breakfasts for swimmer/athlete

so i have a very big swim meet tomorrow. so i have been eating a lot of carbs the last few days, but i was just wondering what i should eat for breakfast or if or what other athletes eat for breakfast, it needs to be somewhat light and a good amount of carbs. i was thinking probably oatmeal but i just thought i'd get a few other ideas maye :)

Carbs are great fuel as long as you choose wisely! I'm a swimmer and jogger myself and I always make sure to have a nice big breakfast before I get going for the day. My favorite thing to make is oatmeal pancakes with a side of fresh fruit and an egg white omlette. I typically need more calories though since I'm also trying to gain weight, so I like to choose a tablespoon of nut butter for dipping and spreading. I like cashew, almond, pistachio, and of course, peanut butter. I typically make my omlette with 3/4 of egg whites (about 6) and I usually have about 8 oz. of fresh berries - strawberries are my favorite. Here's the pancake recipe if you want it!

Oatmeal Power Pancakes -

• 1/2 cup rolled whole oats (ground in food processor to finer grains)
• 1/4 cup wheat bran (NOT oat bran - it's different)
• 2 tbsp milled or ground flaxseeds
• 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tsp baking powder (I use a salt-free brand)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Just combine all the dry ingredients and then mix together the whites and milk and pour them on in. Cook them in a nonstick skillet over medium heat - I have a nice skillet and I typically don't have to add oil or cooking spray, but if you think you need to, do it. You don't want batter all splattered and burned on your pan. This makes about four average pancakes.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories 325
• Total Fat 8.5g 
• Saturated Fat 0.6g
• Cholesterol 2mg
• Sodium 164mg
• Total Carbohydrates 49.5g 
• Dietary Fiber 15.6g 
• Sugars 7.2g
• Protein 22.0g
• Vitamin A 5%
• Vitamin C 0%
• Calcium 23%
• Iron 24%
• Nutrition Grade A

I like oatmeal. Lately I have been having couple whole grained toasts with this tofu/instant pudding mix I make. Honestly find what works for you and stick with it. Don't change your routine on the day of an event.

UD

I second umneydurak's advice about not changing your meal before a race. Coach told me to eat mainly carbs day before race, and limit carbs/increase protein day of race. BIG disaster... I ended up crashing in the middle of my 500 Free... worst time ever!

I usually eat a 2 egg omelette (with the yolks!) with cheese, container of yogurt, a waffle, and some type of fruit for breakfast.

ha yeah i wasn't planning on changing my breakfast too much but i think ill stick with oatmeal and some fruit and maybe some toast with peanut butter... im not so sure im going to try the pancakes tomorrow but they sound really goos so ill def. try them  sometime soon! but thanks for the advice everyone!

You're welcome! I wasn't trying to push you into eating them on the big day (since I know that it's usually just better to stick to what you KNOW works for you) but they'd be nice to try some other time! I sometimes add a little maple syrup to the batter or at the end to make them sweeter. They're awesome with raisins or blueberries mixed in too.

my favourite power breakfast is oatmeal, oatbran, cut up banana, almond butter and dried fruit all mushed up in a bowl

I would usually go for a banana and bagel w/ cream cheese or pb. I do that now as well for my triathlons. Banana w/ pb is like soem miracle food and i love it!

Original Post by ktcort13:

I would usually go for a banana and bagel w/ cream cheese or pb. I do that now as well for my triathlons. Banana w/ pb is like soem miracle food and i love it!

Gu also works pretty well during triathlons... I'm sorry but WHILE I'm racing a tri, I can't stomach a banana... Gu works best. :)

looking back on my swimming days, I wish I had been more knowledgable about the kinds of foods to eat to maximize energy. I imagine I would have been so much better!

anywho, the breakfast I just had seems pretty nice. 

light whole grain english muffin with peanut butter (mine has flaxseed in it from trader joes)

then i mixed a cup of fage 2% yogurt with some organic cherry fruit spread and some sweetener.

it has a good mixture of protein and carbs in my opinion, and around 450 cals. it also really fills you up

i used to always eat bananas and peanut butter too but all those flip turns just increased the acid reflux from the fruit haha!

good luck :)