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Sample Meal Plan for Female Endurance Athlete in Training


This is a high-fat, very nutrient-dense day of eating, with moderate carbs and plentiful calories that can work well for many female athletes. Female athletes who are over 5’5 and working out 6-7 days a week, with multiple sessions a day, generally need more than 3,000 calories a day, easily, and need to avoid low-carb training (remember low carb is relative to your activity level!). If trying to balance hormones and adrenals, carbs may need to be adjusted (by adding more!) and possibly even more calories added!

Timing of macronutrients is a key component to this meal plan, which is outlined in this document (i.e. this is how you have carbs but still be fat adapted). This was an actual food log of mine from a moderate day of exercise—3 mile run at MAF and 30 min mellow ocean swim—not much, but I was also still making up for the previous day(s) of 2+ hour workout totals and needing to replenish my calories for the upcoming workouts. Basically not get into a big deficit and, in considering that, you don’t just look at one day of training, you look at trends and cumulative totals—most endurance athletes are constantly trying to make up for what they’ve burned (you continue to burn calories even after the workout ends).

At the bottom of this menu are total calories and a macronutrient breakdown. Lastly, food for thought, some basic concepts of nutritional peridozation: If this had been a longer and/or harder workout day I’d have no problem adding more, especially more carbs, like gluten-free grains such as quinoa flakes, buckwheat groats, more fruit, and even long-fermented sourdough, or other carb options. On the flip side, if this were a rest day or an easier rest week, I’m ok with dropping total carb intake to 100-180g/day with dietary fats and protein remaining high to avoid a caloric deficit.

Upon Waking (Optional)

  1. 8-16 oz Lemon water with Exos amino acids powder
  2. Optional: GI Revive or Gut Restore

 Pre-Workout Snack And/Or Sports Nutrition

  1. Water
  2. 2 tablespoon (heaping spoonfuls) of artisana raw coconut butter or coconut manna.
  3. Blend: 6 oz coffee* with melted 1 tbsp coconut oil and 1 serving UCAN.
    • Since working out after this, don’t go just on coffee alone; add ~90-100 calories (including 15-20g carbs) of a low-glycemic fuel like UCAN.
  4. Other options: chia pudding/slurry (make ahead), homemade “energy balls,” Phil’s Bar, ½ Simple Square bar or Primal bar.

*If you’re trying to protect adrenals, save the coffee for a couple hours after the workout and just do the UCAN and coconut oil drink; or omit coffee completely. 

Go Do Your Workout

Post-Workout Breakfast

  1. Water or decaf tea (no coffee, no caffeine)
  2. Grain-free nourishing porridge
    • Ingredients:
      • 1 cup pre-cooked kabocha squash or sweet potato (recipe on MFP uses butternut squash)
      • 1/2 avocado
      • Protein: 2 scoops Great Lakes Collagen AND/OR a clean protein powder AND/OR mixed in 2 cooked eggs! (MFP recipe includes 4 tbsp collagen)
      • 1/2 tbsp maca powder (optional)
      • 1/4 cup finely shredded coconut
      • 1 tbsp psyllium husk (optional), this will really thicken it up!
      • 1/4 to 1/2 cup organic non-dairy milk, unsweetened (fill to desired consistency); I prefer light coconut milk
      • Pinch stevia if needed (or honey)
      • Himalayan pink salt
      • Liberal shake of cinnamon
      • Pinch of nutmeg
      • Dash of vanilla
    • Directions:
      • Add squash or SP and avocado to bowl and mash with fork. Add protein powder/collagen and maca powder and thoroughly mix with the mash (do this before adding milk to avoid clumps). Add coconut shreds and spices, salt, stevia. Pour milk to desired consistency and mix well.
    • Optional Toppings:
      • Raw cacao nibs, unsweetened (love these guys for a good crunch!)
      • Thick unsweetened coconut flakes (adds a good crunch/texture)
      • Blueberries or fruit, especially good after a hard workout!

Mid-Morning Snack (Optional)

Options:

  1. Fresh cold-pressed green juice (no fruit other than lemon or lime) and 10 olives (120 calories)
  2. Or, instead of juice/olives, have sliced fresh veggies (cucumber, celery, radish, carrots, etc.) dipped in a tapenade or pesto made with a healthy fat (no canola oil) that checks in at 120 calories or so.

Lunch

  1. 1-2 cups bone broth
  2. Zoodles with “meat and potatoes”
    • Ingredients:
      • 1 large zucchini or summer squash, spiralized
      • 1 cup Rao’s tomato basil sauce
      • ¾ cup roasted sweet potato, diced
      • Protein: 2 chicken thighs, 1 cup ground beef or turkey, wild fish (salmon, trout, sardines; fresh or from can), or organic chicken sausage
      • Additional veggies: shredded carrot, cabbage, chopped herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro), arugula or dino kale, and/or any leftover veggies in the fridge
      • 1.5 tbsp avocado oil or ghee (for cooking)
    • Directions:
      • Prepare noodles, chop protein, chop additional veggies. Add any veggies to pan that need cooking in cooking fat. Add zoodles at the end and only keep on for a few minutes to avoid them turning to mush. Prepare bowl with zoodles, veggies, meat and sauce. Mix and serve!

Afternoon Snack (Optional)

Options:

  1. Bowl of 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1 serving PaleoKruch granola, 1 cup almond milk and dash cinnamon.
  2. Or for lower carbs: ½ avocado mashed with salsa and dip in Go Raw savory crackers (or any nut/seed based cracker) or veggies and fruit.

 Dinner

  1. While preparing dinner, sip an “Apple cider vinegar (ACV) cocktail” which is: 1-2 tablespoons ACV mixed with sparkling water and lemon juice to aid in digestion (optional).
  2. What to make:
    • Family-style green salad with a spring mix, dark leafy greens, romaine, cucumber, radish, tomatoes, any fresh veggies, etc.
    • Salad dressing: throw on extra virgin olive oil, low-sugar balsamic vinegar, dash of mustard, and 1-2 tbsp of Primal Kitchens paleo mayo; mix right into the salad no need to make separately—and mix well.
    • Cauliflower mash (sub roasted celery root and parsnips).
    • Pan-sautéed wild salmon in 2 tbsp avocado oil. Sprinkle on dill, salt and pepper. Lemon optional.
  3. On your plate:
    • Hearty serving of salad
    • 2 cups cauliflower mash
    • 8 oz skin-on wild salmon
    • Other—If you’re training hard add some sourdough toast or buckwheat groats to the dinner menu for added carb (replenish your glycogen, yo!); you can tack on the extra calories (carbs, etc.) to the breakdown below.

Dessert

  1. ½ oz. 85% dark chocolate

What It Adds Up To:

Calories – 3,166

Carbs – 224

Protein – 156

Fat – 195

Fiber – 50

Sugar – 67