Women’s Health UK – September 2019

130 | SEPTEMBER 2019 Women’s Health

MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN

On Mondays,

I have football

training after

work, so I eat as

soon as I get

home. When I’m

not racing, I work

in construction,

which builds my

strength, but it

means I need

a lot of protein.

Because I’m

always on the go,

I cart my snacks

around with me.

When I’m at a

race, the caterers

work with our

nutrition team to

ensure we’ve got

the right balance

of protein and

carbs.

My nutritionist

recommended I

up my fish intake

• tinned sardines
  work for me as
  they’re cheaper
  than fresh fish.
  And I love fruit,
  which makes for
  a healthier snack
  than biscuits.

I make my

porridge with

skimmed milk

• I love it as it’s
  a good slow-
  release breakfast.
  On race days,
  I have to make
  sure I eat brain
  food, like eggs,
  along with fruit
  and wholegrain
  carbs – driving
  uses up a lot of
  mental energy.

Protein bars

used to be hard

to find but,

happily, they’re

widely available

now. I like SiS

and Myprotein.

Today, I have

yoghurt for

dessert, but I do

love a sticky

toffee pudding.

My fiancé makes

a fry-up for

breakfast, so I

have eggs with

my bagel. And

the protein ice

cream is tastier

than it sounds.

It just has extra

whey added in

to build muscle

strength.

If I’m having a

takeaway, it’ll

be an Indian

• our local does
  a great shashlik
  with onions and
  peppers. I love
  Japanese and
  Thai food, too.
  But we don’t eat
  out a lot – I’m
  often home late
  from the gym
  and like to have
  an early night.

7am

Handful of fruit

and nut muesli,

Greek yoghurt,

mixed berries

10am

An orange, half

a protein bar

12.30pm

Chicken, onion,

beetroot, tomato

and pepper

salad. A banana

3pm

An apple, half a

protein bar

7pm

Spaghetti

bolognese and

garlic bread

7am

Fruit and fibre

cereal, mixed

berries. Tea

10am

Greek yoghurt,

banana and

pumpkin seeds.

Tea

12.30pm

Sardine, beetroot,

pepper, tomato

and cucumber

salad. An orange

3pm

Apple, small bag

of popcorn

7pm

Chicken curry

with rice

7am

Two Weetabix,

fruit and fibre

cereal. Tea

10.30am

Greek yoghurt,

handful of mixed

berries

1pm

Sardine, beetroot,

pepper, tomato

and cucumber

salad. An orange

3.30pm

A banana, bag of

low-cal popcorn

7pm

Turkey mince,

sweetcorn and

chilli tacos, with

watercress salad

7am

Porridge with

blueberries,

strawberries and

raspberries

10.30am

Half a protein bar

12pm

Feta, cucumber,

tomato and

beetroot salad

3pm

Banana, handful

of mixed nuts

7pm

Chicken and

asparagus risotto

7am

Two Weetabix,

fruit and fibre

cereal. Tea

10.30am

Protein bar

12.30pm

Chicken, tomato,

cucumber and

lettuce wrap.

An orange

3.30pm

A banana and

an apple

7.30pm

Prawn and

avocado salad.

Greek yoghurt

with mixed

berries

8am

Two fried eggs

on toasted

bagels with

spinach

10.30am

Greek yoghurt

with fruit

12.30pm

Homemade

vegetable and

lentil soup and

sourdough bread

4pm

A banana and

an orange

7.30pm

Lean steak with

salad. Protein

ice cream

7am

Porridge with

blueberries,

strawberries and

raspberries

10.30am

Protein bar

1pm

Chicken salad.

A banana

3.30pm

Greek yoghurt,

mixed nuts

7.30pm

Salmon skewers,

pilau rice and

two poppadoms

(^) THE VERDICT Alice leads a highly active lifestyle, so
it’s important that she consumes enough calories to
match her energy expenditure. She includes sufficient
protein in her diet to match her exercise levels, consuming
it at most meals and in snacks – little and often is key for
maintaining muscle mass. While protein bars are an
efficient way of ensuring her intake is optimal, other
snacks such as authentic Greek yoghurt, hummus and
boiled eggs can provide high-quality protein with less
added sugar. Alice’s diet is healthy and balanced with
plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. What’s more, her choice
of takeaway is likely to be the healthiest pick on the menu.
Salmon shashlik is grilled using minimal fat, therefore
minimises exposure to rich, heavy and creamy sauces
which often come with heavier curries. Opting for salmon
will ensure she gets her weekly dose of omega-3 fats.
These fats are essential to support brain health, including
memory, concentration and even mood.
THE EXPERT
Nutritionist Lily
Soutter (lilysoutter
nutrition.com)
Alice Powell, 26, is a British racing driver. She is currently competing
in the women-only racing series W Series (wseries.com)
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