improving quark's diet

Nutrition Discussions
#1

ok, I have finally dialed in my training (with the help of this site) and i am finally adjusted to cooking for myself (living off campus this year). Since i am cooking all of my meals now (minus one dinner out on the weekends), i think that it is time to improve my diet.

First, my stats, i am a 5’11", 162lb 400/800 (more emphasis on the 400 lately) runner/martial artist. Bodyfat is 8.5% +/- 2% (measured with calipers).

I think the best way to show what is my current diet is to show what i ate ealier this week:

Morning:
6:00 morning workout: one banana (during workout)

post-workout:
16 oz fruit smoothie (strawberries, blackberries, peaches)
3 scoops of grow

breakfast (~hour later)
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 large cranberry muffin
1 GNC soloton multi-vitamen

Class

lunch (~2 hours after breakfast)
1 PB (natural) and J (preserves) sandwich
1 piece of fruit (orange)
1 nutrigrain bar

Class/study/light MA forms work

2nd lunch (sometime in the afternoon)
Cottage cheese
1 small oatmeal cookie (made by my mom)

Snack ~4pm:
bowl of broccoli

Class

dinner:
8-10oz of grilled chicken
more vegetables

before bed:
3 ZMA caps

Generally my diet is very similar to this day, minus varations in the meats at dinner (i try to eat a variety of meats such as salmon, beef etc) and the specific preparation. Any criticism would be wonderful.

Some notes/questions:
-I need to do the bulk of my training in the morning due to my class schedule. Usually doing workout on an empty stomach in the morning doesn’t bother me too much as the banana between weights and the track keeps me strong. However during special endurance workouts, i am beginning to feel like my later intervals are lagging. What should add to my during workout nutrition to supplement this?

-Also because of my early training all of my early meals must be packable. (As ii bike to school each morning to do my workouts and go to my first classes)

-EFA’s: i usually eat salmon at least once a week, but i am sure that isn’t enough EFA’s. I was thinking of adding walnuts to the cottage cheese meal and some flax seed oil to cover this, as quality fish oil caps are a bit too expensive for me as an undergraduate.

-Other that above, i was thinking of adding some green tea in the afternoons.

Anyways, in advance, thanks for the help.

#2

For some clarification, my diet follows this template through out the week, with the exception of weekend when i train later in the day and occasionally eat out.

Come on guys, i know my diet isn’t perfect. There has to be someone with an opinion. What should i do to improve this? Add more meals, more calories? More variety?

#3

Cut the flour for one thing.

#4

try to get a shake in before you workout - maybe 1 or 2 scoops grow.

post workout - use whey protein and maybe some more carbs.

add fruit or veg to breakfast and 1 or 2 more hard boiled eggs.

try not to have p&b for lunch everyday, mix it up a little…try to get rid of the processed breads you eat with the p&b.

4pm snack…add some sort of protein source to that or replace it with a grow shake.

dinner…maybe add some rice or sweet potato or any other low glycemic carb.

overall, its pretty good. just make a few minor adjustments and you’re on your way.

#5

Quark,

A good place to start would be the meal plan on John Berardi’s nutritional DVD.

#6

OK, so far I think i will add some grow preworkout.

To breakfast i will add more eggs (not that hard to do). I think i will add a fruit to that meal, i just don’t know which one. Many that is a slot for some exotic fruit of the week (like Clemson mentionned on his site recently). I think i will leave this open for what fruits look good at the market. I might ditch the muffin too, because the muffin is overprocessed…

I don’t eat PB&J everyday (i eat dinner leftovers half the time), but you are probably right about eating it too much, so i think that i will switch up the PB&J sometimes with some other meat sandwiches or other packable meals. As far as the bread is concerned, i am trying to get the best i can, but is there any brand/type in particular which is best?

For the 4pm meal, i will be definately adding tuna or some other quick protein.

For dinner, i will add sweet potatoes or brown rice (depending on which recipe i may be preparing).

Anyone have an opinion about the walnuts and/or flax seed oil?

Thanks for the in CCardill,pete et all. Keep it coming.

#7

For the rice go with Texmati.

Flax seed oil or Udo’s should be good.

For bread, the heavier the better. It should contain bran.

#8

Thanks for the help Pete. I willl have to find some heavier bread…