The ABCs of Sports Nutrition: Sweet Potato, Tofu, Vegetable Oil

Multi-Sport

July 15, 2024

Looking for practical advice on improving your diet and fuel your training? The ABCs of Sports Nutrition showcases how everyday foods can be added to your daily meals to make you a healthier, better-fueled athlete.

S is for…. Sweet potato

Sweet potatoes have taken over in popularity from the humble white potato due to its high beta carotene antioxidant content and being a great source of complex carbohydrates, providing slow-release energy and making it an ideal fuel option before or after exercise.

They are perfect just baked and served with oily fish as a recovery meal or added to a risotto for a pre-endurance training meal. They can be added to salads or make fabulous soups for lunchtime options, helping to prevent that 4 pm sugar slump. I even know some athletes who make them into wedges, add salt, and take them out on long training sessions with them. They are a must in every athlete’s store cupboard.

T is for…. Tofu

A must-have for all vegan and vegetarian diets as it is one of the only plant-based sources of protein that contains all the essential amino acids. It is also a great source of calcium, supporting bone health and muscle contraction.

While some of you may struggle with its blandness, tofu is hugely versatile as it takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking. Failing that, you can always marinate before cooking. For those of you who want an even simpler life, there are now many varieties available including, smoked, flavored with basil, or with olives. These can be eaten hot or cold as a snack or meal. Try adding tofu to stir-fries or curries as a meat alternative or thrown into a salad or simply served with salad in a pita pocket, as an alternative to sandwiches at lunchtime.

V is for…. Vegetable oil

There is so much controversy over what to cook with coconut, olive, and even butter. For every article that suggests one, another article slams it and so it can be difficult to know what you really should use to cook with.

As with most things, eating in excess of anything will not be beneficial to health. Presently, the recommendations of keeping saturated fat, except for saturated fat from dairy, to a minimum is still favored. This doesn’t mean you can never eat butter or coconut oil but it does suggest that they should not be your preferred choice for all cooking.

If you look at the ingredients list on vegetable oil, you may be surprised to see that it is made from rapeseed oil. Rapeseed is highly nutritious, low in saturated fat, doesn’t change in structure or stability when heated to high temperatures and so makes a great choice for daily cooking.