Nutrition Bites - Issue 1

Helping you Fuel for Success

Hello, we are Tori, Felicity and Eoghan, the performance nutrition team from Sport Wales. We are here to help you unleash the power of food. Please feedback to us [javascript protected email address] .

Let Us Introduce The Meal Wheel

The meal wheel is a tool that you can use to determine what goes onto your plate. It is the basis of everything that will be put into these newsletters and you will see it cropping up a lot.

The meal wheel is split into four key sections, these newsletters will go into more depth on each of these in the future but as a brief overview:

Recover: These foods help growth and repair. This group consists of protein rich foods like meat, fish, tofu, dairy, beans and pulses.

Fuel: These foods help to fuel the body to provide energy. This group contains food rich in carbohydrate like wholegrains, potatoes, breads and sugar.

Support: These foods support general health and performance and minimise wear and tear on the body. The importance of this group is often underestimated. This group consists of fruit and vegetables.

Hydrate: When we exercise you lose fluid (as sweat) so it is important to replace these loses. Any fluid consumed counts towards your hydration status.

As a general rule, each main meal should hit all four sections, though the quantity of each type of food depends on the requirements for recovery or preparation for the next session.

Most foods will not exclusively fit into one specific section, most will hit several, this is one thing that differentiates food from supplements.

Recipe of the month

COURGETTE AND KING PRAWN TAGLIATELLE

Ingredients:

1 red onion
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 courgette
1/2 tin of tomatoes
1 tsp pesto
1 packet of frozen king prawns
Tagliatelle
1 lime
1 handful of spinach
Chopped coriander.

METHOD

Finely chop the onion and fry in a large saucepan with a small amount of rapeseed oil. One the onion is almost soft add in the crushed garlic and chilli flakes. Thinly ribbon the courgette using a vegetable peeler and add them to the pan. Once the courgette is soft and the chopped tomatoes and pesto to create a sauce. Add the prawns to the mix and cook on a medium heat until piping hot throughout. Whilst the prawns are cooking through, cook the tagliatelle in a separate pot of boiling water. Once it is cooked drain the water and add to the main pan with the juice of 1 lime and the chopped coriander. Mix through thoroughly and serve.

For more recipe ideas visit our Instagram: @swpnutrition

Myth Buster

"SUPPLEMENTS ARE VITAL TO BE AN ELITE ATHLETE"

FALSE. It is a common misconception that supplements are so integral to performance that you will never make it as an elite athlete without them. Whilst there is a time and place for supplements, this is the last thing that is addressed with an elite athlete. A food first approach is vital to ensure that you maximise performance gains from your diet. Supplements can also be dangerous if proper safety protocols are not followed when considering what to take. A future edition of this newsletter will address this.

FAQ’s

This space is for me to answer your questions. Hopefully this newsletter will benefit you and help you to make the best choices, if you have any questions or comments, please don't be shy, send them to [javascript protected email address]

Product of the month

Tupperware

Going to be out for the day?

Not sure what your food options will be?

Plan ahead and take your own food, that way you know exactly what you are eating and how it has been prepared.

For a plastic free option, mason jars are great and come in a range of sizes.

Nutrition Bites - Issue 1

Helping you Fuel for Success

Let Us Introduce The Meal Wheel

Recipe of the month

Myth Buster

FAQ’s

Product of the month

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