March is Nutrition Month, and two Ottawa dietitians joined CTV Your Morning Ottawa to mark the occasion and share three sample performance plates for three different levels of activity.
“This month’s theme for Nutrition Month is Nourish to Flourish, and really it is all about celebrating the power of food, and the role that dietitians play in overall health,” Véronique Séguin, registered dietitian and co-owner of Built to Perform, said.
“When we nourish our bodies well, we have the foundation to make sure we flourish in our sport, in our activity.”
What should active individuals focus on when it comes to nutrition?
While protein intake is important, Rebekah De Couvreur, registered dietitian and co-owner of Built to Perform, says athletes should focus on their carbohydrate intake.
“When we talk with active individuals, we’re actually focused a lot more on the carbohydrate and how that changes on your plate,” De Couvreur said.
“The protein stays pretty consistent at about a quarter to a third of your plate, depending on the plate, but the carbohydrates really change.”
Level one — easy training/weight management
“When we work in sport, a lot of the time, we’re actually talking about performance plates,” De Couvreur said. “We have Canada’s Food Guide, which is a great starting point.”
For those who walk every day, do some yoga, or are generally active, but are on a rest day, De Couvreur recommends a plate that’s one quarter carbohydrates, one quarter protein and half fruits and vegetables.
De Couvreur suggests a curry chickpea sandwich with a side of fruits and vegetables.
Level two — moderate training
Séguin says this moderate level plate is good for those who do one intense workout session for greater than an hour, or those who do two slightly lighter workouts.
Here, Séguin suggests a quinoa grain bowl with tahini dressing.
“So, there’s a chicken for your protein. A variety of different vegetables. Some broccoli florets, some zucchini, peppers and some nice carrots for a touch of colour. Beautiful greens there as well,” Séguin said.
Level three — hard training
This level is geared towards those participating in intense activity, including two training sessions per day, or over an hour and a half of exercise per day.
“This is where we have half of your plate ends up being those carbohydrate-rich foods,” De Couvreur says.
De Couvreur’s sample meal included a wrap with vegetables, eggs and black beans, with a side of potatoes and a large bowl of raspberries.
Quick pre-workout meal
For a quick meal eaten shortly before a workout, De Couvreur suggests carbohydrates that are easy to digest.
“Very quick carbohydrates that can get into your bloodstream and give you energy very quickly, because we don’t want something packed with fibre and protein if it’s right before,” she said. “That’s too slow to digest.”
De Couvreur and Séguin suggest toast with honey, fruit, like melon and grapes, or Rice Krispies.
For a pre-workout meal that’s eaten more than an hour before the activity, Séguin suggests adding some yogurt.
For more free Nutrition Month recipes, visit the Dietitians of Canada’s website.
