content. Don't get weighed down by adding extra fat. 
• Plan ahead and pack snacks. May need to avoid packing anything liquid if you are flying. Ideas include:
• Trail mix
• Bagels w/peanut butter
• Pretzels
• Fresh fruit
• Yogurt (if you have a cooler)
• Don't forget the water! Stay hydrated! 

Look at this handout provided by SCAN (group of sport RDs). It spells out ways to order at various types of restaurants, including Mexican, fast food, sub style, and bakeries. It also provides many other helpful hints. 

Eating on the Road

A huge challenge for college athletes is the amount of time spent traveling.  It can be tricky for anyone to eat well away from home and a usual routine, but to be put in that situation and be expected to perform well is why knowing more about healthy eating is important for you and your team’s success.

Perhaps one of the easiest ways of knowing which foods are better than other is to become familiar with some culinary terms.  Foods that are prepared without adding any extra fat are the better choices.  Look for these words: baked, roasted, grilled, or poached.  When fat is added in the cooking process, it ends up making the final product higher in fat, too.  Avoid these words when ordering: fried, au gratin, or sautéed.  Sauces can easily add several calories to dishes and not all are created equal in regards to fat content.  If the pasta you are ordering has a cream sauce, it will be higher in fat than one that does not.  The same rule can be applied to soups. 

Be careful about ordering salads while on the road.  The word “salad” is often synonymous with healthy eating, but not all salads deserve such a high rating. Many salads found in popular restaurants are loaded with high fat ingredients that take away the nutritional value of what you thought you were getting.  Avoid salads with a lot of added cheese (a little is ok), bacon and other fried toppings, and ones that use an excessive amount of dressing.  The salad should still be a majority of vegetables.Choosing foods that have been processed the least will likely be the better option.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are almost always offered as a side instead of the usual French fries (or any other potato loaded with extra fat). I am not trying to be hard on potatoes, because they can have a place in a healthy diet as well.  Remember what I mentioned earlier; look for the word “baked” with potato rather than “French fried” or “au gratin.” 

I recommend packing a few snacks with you whenever you are on the road.  You never know where you will be stopping and what will be offered, so being prepared with some tried and true snacks that are healthy and you tolerate well is a good idea.  Snack ideas that would pack well include: fruit, crackers, bagels, energy bars, and nuts.

Staying well hydrated is another issue that could be overlooked while traveling.  Carry a bottle of water with you so you can always have it available to you. 

For many of you with smart phones, take advantage of the technology and look ahead at the nutrition facts.  Many popular restaurants list them right on their website.