Fruits are an important supplement to carbohydrates in a sports diet. They are also rich in fiber, potassium and lots of vitamins, especially vitamin C. The nutrients contained in the fruit help heal injuries, facilitate recovery after exercise and reduce the risk of cancer, high blood pressure and constipation.
According to the principles of proper nutrition, as illustrated by the food pyramid, you should eat at least one and a half cups of fruit or juice a day - which is only one or two standard portions. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people to eat more fruit as part of preventing many diseases typical of old age.
If for some reason you do not eat fruit during the day, include it as a mandatory part of your breakfast. A glass of orange juice (240 milliliters) and a medium banana cut into the petals are enough to cover the minimum daily requirement for fruit. Also, try to eat them on other occasions: for a pre-workout snack, choose dried fruit over an energy bar, or drink a recovery fruit cocktail after exercise. Either way will be better than no fruit at all!
What are the he althiest fruits?
If you find it difficult to introduce fruit into your daily diet because it spoils too quickly or the season is over, you can eat frozen fruit or drink fruit juices.
Citrus (fruits and juices).Freshly squeezed juices and whole fruits - oranges, grapefruits and mandarins, contain more vitamin C and potassium than many other fruits.
If you don't want the fun of peeling oranges or grapefruits, just buy some juice. The whole fruit has a little more nutritional value, but the juice is also great if you have no other choice. One glass of orange juice (240 milliliters) contains more than the recommended daily dose of 75 milligrams of vitamin C, as much potassium as you sweat during an hour's workout, and folic acid, a B vitamin needed to build proteins and red blood cells.
You can also choose a calcium fortified juice for a he althy dose of your bones. To drink more fruit juices, stock up on freshly pressed juice and have it for lunch or instead of a snack. And even better - always keep the fresh oranges in the fridge that you cantake to training.
Bananas.This low-fat, potassium-rich fruit is perfect for active people. Bananas perfectly complement the potassium that we lose with sweat. And it is worth taking care of the right level of this mineral, because it protects against hypertension.
Banana slices can be sliced into breakfast cereals, packed for work and eaten for dessert after lunch, or as a snack. My favorite combination is a banana with peanut butter, low-fat crackers and a glass of skim milk - it's a balanced meal or snack containing products from four groups (fruit, nuts, grains, dairy), thanks to which I provide the body with carbohydrates (bananas, crackers) and proteins (butter). peanut, milk).
To keep bananas longer lasting, store them in the refrigerator. The rind may turn black from the cold, but the fruit will be good. Another way is to keep the peeled banana pieces in the freezer. They taste like banana ice cream but have significantly fewer calories; and by adding milk you can make a thick cocktail from them. Without a doubt, the banana is one of the most popular snacks among athletes. I once saw a cyclist who attached two bananas to his helmet - he could grab them at any moment to give himself strength.
Melons, kiwis, strawberries and other berries.These nutritious fruits are also a great source of vitamin C and potassium. Many of my patients keep strawberries and pieces of melon in their freezer, ready to be turned into a breakfast shake or a refreshing smoothie.
Dried fruits.They are rich in potassium and carbohydrates and you can take them with you wherever you go. Keep a mix of dried fruit and nuts in a punching bag and eat them instead of another bar. If you eat little fruit, make sure the fruit you eat is as nutritious as possible. The table below will help you choose.
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| Fruit | Quantity | Kcal | vitamin A (IU) | vitamin C (mg) | potassium (mg) |
| Ananas | 1 cup | 75 | 35 | 25 | 175 |
| Watermelon | 1 cup | 50 | 585 | 15 | 185 |
| Banana | 1 medium | 105 | 90 | 10 | 450 |
| Peach | 1 average | 35 | 465 | 5 | 170 |
| Cherries | 10 items | 50 | 145 | 5 | 150 |
| Dates | 5 dried | 115 | 20 | - | 270 |
| Figi | 1 average | 35 | 70 | 1 | 115 |
| Grapefruit | 1 pink, medium, half | 40 | 155 | 45 | 170 |
| Apple | 1 medium | 80 | 75 | 10 | 160 |
| Berries | 1 cup | 80 | 145 | 20 | 260 |
| Cantaloupe | in pieces, 1 cup | 55 | 5160 | 70 | 495 |
| Kiwi | 1 medium | 45 | 135 | 75 | 250 |
| Honey melon | cut, 1 cup | 60 | 70 | 40 | 460 |
| Apricots | dried, 10 halves | 85 | 2550 | 1 | 480 |
| Orange | 1 average | 60 | 240 | 75 | 230 |
| Raisins | 1/3 cups | 150 | 5 | 2 | 375 |
| Pineapple juice | 1 glass | 140 | 13 | 25 | 335 |
| Grapefruit juice | white, 1 glass | 95 | 25 | 95 | 400 |
| Apple juice | 1 glass | 115 | 0 | 2 | 300 |
| Orange juice | freshly squeezed, 1 cup | 110 | 500 | 125 | 500 |
| Cranberry juice | 1 glass | 140 | 10 | 90 | 55 |
| Dried plums | 5 pieces | 100 | 830 | 2 | 310 |
| Strawberries | 1 cup | 45 | 40 | 85 | 245 |
| Grapes | 1 cup | 60 | 90 | 5 | 175 |
| Recommended amount: |
Men Women |
>3000 >2310 |
>90 >75 |
>4700 >4700 |
|
| According todata by J. Pennington, 1998 contained in Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used | |||||
