What is Nutrition?
Nutrition is the nourishment and energy gained through food. It is the process of taking in food and using it for functions such as growth, metabolism, and repair. Basically, nutrition is what keeps your body functioning.
Meal Portions
Not only is what you eat important, how much you eat plays an essential role in nutrition. Choosemyplate.gov is a US website that gives advice on dieting and nutrition. They suggest making half your plate fruits and vegetables and the other half protein and grains. This is a good basic outline for eating good meals. This website also has tools to help create a personalized healthy meal plan to follow.
The energy needs for ahtletes often exceed those of the average person. It's not uncommon for athletes, especially those still in the growing phase, to have caloric needs exceeding the average 2,000 kcal per day. Daily training and recovery may require an eating plan that matches these physical demands.
You can also use phone apps like Lifesum to help track calories and nutrient intake each day. Remember to track everything you consume, including drinks. For more information, please visit https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for additional resources and view MyPlate plans.
