The Top Three Dinners for your Training Diet

Dinner is an especially important meal for your training diet because it is the last large, balanced meal before the next morning's practice or competition. Eating a well-balanced dinner will allow you to get a full dose of nutrients without feeling sluggish and weighed down in the morning. Here are three dinner suggestions that you can tweak to fit your taste and preferences.

Dinner Plan #1

Pair a low-fat protein with complex carbs for ideal nutrition. A lean piece of chicken or fish with some brown rice or pasta are healthy choices. Pair your dinner with a side of vegetables like asparagus or Brussel sprouts. This is the time to eat these high fiber veggies which take longer to digest, versus in the middle of the day at lunch. And as always, enjoy your dinner with a glass of water to hydrate; stay away from sugary drinks. If plain water sounds a bit bland you could try adding a slice of lemon, or some fresh mint for flavor. 

Dinner Plan #2

If you're vegetarian, supplement your carbohydrates with animal-free protein choices. Load up on beans, lentils, and use quinoa to get some of the proteins you'll be missing from the meat. Make a dinner of hearty soups and salads by adding quinoa and beans, or try eggplant parmigiana with a low-calorie marinara sauce.

Dinner Plan #3

Maybe you're in a hurry and don't feel like taking the time to prep a full-scale dinner. This is when it's good to have some whole wheat pasta on hand to whip up a quick meal. Add your favorite low-fat pasta sauce (stay away from high fat cream sauces), and if you're feeling up for it, toss in some chopped veggies like peppers or squash. Get your protein in with an easy to make protein shake to wash it all down and maintain an excellent training diet. Or if you're not super hungry and want to go light, check out some of these nutritious snacks that are easy to pack when you're on the go!

Pre-Bedtime Meal

This is probably a new thing to you but do not underestimate the importance of having a good athlete diet. For this snack, you need to have a very low calorie, highly nutritious shake before bedtime. The reason for this is simple, your body sleeps so it can repair for the next day, so having a shake like the NutriBoost Shake is the perfect addition for bedtime. Not only does it take seconds to make and is tasty but it provides the right proteins swimmers need as well as all the vitamins and minerals the body needs so it can recover and repair and be at 100% for your next training.