This is what your plate should like at every meal. Healthy protein takes up the majority, second to that is vegetables, then whole grains, and lastly fruits.
Why are the food groups important?
Carbs:
Fuels your mental and physical activities. More specifically: speed, energy, stamina, concentration, and recovery.
Carbo-load three to four days before an intense activity. This gives your body enough time to properly convert the carbs into glycogen for your muscles, which allows you to perform your best at high intensity activities.
Protein:
Essential for maintaining your muscles, speedy recoveries after exercise, building muscle, and reducing any muscle loss.
It is necessary to eat protein after any workout.
When you exercise you are tearing and breaking your muscle fibers apart, to repair these fibers you need proteins.
They are part of every cell of your body and help repair any internal or external damage.
Vegetables:
Contains important nutrients including vitamin A and C. Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy while preventing infections and vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds while keeping your teeth and gums healthy.
They are rich in potassium which helps maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Contains fibers which are important for general health, lowers cholesterol levels, and fills you up.
Fruits:
Contains important nutrients including vitamin A and C. Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy while preventing infections and vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds while keeping your teeth and gums healthy.
They are a good snack for between games or as a snack in general because they digest fast and easy while releasing lots of energy.
Contains fibers which are important for your general health, lowers your cholesterol levels, and fills you up.
Dairy:
Contains a huge amount of nutrients including vitamin D and calcium. Calcium is a mineral found in many foods and is most commonly consumed in milk. It strengthens, builds, and maintains strong bones.
One glass of milk alone makes up the daily recommended intake of many important nutrients.
Oils:
In large quantities oils are bad for your health, however, they are very important for your diet in small doses.
Contains many vitamins including A, C, E, and K. Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy while preventing infections. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds while keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin E helps protect your cells from damage making you have a healthy and strong immune system, as well as resulting in healthy skin and eyes. Vitamin K reduces blood clotting, builds strong bones, and prevents heart diseases.
Helps with your growth especially the retina and central nervous system.
