Fueling with Whole Foods: Guest Post Kayli Dice

 Hello there! My name is Kayli and I am a sports dietitian, plant-based chef at True Food Co., and co-author of the recipe blog The Plant Eaters’ Manifesto.

Here’s a conundrum you may be acquainted with: you do your best to eat whole, unprocessed foods at most meals, but as soon as you venture into the world of exercise, you come face-to-face with a staggering array of sports supplements made from everything but whole foods. What’s an active whole foodie to do? I have good news- many whole fruits and vegetables offer powerful benefits for fueling exercise.

5 Whole Food Fueling Strategies:

Pre-workout boost: nitrate-rich vegetables
Certain vegetables contain inorganic nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide in the body and contribute to several mechanisms such as improved oxygen delivery and more efficient energy production- a great combo for improved performance! Several studies show significant gains in performance for athletes who eat nitrate-rich vegetables before exercise.
You’ve probably heard about athletes chugging beet juice to get their nitric oxide boost. If the thought of beet juice makes you queasy, you’re in luck! Beets actually are NOT the richest source of nitrates. Most leafy greens pack a higher nitrate punch, and arugula is best source with four times more nitrates than whole beets!

Sports drink alternative: bananas
Bananas are a staple food for athletes- rich in carbs and electrolytes, portable and easy to digest for most. They might even be an effective whole food replacement for sports drinks. One study compared cyclists who fueled with a regular sports drink to cyclists who fueled with bananas and found no difference in performance or recovery. If toting a whole banana on your workout seems impractical, mash bananas and carry in a zip-top bag. When you’re ready to fuel, tear of a corner of the bag and eat the mashed banana like a gel packet. A ½ cup of mashed bananas has the same amount of carbs and calories as an average gel packet.

Chew and block alternative: raisins or dates
Dried fruit can be a superior whole food alternative to sport chews, gummies and blocks. In runners completing a distance run followed by a 5-K time trial, fueling with raisins and fueling with energy chews resulted in the same level of performance enhancement compared to fueling with just water. I find dates to be tastier and easier to chew than raisins, but either will do the trick!

Quicker recovery: Cherries
Quick recovery is key to powering through a week of workouts. Cherries deliver a heavy dose of anti-inflammatory anthocyanins, which eases pain from exercise-related muscle damage, inflammation and oxidative stress. In short, cherries speed recovery time so you feel stronger for your next workout! Several studies show significantly less muscle soreness in athletes who consume tart cherry juice before, during, and after exercise.

Post-workout and beyond: a whole-food plant-based diet!
By eating mainly whole, plant-based foods, you benefit from anti-inflammatory properties, which may result in less fatigue and quicker recovery. Refuel with a Plant Eaters’ Manifesto favorite: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt & Fig Bars (picture below)!

When homemade fuel doesn’t happen, I reach for my favorite bar: LARABARS! As a LARABAR Ambassador, the wonderful folks at LARABAR gave me bars to share with a lucky winner! One lucky (USA) winner will receive a mix of Uber and mini Larabars!  The prize pack includes…20 mini Larabars- a mix of peanut butter cookie, cashew cookie, peanut butter chocolate chip, and Uber roasted nut roll.  Enter below.

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Kayli Dice, MS, RDN, founder of True Food Co., is a plant-based nutrition expert, personal chef and writer. She co-writes the recipe blog The Plant Eaters’ Manifesto with her husband.