People with highly active lifestyles require more nutrients than those who are sedentary. Eating a proper diet can help boost your performance during workouts and accelerate your recovery between workouts. You don't have to sacrifice your healthy diet just to save money. Even you're a highly active person on a budget, you can still eat well and get enough nutrition to support your lifestyle.
Produce
Fresh fruits and vegetables provide your body with the vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates you need to perform at your best. The University of Miami advises you aim for at least six servings of fresh produce per day. Inexpensive produce includes eggplant, squash, carrots, beets, apples, bananas and oranges. If your favorite vegetable is out of season, consider buying it frozen. Frozen produce has similar nutrition content to fresh versions.
Whole Grains
Carbohydrates are a crucial part of an active lifestyle diet, as they provide your hard-working muscles with energy. Whole grains are a healthy source of carbohydrates because they are also rich in health-promoting nutrients, like dietary fiber and magnesium. Budget-friendly whole grains include whole-wheat bread, old-fashioned oats and brown rice.
Protein
Eating ample amounts of protein aids in muscle growth and recovery. If you are active, you need 1 g of protein for every 1 kg you weigh. If you strength train regularly, consider increasing your protein intake to 1.4 g for each 1 kg of body weight. Animal sources of protein, like chicken and fish, can be hard on your budget. Less expensive sources of high-quality protein include dry beans, lentils, tofu, eggs, powdered milk and canned tuna fish.
Fat
Dietary fat is important when you're active because it's the primary source of energy used during endurance sports like jogging and tennis. However, choosing healthy forms of fat, like extra virgin olive oil as opposed to saturated and trans fats, can help reduce your heart disease risk. Inexpensive sources of healthy fats include canned fish, peanuts, vegetable oils and ground flaxseeds.
Member Comments