About Nutrition
Breakfast
A nutritious breakfast does not have to take a long time to prepare or eat. The best breakfasts should include fruit or vegetables, a dairy product (or alternative) and a wholegrain bread, cereal or grain product.
Try these suggestions or mix and match to your taste:
Breads Wholemeal, white, multigrain, rye, hi-fibre breads or rolls including burritos, English muffins, focaccia, lavash, Lebanese, pita, raisin/fruit loaf, tortillas and Turkish bread, rice and corn cakes, scones plain and fruit.
Scrumptious Sandwiches/Wraps:
A basic need for everyday eating is to replace fuel and fluid losses from daily activity. Those undertaking a gentle exercise program will meet these needs by following general guidelines for healthy eating. We suggest using the Healthy Eating Pyramid. However, as the exercise sessions becomes longer and harder, fluid and fuel (energy or kilojoule) needs to increase.
Fuelling your Body - The fuel needs of events of up to about 90 minutes in duration can be met by the normal muscle glycogen stores of a well trained individual. (Glycogen is the body's ready source of energy stored in the muscles.) To fuel up, all you need is 24-36 hours of rest or lighter training, and a higher carbohydrate diet. Although a high carbohydrate diet should already be on your menu, you may like to reinforce the focus on "fuel foods" on the day prior to competition.
A nutritious breakfast does not have to take a long time to prepare or eat. The best breakfasts should include fruit or vegetables, a dairy product (or alternative) and a wholegrain bread, cereal or grain product.
Try these suggestions or mix and match to your taste:
- Raisin bread or fruit loaf: plain or topped with ricotta cheese, and chopped strawberries or banana
- Wholegrain cereal with milk and chopped fruit such as banana, berries or pureed fruit
- Hot porridge with milk, chopped banana or berries
- Yoghurt topped with a muesli style cereal and chopped or pureed fruit.
- Baked beans with wholegrain toast and a small glass of diluted fruit juice
- Scrambled or poached egg with toast and a glass of milk
- Wholegrain muffin with slice of cheese and tomato and a piece of fruit.
- Toasted bagel with avocado and a glass of milk.
- Wholegrain toast with a thin spread of jam or honey plus sliced banana and a small tub of yoghurt
- Fruit smoothie (blend milk, yoghurt, soft fruit and a sprinkle of wheatgerm or psyllium)
- For an on-the-go breakfast—take a piece of fruit , cheese stick and a few low fat crackers
Breads Wholemeal, white, multigrain, rye, hi-fibre breads or rolls including burritos, English muffins, focaccia, lavash, Lebanese, pita, raisin/fruit loaf, tortillas and Turkish bread, rice and corn cakes, scones plain and fruit.
Scrumptious Sandwiches/Wraps:
- Egg and shredded lettuce
- Lean roast meat, avocado & tomato
- Hummus and salad
- Baked beans
- Cheese, shredded lettuce and vegemite
- Mashed sardines, salmon or tuna mixed with chutney, avocado or ricotta cheese
- Chicken, chopped tomato and capsicum
- Cream cheese, turkey/chicken and cranberry sauce
- Cottage cheese, tuna and sprouts
- Cheese, chicken and avocado
- Cheese, ham and tomato
- Mashed banana and ricotta cheese
- Ham, cheese and pineapple
- Chicken, capsicum and cheese
- Mushroom, onion, capsicum and cheese
- Chicken, avocado, tomato and cheese
- Rice, Pasta and Noodles can be served as hot or cold dishes for lunch
- Fried rice – rice, egg, chicken or ham, peas, corn, spring onions, bean shoots and salt reduced-soy sauce
- Chicken Noodles – noodles, chicken (or lean beef/lamb) carrots, capsicum, onion and broccoli, salt-reduced soy sauce
- Sushi - Tuna and avocado
- Sushi - Grated carrot, cucumber and lean meat
- Salmon, Avocado and Tomato Pasta
- Zucchini Noodle Cake – low fat noodles, eggs, grated mozzarella cheese and grated zucchinis
- Hawaiian Rice – Rice, corn kernels, celery, pineapple pieces, spring onions, lean ham
- Fresh fruit such as apples, grapes, strawberries, mandarins pear, plum, apricot, banana, kiwi fruit, nectarine, orange
- Carrot, zucchini or celery sticks and healthy dips eg. hommus or mashed avocado (steam crunchy vegetables to make soft for very young children)
- Tinned fruit in natural juice or preserve fresh chopped fruit with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of fruit juice
- Small amounts of dried Fruit – sultanas, dried apple, dried apricot,
- Trail mix of dried fruit mixed with a plain cereal (eg. Mini wheats, rice puffs)
- Fruit Salad with yoghurt/custard
- Fruit Slushies – Blend fruit, add extra water if too thick then freeze
- Fruit and Coconut eg. Pineapple pieces mixed with dessicated coconut
- Frozen fruit – eg. Orange, Banana, Watermelon, grapes
- Smoothies - yoghurt, milk and fruit, eg. banana, berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
- Yoghurt or custard
- Yoghurt sprinkled with muesli and fresh or tinned fruit
- Cheese slices or cheese sticks on their own or with low fat crackers
- Raisin or fruit toast or fruity english muffins
- English muffin with ricotta cheese and banana
- Rice cakes with low fat toppings such as vegemite, ricotta cheese
- Weet-bix™ or other low fat, low sugar cereals with milk
- Pikelets topped with chopped fruit & ricotta cheese eg. Banana and berries
- Vegetable Pikelets or Savoury Scones (grate vegies & add cheese)
- Jaffles filled with baked beans or mashed potato and/or cheese
- Baked potato filled with tuna or creamed corn and topped with cheese
- Fruit Flower – balls of melon surrounded by orange segments with a stem of banana
- Traffic Lights – rounds of kiwifruit, watermelon and banana
- Pita bread nachos – pita bread slices baked in oven until crisp, sprinkled with cheese
- Microwaved scrambled egg (cook with frozen corn and grated cheese) - takes only 30—60 seconds OR try a hard boiled egg
- Hot or Cold veggie, meat or tuna patties
- Hot filo based pastries filled with vegies and meat
- Small tins of baked beans or spaghetti
- Balancing Energy In and Out What are kilojoules (kj) or Calories? Energy is measured in kilojoules (kj) or Calories. So when we talk of 'energy in' we mean 'kilojoules in' (the kilojoules in food). Maintaining a healthy weight range it is important to help minimize the risk of many lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, some cancers and Type2 diabetes. The best way to maintain a healthy weight is to match the energy you consume from food with the energy that your body uses up.
On average, the amount of kilojoules required daily is: Age Male Female 12-15 years 10 500 kj 9 000 kj 16-18 years 12 500 kj 9 500 kj Adults up to 60 years 11 000 kj 9 000 kj Over 60 years 9 000 kj 8 250 kj
A basic need for everyday eating is to replace fuel and fluid losses from daily activity. Those undertaking a gentle exercise program will meet these needs by following general guidelines for healthy eating. We suggest using the Healthy Eating Pyramid. However, as the exercise sessions becomes longer and harder, fluid and fuel (energy or kilojoule) needs to increase.
Fuelling your Body - The fuel needs of events of up to about 90 minutes in duration can be met by the normal muscle glycogen stores of a well trained individual. (Glycogen is the body's ready source of energy stored in the muscles.) To fuel up, all you need is 24-36 hours of rest or lighter training, and a higher carbohydrate diet. Although a high carbohydrate diet should already be on your menu, you may like to reinforce the focus on "fuel foods" on the day prior to competition.
