For many of you, the football season is behind you and you may be focusing on getting in shape for the coming season. If you are like most officials these days, you are balancing work, family, workouts, officiating and officiating-responsibilities while trying to make healthy food choices on the run. Here are a few healthy eating tips to help get you off on the right foot in 2006.
- Eat a healthy breakfast every day! It will jump start your metabolism and you’ll have more energy to tackle the day. Consider oatmeal, whole grain cereals with skim milk and fruit, among other choices. When choosing cereals, select those with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
- Use the 6-5-4-3-2 Countdown. The nutrition countdown is a simple way to remember the minimum number of servings in each food group (developed by Evelyn Tribole, Eating on the Run, Human Kinetics).
- 6 servings of whole grains. One serving is typically ½ cup of rice, cereal, or pasta, or one slice of bread.
- 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Eating more is even better. A serving of fruit is one piece of medium fruit, ½ cup of cut up fruit, or 6 oz. of fruit juice. A serving of vegetables is about ½ cup of cooked vegetables or 1 cup of leafy greens such as lettuce.
- 4 to 9 ounces of lean protein such as fish, meat, or chicken; this includes beans and nuts too.
- 3 servings of calcium-rich foods. A serving = one cup of milk, yogurt, or calcium-fortified OJ or 1.5 ounces of natural cheese
- 2 servings of fish each week
- Graze your way through the day! Grazing has to do with eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. Use grazing to fill in the gaps in your 6-5-4-3-2 Countdown. Here are a few foods to graze: bagel, yogurt, whole-grain crackers, snack-sized tuna, mozzarella cheese sticks, apple, orange, raisins, baby carrots, and grape tomatoes.
- Be mindful of what you are eating, especially when you are watching TV or driving/riding in a car. Mindless munching is a common pitfall that can lead to “unconscious” overeating.
- Choose nutrient-dense foods which means choosing the most nutritious food with the least amount of calories. For example, baked potatoes are more nutrient- dense than potato chips. Just be careful what you put on the baked potato!
- Eat high energy foods to give you the necessary fuel that you need to workout. Choose high-carbohydrate, low-fat foods such as yogurt, bananas, oatmeal, bread, bagels, and crackers. If you eat about one hour before you exercise, your food will be digested enough to be used as fuel and will continue to provide energy for you during your workout.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Carry a water bottle with you in your car, keep one at your desk, and be sure to have one with you when you workout.
For more tips on healthy eating and to create a personalized eating plan based on your age, gender, and activity level, go to http://mypyramid.gov/.
Additional resources you may want to check out:
Clark, N. (2003). Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 3rd ed., Human Kinetics.
Tribole, E. (2004). Eating on the Run, 3rd ed., Human Kinetics.
Kathleen Poole, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport, and Health Education at Radford University and health and fitness consultant to the National Football League — Officiating Department.