10 Protein-Based Breakfasts Your Swimmer Will Love

BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RDN of usaswimming.org

It can be challenging to get swimmers to eat breakfast, especially as they get older and busier. They say no. They run out the door. They have no time for a meal. They aren’t hungry.

The excuses go on and on.

However, all swimmers may benefit from a routine that includes eating a healthy breakfast.

The positive impact on growing children and teens have been touted for years and include: improved attention and focus in school, better academic scores, an ability to regulate eating, blood sugar control throughout the day, a healthy body weight, and for the athlete, the availability of energy and nutrients for exercise.

Researchers highlight protein as a powerful influence on blood sugar and weight control, particularly when it shows up in the earlier part of the day.

In fact, University of Missouri researchers suggest teens eat a high protein breakfast (containing around 30 grams of protein) to improve blood sugar control after eating, temper fat gain, and encourage a healthy body weight.

In young athletes, research further emphasizes the importance of evenly distributing protein throughout the day as a key to building, repairing, and maintaining muscle.

Making sure the swimmer gets a protein-based breakfast clearly helps in many areas.

Swimmers can get a variety of quality protein at breakfast by using foods such as milk, soymilk, Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, tofu, beef, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, soybeans, nuts and nut butters.

Try these 10 protein-based breakfast ideas. (They are simple and easy for the swimmer to make independently!):

Easy Egg Sandwich

Almost like a fast food option, this egg sandwich is ready in no time. Scramble the egg with a bit of water, place in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for one minute. Place the disc-shaped egg on an English muffin and add ham or Canadian bacon, and a slice of cheese. If you want to bump up the protein even more, double the egg, cheese or ham.

Breakfast Bento Box

Pack one or two large hard-boiled eggs, 1/4 cup almonds, 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese topped with 1/2 cup berries, and 4 to 6 whole-grain crackers in a bento box or other re-sealable container.

Apple Walnut Oatmeal

Cook 3/4 cups of dry oatmeal with 1 1/4 cup of skim milk. Top with 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 1 chopped apple. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.

Nut & Berry Parfait

Layer 1 cup of vanilla or plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup raspberries and blueberries, and ¼ cup chopped pecans in a tall glass or Mason jar.

Peanut Butter Toast

Swipe two hearty, whole grain slices of toast with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter each. Serve with a 12-ounce glass of milk or non-dairy milk substitute.

Overnight Oatmeal (made with milk)

Mix ½ cup of oats with 1 cup of low fat milk or soymilk. Stir in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and top with 2 tablespoons of chopped peanuts and 1 small banana. Refrigerate overnight.

Cottage Cheese and Blueberry Bowl

In a bowl, place a cup of low-fat cottage cheese next to ½ cup of blueberries and ½ cup high-protein granola. Sprinkle with chia seeds or flax meal.

Egg, Ham & Cheese Bagel

Akin to the local bagel shop fare, toast a bagel and top it with an egg or two (scrambled or fried) and top with a slice of cheese. On-the-go tip: Wrap the bagel sandwich in tin foil immediately after assembly. The sandwich stays warm and the cheese melts nicely.

Breakfast Egg Wrap

In a flour or whole grain tortilla, layer scrambled eggs, cheese, and fresh spinach. Wrap in tin foil. Or, sauté onions, mushrooms and chopped green peppers or any other veggies on hand and add to the eggs; top with cheese and wrap.

Avocado Toast with an Egg

Toast a piece of crusty, whole grain bread. Smash ½ of an avocado on top of the toast. Fry an egg and lay it on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, or a mix of spices such as cumin, paprika and chili.

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Jill Castle, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian, childhood nutritionist, and youth sports nutrition expert. She is the author of Eat Like a Champion: Performance Nutrition for Your Young Athlete. Learn more about Jill atwww.JillCastle.com and check out her free list of 70 Awesome Pre-Workout Snacks for Kids.

5 Quick Nutrition Tips for Competitive Swimmers

by Olivier Poirier-Leroy or www.yourswimlog.com

The swimmer appetite is legendary.

It’s a byproduct of the hours and hours that we devote to swimming around the black line and for some swimmers, especially you distance folks, eating is largely a part-time job.

While eating lots of food is something we are known for (besides having the sought-after swimmers body, of course), that doesn’t mean that most of us eat as good as we can. We use those 8,000m swim workouts as an excuse to plow through a large pizza in one sitting after practice.

We know that nutrition plays a critical role in performance in the pool, just as important a factor as your sleeping habits. If you consider yourself as the finely tuned machine that you are then you know that putting low grade fuel into a high performance machine means you are short-changing your potential.

Douglas Kalman, PhD, RD, FACN, FISSN, has worked with summer and winter Olympic athletes and pro athletes in the MLB, NFL, NBA, and even combat athletes. More specific to you, the water-logged athlete, Dr. Kalman has worked two Olympics for and with swimmers (2008 & 2012) and is the sports nutritionist at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex with coach Bruno Darzi.

Below are 5 quick nutrition tips he has for competitive swimmers:

1. Eating well increases recovery.

“When looking to maximize your nutrition for performance, it is most important to think about how you can increase or enhance recovery from training,” says Dr. Kalman.

What separates fast swimmers from the “almosts” isn’t always talent or genetics; it’s how well prepared they are to train or race again. The elite know that time spent practices is where you heal and recovery in order to be ready to perform at a high level at your next workout.

“Recovery time is where your body heals and preps itself for the next event,” adds Dr. Kalman.

2. Eat like a champion to swim like one.

The swimming taper does some funny things to swimmers. Feeling light on their feet and fast in the water they think that they can treat their mouth like a dumpster.

But as Dr. Kalman notes, the couple days before the big race are when you need to be the most focused on eating well.

“What and how you eat in the 48 hours leading up to a event/competition is the most crucial for affecting performance,” he says.

3. Eat according to event type.

Your training and event type should dictate your nutrition. After all, you know that as a sprinter maybe sitting down with the distance swimmers at the buffet isn’t such a great idea.

“Your training volume dictates your carbohydrate need along with the type of event you are in (50m much different than 200m),” he notes.

4. You still need to drink lots of water.

It’s a common misconception that because we swim in a pool that we don’t need to hydrate. But we do.

Swimmers sweat, big-time. Which means that you should have a water bottle at the end of the lane waiting for you throughout your workouts.

“Hydration is often overlooked by swimmers both in their training and in competition,” sais Dr. Kalman. “This is because we often do not feel ourselves sweat when in the water.”

So how much water should we be drinking?

“Set your minimal fluid intake at 3/4 gallon for females and 1 gallon for males daily,” suggests Dr. Kalman.

5. Don’t neglect your protein.

While swimmers tend to be known as very capable of destroying vast amounts of carbs, don’t forget that you need protein to keep muscle recovery going strong.

“Protein based foods are your friends as part of recovery nutrition,” says Dr. Kalman.

“Aim for each meal and snack to contain some protein. Main meals should contain 20 to 40 grams protein per serving to optimize muscular adaptations.”

A special thank you to Dr. Kalman for stopping by to share his knowledge. You can also find him online as co-editor of the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition.