Eating through the Off-Season (Guest post from Real Athlete Diets)

Eating through the Off Season: Guest Blog Post by Kelly Newlon, owner of Real Athlete Diets (RAD)**

One of my favorite things about working with elite athletes is how aware they are of their body’s response to things on a daily basis.

This also rolls into the off-season. Paying attention to what you eat during the off-season gives you a huge leap into a successful upcoming season. This includes the holidays.

After picking the brain of the supremely talented and funniest person on the planet, Clare Gallagher, we found out that she follows suit with the patterns of every other elite we are fortunate enough to work with.

Here’s the deal, after blowing up the Leadville 100 course and making it back home to Boulder, Clare celebrated by having the ever popular “Hundred Mile Burger” at a the super rad Under the Sun Brewery. Then it was back to business as usual. Back to the diet she follows that has treated her well. Although her 2016 race season is all but over, Clare will continue to stick to the way she has been eating during race season and enjoying a few things in moderation here and there. What’s important is not letting things get out of hand by indulging on a regular basis.

Meaning, don’t let all of that hard work you put in during race season be for nothing. Go for meals with healthy fats, protein, and as many vegetables as you can get your hands on. Season with fresh herbs rather than dry as they have more flavor and are hands down just better for you. Simple touches like lemon zest, salt and pepper added at the end round flavor out and bring a dish to life. If things taste great and fill you up, you won’t reach for unhealthy choices.

The following recipe is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you are vegetarian add an egg instead. If you are vegan add white beans or chickpeas, quinoa or an alternative protein. The possibilities are endless. The fat from the chorizo is a big part of what makes this dish. There is no other fat added. That said, if you are vegan or vegetarian, you will need to add an oil of some sort. Olive oil, coconut, avocado are our favs.

Chorizo with Kale & Sweet Potatoes

1 pound of ground chorizo or Italian sausage

1 large sweet potato (baked until soft at 350 peel on. This can be done a day or two ahead of time)

2 cups raw kale (chopped)

Wash and bake the sweet potato. Do not peel.

Wash and chop kale

When sweet potato is done, remove from the oven and set aside.

In large pan, add chorizo and cook on medium heat until fully cooked. Break the chorizo up with a spoon as it cooks.

Turn off heat. The heat and fat from the chorizo will wilt the kale.

When chorizo is fully cooked throw in that sweet potato and break up with spoon to distribute evenly.

Add kale and thoroughly combine all three ingredients. The kale should not be raw per se, but barely cooked. Just sort of heated through. This way you get all of the great benefits of kale.

Notice there is no added salt or pepper to this. If you are going the vegetarian or vegan route, you may need to season a bit. Be sure to give it a taste and season as you like.

**Real Athlete Diets is a food delivery and pickup service out of Boulder, Colorado. “RAD creates delicious performance oriented food and brings it to you. We make it easy to eat the right kind of food to help you get the most out of your sport (or life).  Using the best ingredients is paramount to RAD. We use locally grown, organic produce and protein to feed our clients. If you are lucky enough to live in Boulder, CO you can order individual meals from RAD via this website.  You can also find us traveling around the country feeding folks post race, at athlete camps, clinics and workshops.”