Eating to support your active lifestyle is different than eating for weight loss or anything else. For example, if you are active, you require more energy in your diet. You can also take in more calories than someone who is not as active without any issues.
While this is true, you must ensure the additional calories are useful and consumed when your body requires more fuel. Keep reading for some helpful tips to ensure your eating supports your active lifestyle.
Add Healthy Grains for Energy
Carbs have gotten a bad rap through the years; however, you may not realize that your body needs carbohydrates for energy.
While this is true, there’s a huge difference between whole grains and processed carbs. You must pay attention to what you are eating. Using a meal prep service and specifying whole grains is a good way to ensure your body gets the healthy fuel it needs to perform.
For example, if you plan to run a marathon or participate in some other type of strenuous activity, loading up on whole grains, such as bread and pasta, is recommended. These will help you keep your energy levels high while you exercise.
Drink More Water Throughout the Day
You must drink plenty of water throughout the day. Making sure that your body is properly hydrated is essential to ensure that it can efficiently process waste and use the nutrients you eat. Some nutrients are water-soluble. This means that your body can only absorb them if you make sure you are properly hydrated.
Include Plenty of Plant Proteins
Making a switch to lean proteins is smart; however, adding more plant proteins to your diet is even more effective. That’s because there are a lot of micronutrients in plant proteins that you can’t get from any other source. Leafy greens, soy foods, and beans are all great sources of plant proteins that will help you maintain energy levels for your active life.
Eat More Colors from the Rainbow
Eating different colors of vegetables and fruits gives you more nutrients than eating the same food over and over again. In fact, some science supports this. Because different colored foods are so important, try to include yellows, oranges, purples, and more in your meals each day. You will find that most meal prep services make a point of giving you an array of different vegetables and fruits to help ensure you get the nutrients you need.
Getting the Right Nutrients for Your Active Life
If you enjoy being active, then you must take steps to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need to support your active life. Above, you can see some of the things you should do to help you stay active. You can also use the services of a meal prep company, which will take all the guesswork out of meal prep while ensuring you get the nutrients you need.