​Nutrition is one of the most debated issues in the fitness world.

I'm sure you've probably heard all the zealots of this diet and that diet trying hard to convince you that their chosen diet is best.

They can't all be right, can they?​

One thing is for certain if you don't stick to one approach or another chances are you'll end up driving your self insane trying to get every single macro and ​micro-nutrient correct especially if you are traveling.

So if you are trying to shed the last few pounds and you look good in those CrossFit booty shorts then cleaning up your diet is the first step to leaning out.

As the saying goes:

"Abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym"



From speaking with hundreds of athletes over the years all of the best athletes do tend to favor a "clean" diet chocked full of:

Animal proteins - Beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs

Vegetable proteins - legumes and nuts

Healthy fats - Oils, avocado etc

Healthy carbs - wholemeal breads, pasta's, brown rice, quinoa etc



However they do still have the occasional treat.



Most people tend to assume that every CrossFitter is strictly Paleo.

Just because your favorite CrossFit star is posting avocado and eggs every morning on Instagram doesn't mean that either they or the majority are sticking to strictly Paleo.

A more balanced and less restrictive approach is probably what the majority of successful CrossFit athletes are using.

Paleo with grains and dairy thrown in for good measure.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase:

Failing to plan is planning to fail



When it comes to planning your CrossFit meals having a routine and sticking to it is probably one of the best ways to ensure you never get caught out without a healthy snack or your main meals.

And Tupperware, don't skimp on your Tupperware collection. Packing you meals and storing them in a fridge is crucial to long-term success.



CrossFit Meal Plan



​The best approach to meal planning is one that you can handle for the long term. If you have a diet plan that is overly restrictive and is a royal pain to try and stick to then you are ultimately doomed to fail.

Forward planning is all well and good on paper but it is the ease of execution that is the real test.

Search around for some good paleo meals that you might like experiment a little and see how easy they are to make and to shop for.

Once you have a few stables for breakfast, lunch and dinner life will get a whole lot easier.



Below is a sample meal plan for CrossFit that you can use as a rough guide.



Breakfast Oatmeal

Between a 1/2 and 1 full cup of oatmeal cooked in either water half fat milk, add in a cup of mixed berries Eggs

Two scrambled eggs seasoned to taste or fried in coconut oil. You can even include some mushrooms.

Lunch Salmon

One salmon filled either lightly poached or baked in the oven. Quinoa

1 cup of Quinoa or slightly less depending on your needs mixed with lots of chopped veg, with a dash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Dinner Steak

One small steak of you favorite cut. Preferably done on a grill and not fried in butter! Baked Sweet Potato

One baked sweet potato served with a side salad of greens, chopped peppers and tomatoes



Snacks for CrossFit



You can have several snacks throughout the day just make sure they are low in sugar as you don't want to cause any unnecessary sugar crashes especially during training.



Nuts

Cherries

Berries

Apples

Grapefruit



Crossfit Diet Plan

If you are following a crossfit diet plan to lose weight and not just performance then you will need to be a little stricter with you meals and especially with the kind of snacks that you choose.

Personally I have always got the best results from a fairly low sugar diet. That includes natural sugars such as fruit and honey.

It goes without saying that all processed sugars should be off the menu. If you really need a sugar hit then opt for some low glycemic fruits such as:

Cherries

Grapefruit

Apples



Although carbs get a bad name if you are doing some unusually intense workouts then some brown rice or sweet potato is fine with your main meal, just keep the portion sizes small.

Ultimately your ability to burn off body fat will come down to running a slight calorie deficit everyday until you hit your desired body fat levels.

Learning good and responsible portion sizing is really key and I would much rather do that than be obsessively calorie counting.



Long Term Success



Planning you meals for CrossFit doesn't take a lot of effort and is made easier by having at least 3 goto meals that are easy to prepare for each of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

You can then mix and match them on different days so you don't get too bored.

If you find yourself in a rut with what you are eating day in day out then challenge yourself to make one new dish every week.

Why every week?

Because every day is just to difficult especially if you don't live close to a store and work long hours.

Like most things if you plan right from the start the chances of you sticking to your plan are a lot higher.

