Top 5 carbohydrate sources for runners!
As we all know carbohydrates are important to fuel our bodies and are extra important for runners. We need plenty of energy to power our runs so eating extra carbohydrates is vital. Here are my top 5 carbohydrate sources for runners!
Oats:
Oats are packed full of energy and fiber. They contain a wide range of nutrients like fiber, vitamin E, essential fatty acids, etc. They can be easily made into porridge for your morning breakfast.
Every day I eat a big bowl of porridge and it keeps you going well into mid-day without eating anything else! They could also be had as a snack with natural yogurt for a very filling nutritious snack!
Potatoes:
Potatoes are a great carb source and hey, who doesn't like potatoes? Their skin is rich in vitamin C so don't peel it off! They are very high in potassium (more than bananas). A medium (5.3 oz) skin on potato contains 110 calories! that's more energy packed than any other plant!
You can have them in numerous ways also. You chuck them into a stew, roast them and serve with vegtables, put them in a curry (trust me on this one!) and have them as chips by slicing them up, boiling them for a few minutes then throwing them on the pan! Potatoes are one of many favorite foods and are super easy to make.
Pasta/spaghetti
What can I say, a nice pasta dish is probably going to be better than anything on this list (my opinion). When picking up pasta in your local store I would always recommend getting the brown option. I know you may not like pasta from the get go but you will get to like it and it contains far more fiber to help fuel you better.
Pasta contains folic acid while being sodium and fat free. You get a big bang for your buck with pasta giving you 130 calories per 100g serving.
It can be integrated into most meals weather you want your typical tomato pasta dish or you could have it as a pasta salad for lunch. It is easy to carry with you and can be eaten cold.
Rice:
The foundation of all curries! When choosing rice in a store once again it is important to go for the brown option as its higher in fiber. It is rich in manganese as well as helping decreases cholesterol levels. There are 110 calories in each 100g serving of rice which gives it this important energy.
Couscous
A food you may not of heard of but it is very nice. A one cup serving of couscous gives you 6 grams of protein which is 12% of your typical dietary needs! They are high in fiber for that crucial slow release of energy and provide a good source of B vitamins.
They are very easy to cook, just pour boiling water into a bowl of it and within minutes it will be made. You can eat it as part of your dinner with vegetables and meats thrown into it (kind of like rice and curry). You can also have it as a salad with a mix of green vegetables which is very tasty!
There are 112 calories in couscous per 100 grams so you get plenty of carbohydrates with it!!