Fall is here and I am ready for soup season! On a crisp fall day or brutal winter night, soup is cozy, comforting and feels like home. Soup is an entree that any athlete can add to their meal rotation. Soup is packed with nutrients that aid in performance, recovery and increase in energy.
As an athlete, it is important to stick to a plan that works best for your athletic performance. But, it is also crucial that athletes include foods they actually enjoy! There is often a big misconception that in order to reach certain goals, you need to eat the same foods day after day and meal are bland and boring. I’m here to tell you that isn’t true! Any and all foods can fit into a performance meal plan! Food is intended to be enjoyed and meant to make you feel good! Your homework for this week is to include a meal or snack that you love and add that into your meal planning and prep.
Let’s dive in and discuss how to add soup to an athletes performance meal plan, the benefits of including soup and my favorite soup recipes for athletes.
How to incorporate soup into an athletes meal plan:
First, think about the components or ingredients of the soup and ask yourself. Is it mostly carbs like noodles or color, such as veggies? Is the soup packed with protein?
For example, a broccoli cheddar soup has veggies but lacks protein. Whereas a beef chili recipe includes protein and fiber.
Once you break apart the ingredients of the soup, compare this to the athlete’s plate. Detail out which food groups are missing and which you need to add as a side for a complete meal.
I would recommend planning your soup meal for dinner time. With some soups being spicy or fiberous, this isn’t ideal for a pre-workout meal.
Benefits of including soup:
There are many reasons that adding soup to your meal rotation is beneficial.
- Large batch: soup recipes typically make large quantities. The large quantity can feed the entire family or be frozen for a later day. These molds are the perfrect size to freez soup in a smaller quantity.
- Quick to make: Whether you are using the stovetop or crockpot, soups are easy recipes that anyone can make!
- Heat and serve: Perfect for hangry athletes, once the soup is made, all it takes is to heat and serve for a meal ready in minutes.
- Easy way to add veggies and fiber: many soup recipes include a variety of veggies and beans. Consuming enough veggies can be difficult. Add veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots and celery to soup to boost essential nutrients. Black beans, kidney beans and pinto beans are high sources of fiber. Fiber is slow to digest and helps with feeling full and overall gut health.
- Source of sodium: Sodium is an electrolyte found in sweat. Broth or stock is a high source of sodium. For athletes who are heavy sweaters or wear a lot of equipment (like hockey players), consuming sodium and electrolytes aid in proper hydration before and after performance.
Favorite Soup Recipes:
Here are my go-to soup recipes!
- Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
- Make it a meal: add tortilla chips or baguette
- Tomato Soup
- Make it a meal: make a panini with deli meat and cheese for protein and carbs
- Chicken noodle soup
- Depending on which recipe you use, you may need to add more chicken to the soup or have another source of protein on the side.
Is your mouth watering? Have I convinced you to add soup into your meal plan? I HOPE SO! With every season, fall, winter, spring, and summer, our palates change and we need to honor those cravings in a way that best fits in with sport performance.
Let me know in the comments your favorite soup recipes!