What athletes really eat

July 20th, 2011

originally posted on espnW.come

Lori Chalupny is a professional soccer player, 2008 Olympic gold medalist and captain of the Atlanta Beat. She is from St. Louis.

live in a house with five of my teammates, so keeping track of my special foods can be a daily task. The one thing of mine in the refrigerator that no one can touch is my fruits and veggies. I keep them in a separate drawer. If they’re running low then I know something’s up!

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I’m in season now, so I started my day at 8 a.m. with peanut butter on toast, yogurt and two hard-boiled eggs. A daily caffeine fix is necessary, so I stopped at Starbucks on my way to practice. My drink of choice: a grande nonfat white-chocolate mocha.

After practice, I had a turkey, cheese and avocado sandwich on Ezekiel bread with veggie chips and strawberries on the side. My midday snack was pita chips and hummus. I also drank lots of water. I have a gallon a day to stay hydrated. With the heat in Atlanta and our long practices, there’s no room for improper hydration.

We like to grill in this house, so for dinner I’ll have a grilled chicken breast along with some asparagus and pasta salad. For dessert, I have Hershey’s Nuggets candies; the freezer is stocked with them. Although I usually eat healthy, I’m not a total food nerd. My one weakness is soda. Whenever I eat out, I feel like I have to have a Dr. Pepper. Also, once in a while I’ll stop by Chick-fil-A for a crispy chicken sandwich with waffle fries. The key to treating yourself is to not worry about it — just enjoy your food.

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