Here’s an example of what a male Olympic heavyweight rower might eat when training three times a day.
The diet provides about 6,000 calories a day. It's only suitable for athletes who do intensive training and isn't recommended for the general public.
7am: breakfast
- large bowl of cereal, such as porridge, muesli or Weetabix
- half pint semi-skimmed milk plus chopped banana
- 1–2 thick slices wholegrain bread with olive oil or sunflower spread and honey or jam
- glass of fruit juice
- 1 litre fruit squash
8am: training
- 1 litre sports drink during training
9.45am: post-training second breakfast
- portion of scrambled eggs
- portion of baked beans
- 1–2 rashers grilled lean bacon
- portion of grilled mushrooms or tomatoes
- 2 thick slices wholegrain bread with olive oil spread
- 1 litre fruit squash
11am: training
- 1 litre sports drink during training
- 500ml low-fat milkshake after training
1pm: lunch
- pasta with bolognese or chicken and mushroom sauce
- mixed side salad
- fruit
- 1 litre fruit squash
4pm: training
- 1 litre water or sports drink during training
5.30pm: post-training snack
- large bowl of cereal with half pint semi-skimmed milk, or 4 slices toast with olive oil or sunflower spread and jam with large glass of semi-skimmed milk
- fruit
- 500ml water
7.30pm: dinner
- grilled meat or fish, such as salmon, tuna or chicken, or lean red meat
- 6-7 boiled new potatoes, large sweet potato or boiled rice
- large portion of vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, corn or peas
- 1 bagel
- 1 low-fat yoghurt and 1 banana or other fruit
- 750ml water and squash
9.30pm: bedtime snack
- low-fat hot chocolate with 1 cereal bar
10.30pm: bed
