Salads for athletes

The salads They are a very versatile dish that allow us to eat them daily without repeating the same for weeks, although we must watch the ingredients so as not to end up consuming more calories than they touch or unhealthy nutrients.

• An ideal salad for an athlete should represent a complete plate, which provides carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats.
• In its beginnings, salads were a simple dish, which was more of an accompaniment than a main dish, today they can be a very sophisticated dish, serving as first courses or even a single dish.
• The carbohydrates They will help provide energy to meet the increased energy demand, proteins help reduce muscle fatigue and healthy fats act as thermal insulation.

They are an ideal dish for everyone due to the high nutritional quality they have, as they are made with fresh vegetable foods as the base ingredients of the dish, as well as being quick dishes to prepare.

How can we adapt them for athletes?

An ideal salad for an athlete should represent a complete dish, which provides through cereals, proteins that can be of both animal and vegetable origin, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from vegetables or fruits and healthy fats through olive oil , the nuts or the. Ingredients such as sausages, fatty cheeses and commercial dressings should be avoided, as they provide saturated fats, sugars and additives that harm health and / or cause weight gain.

Carbohydrates will help:

-Provide energy to meet the increased energy demand. -Optimize glycogen stores. -Allow muscle recovery after physical activity. -Provide a source of energy during training and competition. -Provide a quick and easy source of energy between meals to maintain blood glucose.

Proteins will help:

-Gain and recovery of muscle mass. -Improves the immune system thanks to the increase in glutamine. -Reduction of muscle fatigue.

Fats will help:

-As the exercise is prolonged in time, they are the main source of energy helping to save muscle and liver glycogen. -Acts as a thermal insulator. -Provides vitamins Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K). -It is part of the cell membrane (helping cell exchange). -Unsaturated fats help prevent cardiovascular risk, reducing cholesterol values, prevent the formation of clots, reduce the

Antioxidants will help:

-Neutralizes those generated by intense exercise -Eliminate excess free radicals -They can exert anti-inflammatory function

In addition, salads provide a hydration extra thanks to the vegetables, both for its water content and electrolytes such as sodium or potassium. In this way, it helps to avoid acceleration of fatigue or improves the heart rate.

Examples of complete salads

• Chickpea salad, fresh spinach leaves, walnuts and chopped chicken.
• Whole wheat spirals salad, cherry tomato, lamb's lettuce, apple and raisins.
• Rice salad, green and red pepper, onion and hard-boiled egg.
• Lentil salad, red cabbage, tomato, avocado, pine nuts and garnished with lemon.
• Couscous, chicken, endive and mango salad.
• Potato, tuna and broccoli salad.
• Lentil salad with wild rice, carrot, leek and toasted almonds.
• Bean and potato salad, beetroot, spring onion and roasted cashew nuts.
• Red cabbage and arugula salad, pear, sardines in olive oil and bread croutons.