It is extremely important, in athletics, to work to improve your strength and conditioning. In order to excel and maximize your performance gains, your diet has to be addressed as you are responsible for ensuring you fuel your body with the proper nutrients. The best way to come up with a meal plan that meets your body’s demanding needs are by consulting a registered dietitian. I am currently working with Steph Langdon ( http://www.nutrishus.com/home.php ) and she has outlined a meal plan that perfectly fits my needs and gives me the energy to complete my demanding training schedule, week after week. In my meal plan I have a couple recipes that are not only highly healthy, but are also delightfully delicious. I would like to share them with you! My favourite meal currently is the Overnight Chia Breakfast:

Overnight Chia Breakfast

1 medium banana

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/3 cup large oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup milk

1. Mash banana in a small mixing bowl

2. Stir in chia seeds and oats

3. Add in Coconut milk, vanilla extract, milk and cinnamon

4. Stir until well combined

5. Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight.

I start my week off on a scrumptious note with the Overnight Chia Breakfast. Every Monday morning, I do my morning workout and immediately when I get home, I open my fridge to find my breakfast waiting for me. Timing is important when recovering from an intense workout and it is crucial to replenish your body 15-30 minutes after physical activity. Since this particular breakfast is made the night before it is ready to devour instantly. I’m a coconut-aholic and the coconut milk gets absorbed into the entire meal leaving my craving completely satisfied along with my hunger!

My second favourite meal is another breakfast item:

Breakfast Quinoa

1/2 cup quinoa, (dry measure)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup apple juice, not from concentrate, no vitamin c added

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Place water, apple juice, cinnamon and rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 15 minutes.

I’m a big fan of cinnamon, so this meal is like a dessert for me! I get to enjoy it on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I often add greek yogurt and almonds or walnuts to create a meal that fills me up for a couple hours.

Give these recipes a try and tell me what you think, or if you have recipes that you really like please feel free to share them!

/leland