Food as a Nutritional Supplement

1. Food as a Nutritional Supplement

FS: Are there any foods you see as being underrated, that people really should be eating more of?

AK: It may sound kind of cheesy, but I think almost all foods are kind of underrated in the sport world. There’s no marketing behind an apple, versus how much marketing there is behind some kind of protein concoction. I always try to steer them towards, ‘how can we try to make a smoothie without relying on all these concoctions?’ You’ve got a bar with 40 grams of carbs and 12 grams of protein—I say, ‘here’s food that’s exactly the same composition.’ I think all food tends to be underrated, in the fact that it doesn’t have any sexy appeal to it, as some of this other stuff does.

FS: What about the other way around? Are there things you would warn athletes to steer clear of?

AK: There’s no forbidden food or beverage—it’s all about how or when you consume it. You’re not going to get done with a training session and just hammer down 10 beers. And you wouldn’t want to have ribs before a race. But if you’re at a barbeque on the weekend…

I would hate to hone in on a miracle food. There’s foods higher in antioxidants that are full of essential amino acids, but as part of a whole, balanced dietary plan, you can achieve those almost anywhere. There are components of foods that are amazing, but they are present across a wide variety of food groups and types of food. That’s how I approach that one.

[excerpt from Fasterskier.com]

- richard