Feed Your Athlete: A Cookbook to Fuel Your Performance by Michael Kirtsos and Joseph Ewing (Amazon, Goodreads)
Genre: Cookbook, Health
ISBN: 9781465435378
Published: June 2nd 2015 by DK
Rating: 5

I am extremely impressed by this book. The sheer amount of work that went into making this such a valuable tool will, I hope, bounce back to benefit many people.

This is not just a cookbook. This is a reference book. The book starts with a rundown of the different kinds of athletes and their specific dietary needs (with constant reminder that everyone is different and you should check with your doctor or dietician to confirm diet changes). Then it provides practical's on how to meet those needs. Not just recipes (that are all divided up by high or low fiber, low fat, high carb, and high protein) but also meal plans, detailed appendix, water replacement recipes, recovery meals and drinks, and even athlete-friendly deserts. It covers how to determine how many calories you need, how to balance your energy, measure your BMI and BFP, and eating for each stage of training, up through recovery from a performance or event.

The recipes themselves are detailed and easy to follow, and most of them fall into the Easy category (which automatically gives it a plus). It includes a rundown of the categories, prep time, ingredients, yield, make ahead and freeze plans, substitutions in case you want to make it gluten-free or vegetarian, and the breakdown of nutrition information.

There were a few recipes, mostly baking recipes like muffins and breads, that I thought could have used less sugar. There are lots of ways to substitute sugar, oil, and eggs by using things like avocado, apple sauce, peanut butter, honey, agave, etc. and I thought there could have been more of that happening. There were a few drinks that seemed like they had too much sugar in them as well. Sugar really is an athlete’s poison (actually it’s everyone’s poison). And honestly I don’t see how a fudge pop with pudding and whipped topping as the only ingredients belong in a healthy athlete cookbook. But even including those few recipes, this book still blew me away. It should be a staple in every health-conscious home, and every athlete’s shelf.

From Goodreads: Feed Your Athlete features 150 nourishing whole-food meals and snacks for training, competition, and recovery for both endurance and strength athletes, plus fast and easy preparation tips and nutritional information. Athletes know how important it is to get the right fuel for their workouts and events. Feed Your Athlete makes it simple to fuel yourself or your athlete before, during, and after sporting events and training with 150 all-natural, real-food recipes for meals, snacks, portables, sports drinks, and more. Icons and assessments help determine optimal nutrition for any type of sport, and include high-carb, high-protein, low-calorie, low-fat, or high- or low-fiber options.
Created for endurance and strength athletes (but great for athletes of all kinds), Feed Your Athlete shows how to cook easy meals and take-alongs that taste good — and make active bodies feel great by delivering the fuel that they need to perform at their peak.