Trying to eat healthy can seem like a never-ending journey of confusion and conflicting information in this day and age. Paleo, Primal, Zone – the list of recommended diets goes on and on. One thing that always fails to be recognised is the cost of purchasing these perceived-to-be healthier foods. Most of you reading this have probably decided to go all-in on an organic splurge for a week only to be left with a $400 hole in your wallet and barely enough food to feed your now ever increasing appetite to go with your increased training volume. So, in a few short paragraphs, I’ll aim to cut through the bullshit!

Firstly lets take a slightly closer look at your macronutrients and the quantity of each you should be consuming:

Protein – have 20-30g at each meal. Probably the most important macronutrient for tissue growth and repair, but also the one most lacking in regular diets. This is also hugely important for effective weight loss and developing lean muscle!

Carbohydrates – don’t ever cut them out, but understand that starchy carbs are best consumed post-workout. Veggies, however, should be consumed at every meal.

Fats – avoid trans fats, but consuming healthy fats is an important physiological process in helping to keep you satiated and not constantly feeling hungry.

Shopping can be the hard part, but understanding that its not necessary to always buy “grass fed” or “organic” is important. Sure, this is optimal, but most of our members have families and need to be budget conscious.

Here’s a sample meal plan I would use fairly regularly:

Breakfast:
2 Slices Rye Bread with butter
4 Eggs, scrambled
2 Cups Baby Spinach
1/4 Avocado
1 Medium Tomato
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Snack:
1 serving Whey Protein shake with water
1 Banana
2 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter

Lunch:
200g Beef Mince
1 cup Jasmine Rice
1/5 Zucchini
1/3 Tinned Tomatoes
Dash of Soy Sauce

Snack
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 serving Whey Protein with water

Dinner
Baked Chicken Breast
2 Cups Broccoli
1/2 Sweet Potato
1 tbsp olive oil

This equates to a fairly even split between the macronutrients with a slightly larger preference shown towards fats and proteins.

Shop wisely and choose options that can be cooked easily and don’t cost an arm and a leg. Some examples that should be staples include:

Mince (beef or turkey) – can be as cheap as $5 per kg
Sweet Potatoes
Jasmine Rice
Eggs
Avocados
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

These days the supermarket price wars make it easy to find what you are looking for at a reasonable price. Its definitely worth checking out Aldi as they’ve really upped their game in terms of the quality of their produce and have maintained their hugely competitive pricing structure.

Finally…

It’s important to track your nutrition as diligently as you track your training. Our recommendation is to use the My Fitness Pal app and to input all your daily meals. Our coaching staff can help our members to set the app so that it measures your macronutrient breakdown as well. We also help our members to understand what their daily caloric intake should be.

Our next blog on a nutrition topic will explore the most highly recommended supplements for CrossFit athletes and those engaged in high intensity training!