- By Coach AJ Johnson

I’m not a fan of the word diet. Not that I think one shouldn’t watch what they eat, it’s the fact that the word diet usually means calorie restriction, hunger, avoiding your favorite foods and unpleasantness in general. So I use the term food choices.
With the hours of training that triathletes put in on a weekly basis we can get away with a few more bad choices than the average sedentary person, but it’s still best to make more good food choices than bad. By this time we all know what good food choices are, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, lower sugar, it’s very easy and a common sense approach will do fine for most.
Unfortunately most of us fall into a rut in terms of what we eat. I know some athletes that have the exact same foods for breakfast every day. They are good foods, but still, variety is helpful and good for you. With that in mind, I wanted to give you some tips I’ve learned over the years that have helped me stay lean, recover faster and go harder.
1. Most people start with fruit in the morning and afternoon, then switch to veggies at night. Try getting more veggies in early in the day by adding them to and egg scramble or find a low sugar veggie/fruit drink. I love scrambling 2-3 eggs and mixing whatever veggies I have leftover, usually peppers, broccoli, tomatoes and spinach.
2. Add avocados to a fruit salad. We all know about good fats, and how avocados are a great source of good fats. Beyond spreading on a sandwich or making guacamole, you can add it to a fruit salad, to your egg scramble, smear on crackers, or dice and sprinkle on a salad.
3. Get a lean protein with every meal. Have some eggs in the morning, a fruit smoothie with protein powder, or almond butter work well. I love oatmeal, and since I cook it on the stove I add 1 egg white at the end for extra protein. It also thickens the oatmeal and tastes great.
4. Try different grains from the bulk bins. Barley, millet and quinoa are incredibly good for you, easy to cook, and can be eaten any time of day. I often cook up 2 or 3 cups of one and then I have it for a few days. Try quinoa in the morning with some maple syrup and a banana. Sautee some veggies, add to cooked barley and sprinkle with your favorite spices for a quick side dish.
5. Eat breakfast as soon as you can. Your body fasts overnight, that’s why it’s called break fast. Fire up your metabolism by getting in calories to keep it burning. If you are swimming in the morning, something easy like a smoothie or toast with almond butter might work.
6. Eat lots of snacks. I love trail mixes for their ease and variety. Some have dried fruits, some have more nuts, and some have more seeds. Pick up a few in the bulk bins then grab a handful when you’re hungry instead of that bag of chips.
7. Keep food handy in the car. I always have a bar or 2 in my car at all times. This way if my day is thrown off I can grab something that I like and is better for me than any fast food or gas station offering.
Those are just a few things I’ve learned that have helped me become a better athlete through smarter food choices. The key is to think outside your normal routine, give foods a chance and try new ideas. Just like your training you have to fine tune what you put into your body to maximize it’s potential.

Train Hard, Train Smart,
AJ

AJ Johnson has coached for D3 for 4 years. He has coached all types of athletes from first timers to IM Hawaii finishers. He is based in Highlands Ranch, Co. and can be reached at aj@d3multisport.com