Your pre-race nutrition plan includes the meals you have the night and morning before the Cape Town Marathon. Follow these guidelines for the best energy sources that are least likely to upset your digestive system.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Try These

The ideal meal to enjoy before a marathon would include a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.

These are a few favourites:

Grilled beef (or meat of your choice) with fried mushrooms and mashed potato

Seared tuna with avocado salad and grilled sweet potato wedges

Grilled fish with baked sweet potato and steamed vegetables

Cottage pie with steamed carrots and peas

Baked butternut with a feta cheese topping is ideal a meat-free option

Quiche with vegetables and feta cheese

Roasted potato, sweet potato, butternut & chick peas is a tasty vegan option

Pasta dishes: spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne or pasta with any meat-based sauce of your choice would provide ample carbohydrates and protein.

Avoid

Too much fibre: to give your digestive system a break on race day, avoid too much roughage from salads, vegetables and wholegrain foods

Chicken: food safety first – if you did not cook the chicken yourself, it is not worth it to take the risk of digestive upsets or food poisoning

Raw fish: even though sushi is a firm favourite, it is not ideal the night before the race, due the risk of bacterial contamination

Creamy sauces: if you are not used to creamy dressings and sauces, avoid these, as they can upset your digestive system

Hot and spicy meals: race day is not the day that you want to suffer with heartburn and digestive system irritation!

BREAKFAST IDEAS

The best options would be what worked for you as pre-race breakfasts in the past. Don’t surprise your stomach with new and exciting foods on race day!

Toast:

Made from bread of your choice, this is an easy pre-race breakfast option. Ideal toppings:

Peanut butter

Marmite or Bovril

Cheese

Jam or honey

Egg: boiled, poached or scrambled

Cereals

High protein cereals with no added sugar present healthier options to sustain your energy.

Look out for the following on cereal boxes to select the best options:

Low GI

Lowest sugar content / No added sugar

Protein above 10g per 100g

High fibre

Allergens

Enjoy with almond or rice milk if you cannot tolerate cow’s milk.

For more information, visit: http://www.capetownmarathon.com/ ; www.fedhealth.co.za

For any nutrition related questions, visit: www.facebook.com/andreaduplessis.nutrition.expert