As the nutrition coach for groups of runners training for the San Francisco Marathon last July and the Walt Disney World Marathon in January 1995, I was surprised at what they didn't know.
They know they need plenty of carbos for energy. And they're aggressive about reducing fat for weight control. But they seem to have forgotten about protein. No wonder they're always tired.
Protein from beans, lean meat, poultry and dairy products is essential to build muscle and repair damage from hard training, make red blood cells to carry oxygen for exercise, and create the enzymes and hormones that turn food into energy and coordinate body functions. Endurance athletes also get about 10 percent of their exercise energy from protein, so they require more protein than your average couch potato.
Confusion arises, no doubt, because most Americans eat far too much protein, and it usually comes attached to plenty of saturated fat and cholesterol. Gigantic burgers, quarter-pound hot dogs, cold cut subs, and pepperoni and sausage pizzas lead the parade.
So health messages about preventing heart disease harp on "red meat" as a dietary no-no.
Some health-conscious folks respond by going vegetarian, eliminating all typical protein sources like lean meat, chicken and fish. This could work, if they fill in with dried beans, peas and lentils as a protein source. Instead, many fill the hunger gap with chips, cupcakes, or even piles of pasta -- a good carbohydrate source but weak when it comes to protein.
Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, in her just-released "New York City Marathon Cookbook" (Rutledge Hill Press), says quick and easy meatless meals can rebalance a runner's protein-deficient diet with little fuss or bother. Along with the most current information on nutrition for runners, and easy, taste-tempting recipes, she suggests these changes to "beef up" a meat-free diet and satisfy protein needs.
* Eat iron-enriched cold cereal with milk, yogurt or soy milk, sprinkled with nuts.
* Add peanut butter, almonds or powdered milk to hot cereals.
* Top toast or bagels with low-fat cheese, cottage cheese or a little peanut butter.
* Add tofu, chickpeas, three-bean salad, marinated kidney beans, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds or chopped nuts to vegetable salads.
* Add canned kidney beans or diced tofu to spaghetti sauce.
* Top baked potatoes with canned beans, baked beans or low-fat cottage cheese.
* Have hummus with pita.
* Choose cheese pizza: half a 12-inch pizza has about 40 grams of protein.
* Eat hearty soups like lentil, split pea, bean or minestrone, or this delicious:
Pasta-White Bean Soup with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Makes four 12-ounce servings.
1 tablespoon oil, preferably olive or canola
1 large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces cannellini beans, drained
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup bow tie or shell pasta
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 bay leaf; 3 tablespoon fresh parsley; Parmesan cheese.
In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the onion, carrot, garlic an red pepper. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add the drained beans, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, until pasta is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add parsley. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. 225 calories; 38 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 4 grams fat per serving.
For more fat-free protein, add another can of beans for a total of 293 calories, 48 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, and 4 grams fat per serving.
Colleen Pierre, a registered dietitian, is the nutrition consultant the the Union Memorial Sports Medicine Center and Vanderhorst & Associates in Baltimore.