Catering for a local sports event or team is a good way to meet new people in your area and share your culinary skills. If you are catering for a sports team or event such as a cross country run or school sports day then it is important to provide the right balance of nutrients our bodies need.

For many athletes it can become confusing knowing how to get the best performance from themselves. Adverts and sporting shops bombard us with energy drinks and supplements in a compelling way. For many of us we can gain more of a boost to our body’s performance by changing our diet and focussing on the most important food groups.

To help you get the right food types to boost your performance we have prepared a brief guide, highlighting some key areas.

Vitamins and Minerals

The right balance of certain vitamins and minerals can make a significant difference to our bodies well being and capabilities. In sporting terms the main areas to focus on are our bones and our bloodstream.

To improve the condition of our bones we need a healthy supply of calcium. Calcium is easily obtained from milk and other dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese. Broccoli is also another key source which cuts out the fat content of dairy products.

To improve our bloodstream and circulation we need the right amount of iron in our diets. Iron can be obtained from lean red meat, kidney beans and baked potatoes.

Protein

We all need protein to form a healthy diet but sportsmen require more than average people. This is to replace supplies used whilst training and taking part in events. As with all the food groups excess won’t improve the body but hinder it. Too much protein can cause dehydration and in some cases lead to kidney problems.

To keep the body in top shape protein must be included as part of a balanced diet. Foods that are high in protein include chicken and other meats, fish, eggs and cheese.

Carbohydrates

Low carb diets have become increasingly popular in the press recently. Although these diet plans may benefit some people they aren’t necessarily right for athletes. Foods with the correct carbohydrate level help to give us the right amount of calories which are vital for supplying us energy to keep us alert and active.

Foods such as pasta and bread are high in carbohydrates but often in a processed form. Sweet snacks such as chocolate bars also have considerable carbohydrate. However these aren’t recommended as they often give short bursts of energy from the high sugar content. After getting the initial surge and burning more energy than usual you will soon start to deteriorate creating a very limited performance.

To get a healthy intake whole grain foods such porridge, corn and sweet potatoes are well recommended. These foods will supply the prolonged energy associated with carbohydrates as well as giving our bodies a good source of fibre.

The Right Balance

The most important thing to remember is that we need a healthy balance of these food types to keep our bodies in good condition for performance. Having excess of one group won’t make up for lack of others as they function in harmony to help our body as a whole.

When catering for a sporting event use combinations of the key ingredients from each of the main groups in meals. This will help to provide a boost to athletes tactical brain power as well as stamina and energy levels.