Below is an example of how one professional endurance athlete does it. On this particular day, Shalane Flanagan, a two-time Olympian and American record holder, ate three servings of vegetables, two servings of each of the other five recommended food types and no servings of any of the acceptable food types. (Dark chocolate doesn't count as a sweet unless it's less than 70 percent cacao or eaten in large amounts.)
More: 5 Ways Chocolate Boosts Your Workouts
If you want to maximize your own performance as an endurance athlete, your best move is to emulate the pros. On the training side, that means borrowing best practices such as doing roughly 20 percent of your training at moderate and high intensities. And, in terms of diet, it means skipping the unnecessarily restrictive diets with names in favor of agnostic healthy eating.
What Shalane Flanagan Eats
Breakfast
- Oatmeal with honey, berries, banana slices, walnuts
- Coffee with creamer
Lunch
- Spinach salad with chicken, avocado, cheese, nuts, dried fruit
- Yogurt
- Whole-wheat crackers
Dinner
- Steak
- Steamed broccoli
- Sweet potato fries
Dessert
- Dark chocolate
More: Perfect Pre-Race Day Meal Plan
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