When it comes to being an athlete there’s more to your lifestyle than just working out and staying physically fit. Athletes must practice proper food intake to ensure they’re keeping their entire mind and body healthy at all times.

Since we know how important it is for athletes to eat healthily and practice a healthy lifestyle, we wanted to feature some of the best foods athletes should eat. These are foods that will improve your physical and mental health, all the while providing you with the necessary energy required for your athletic performance.

Eat Protein

Protein is one of the most important food categories an athlete can consume. It’s best to select healthy proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, and peanut butter. These proteins can be easily snuck into smoothies, shakes, and meals throughout the day to keep your energy up.

Load up on Berries

There are so many berries that athletes should be consuming such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. These three berry varieties are full of antioxidants that often need replenishment after physical activity.

Pasta

Some may argue that pasta is a carb that athletes should steer clear of, but there are many pasta options available to include in your daily athletic diet.  Since you’re burning fat and carbs during your activity, you’ll need to use pasta to replace those carbs so that your body is healthy.

Dark, Leafy Vegetables

Spinach, kale, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts are a few of the dark, leafy vegetables that athletes need to include in their daily diet. These vegetables are full of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals so that your body gets the boost it needs to keep running.

Hydrating Foods

Not only is important to maintain proper hydration with water, but athletes should be consuming foods that are considered part of the hydrating foods category. Such foods include watermelon, radishes, celery, dates, and spinach.

Whey Protein

Another important protein that athletes should consume includes whey protein. Whey protein contains essential amino acids that help rebuild muscle and protects against muscle breakdown. This type of protein can be found in cottage cheese and some yogurts but is also available in powder form.

These are just some of the best foods athletes should eat regularly to maintain proper physical and mental health. Adjusting your daily diet to include a variety of healthy food options will encourage your body to stay well-nourished and continue moving no matter what’s going on in your life.