do you know how to eat

As the saying goes, 'To achieve a good physique through running, 70% depends on running and 30% on diet.' While running, a balanced and reasonable diet is also very important. If you don't want to gain weight while running, you must control your calorie intake.

However, when faced with the dazzling array of foods in supermarkets, we often get confused: Is whole wheat bread better or regular bread? Should milk be skimmed or not? Which type of meat should we eat...

To address these questions,

today, I have prepared a comprehensive guide on food calories for all running enthusiasts!

1. Which is better: regular bread, whole wheat bread, or multigrain bread?

With the blending of Eastern and Western cultures, bread is becoming increasingly popular among people today. Some even consider it an important staple food. So, which type of bread is more suitable for runners: regular bread, whole wheat bread, or multigrain bread?

First, let's clarify the differences among these three types of bread.

Regular bread:

This is the most common type of bread on the market. It is made from refined flour (flour made by removing the bran and nutrient-rich colored parts under the skin of the wheat grain), has a soft and delicate texture, is easy to digest and absorb, but has very low dietary fiber content.

Whole wheat bread:

This refers to bread made from whole wheat flour that retains the bran and wheat germ. It has higher nutritional value than regular bread, is rich in fiber, and contains abundant B vitamins, vitamin E, and minerals such as zinc and potassium.

Multigrain bread:

This bread is made from ingredients such as oat flour, wheat flour, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and hazelnuts. It contains more minerals, fiber, and vitamins.

Generally speaking, regular bread has 310 kcal per 100g, whole wheat bread has 240 kcal per 100g, and high-fiber multigrain bread has 220 kcal per 100g.

Therefore, when choosing high-calorie foods like bread, runners should opt for whole wheat or multigrain bread. This can reduce calorie intake and provide vitamins and minerals to compensate for exercise-induced losses. Additionally, studies have shown that higher fiber content can effectively block 3% to 4% of calorie absorption, help clean the intestines, slow digestion, and prevent obesity.

2. Milk: Skimmed or not?

Milk contains a large amount of protein and various fat-soluble vitamins needed by the human body. Its rich calcium content can enhance bone health, and the protein can effectively replenish muscle protein consumption and promote post-run recovery. It is an essential part of a runner's daily diet.

When we buy milk, we often see labels like 'whole milk,' 'semi-skimmed,' and 'skimmed.' Whole milk is regular liquid milk, while semi-skimmed and skimmed milk have had some or all of their fat removed during processing.

Whole milk has a fat content of about 3.0% to 5.0%, semi-skimmed milk has 1.0% to 1.5%, and skimmed milk has only 0.5% fat.

Many people choose skimmed milk without hesitation because of its low fat content, but in fact, it is not recommended for runners to choose fully skimmed milk.

During the skimming process, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and nutrients like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has anti-cancer properties, are also removed or denatured, which is not conducive to nutrient absorption and recovery for runners.

Moreover, compared to the fat content in meat and cream products, the calories from milk are relatively low. Therefore, it is recommended that people who run regularly choose whole milk.

3. Pork, beef, or chicken?

We often see fitness websites recommending eating more beef and chicken while avoiding pork, as pork is believed to cause weight gain more easily than the other two meats.

But is this really the case? Let's look at the scientific measurements of the calories and other nutrients in pork, beef, and chicken of the same weight.

Lean pork:

Calories (kcal) 143.00, Carbohydrates (g) 1.50, Fat (g) 6.20, Protein (g) 20.30, Creatine content (g/kg) 5.00

Chicken breast:

Calories (kcal) 133.00, Carbohydrates (g) 2.50, Fat (g) 5.00, Protein (g) 19.4, Creatine content (g/kg) 0

Lean beef:

Calories (kcal) 106.00, Carbohydrates (g) 1.20, Fat (g) 2.30, Protein (g) 20.20, Creatine content (g/kg) 4.50

From the above data, we can see that the calorie content of lean pork is not significantly higher than that of chicken or beef, and its protein content is similar to the other two meats. Its creatine content even exceeds that of beef.

Therefore, the notion of 'not eating pork' is not scientifically valid.

However, because pork has higher cholesterol, daily intake should be limited to 75g. It can be paired with a certain amount of chicken and beef in the daily diet. Chicken is rich in potassium sulfate amino acids and vitamin A, while the protein amino acid composition of beef is closer to human needs, compensating for the deficiencies of pork.

4. Common fruits and vegetables calorie chart

Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals essential for the human body, playing an irreplaceable role in maintaining normal physiological metabolism. This is especially important for those who run regularly, as their metabolic rate increases during running, leading to greater consumption of nutrients compared to a sedentary state. Therefore, timely and adequate supplementation of vitamins and minerals is crucial.

Some runners, while paying attention to fruit and vegetable intake, also focus on the calorie content of different types of fruits and vegetables. Here is a comparison of the calories in some common low-calorie fruits and vegetables suitable for runners:

Fruits (per 100g): Lemon 31kcal

Apple 44kcal, Pineapple 48kcal, Orange 50kcal, Grape 54kcal, Kiwi 54kcal, Banana 84kcal, Mango 94kcal. Vegetables (per 100g): Celery 10kcal, Winter melon 11kcal, Cucumber 16kcal, Green pepper 18kcal, Tomato 19kcal, Asparagus 25kcal, Cauliflower 29kcal, Scallion 30kcal, Carrot 34kcal, Cabbage 40kcal, Lettuce 40kcal.

Nowadays, running for weight loss and fitness is very common. However, many people find that despite their efforts in running, their weight does not decrease but instead increases. This is actually due to consuming more calories than the body burns.

As a runner, to maintain good health, dietary supplementation is necessary. However, if you don't want to become a runner who gains weight, you must pay attention to controlling your calorie intake and reasonably plan your daily menu.