Grocery list for athletes is a better starting point than any meal plan, because if the right food is in the house, the meals mostly take care of themselves. At our Samford gym we hand this list to clients who say they know what to eat but never seem to have it in the fridge.
How to use the list
Pick from each section every week. You do not need every item. The goal is to walk out of the shop with protein for every meal, carbohydrate that matches your training, plenty of fibre, and snacks you can grab on the way to a session.
The grocery list for athletes, by section
| Section | Buy most weeks |
|---|---|
| Protein | Eggs, chicken thighs, mince, fish or tinned tuna and salmon, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu |
| Carbohydrate | Rolled oats, rice, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, wholegrain and sourdough bread, wraps |
| Fibre staples | Tinned lentils, chickpeas and beans, chia or linseed, wholegrain crackers |
| Fruit | Bananas, apples, pears, berries (frozen is fine), oranges |
| Vegetables | Frozen mixed vegetables, broccoli, carrots, spinach, salad leaves, tomatoes |
| Fats | Olive oil, avocado, nuts, peanut butter, cheese |
| Training snacks | Muesli bars, rice cakes, honey, dried fruit, milk |
The fibre part of the shop
Most active people we see buy plenty of protein and carbohydrate, but the fibre section is thin. The Australian adequate intake is 30 g a day for men and 25 g a day for women. Tinned legumes, oats, wholegrain bread, seeds and fruit with skin are cheap and keep well, so they are the easiest way to get closer.
A few clients also keep a fibre powder in the pantry for travel or busy weeks. It is not always in the supermarket aisle, so people often ask us where to find it. This guide on where to buy PHGG lists the options in Australia.
Shop for your training week
- Look at the week ahead. How many long or hard sessions are there?
- Buy more carbohydrate for heavy weeks: extra rice, pasta, bread and fruit.
- On lighter weeks, lean on vegetables, legumes and salad.
- Always buy enough protein for three meals a day.
- Buy two or three grab-and-go snacks for the car or gym bag.
Freezer and pantry backups
The best way to avoid takeaway after a late session is a backup in the freezer: frozen vegetables, frozen berries, a bag of chicken thighs, microwave rice and a tin of beans. A meal is ten minutes away.
Pantry staples matter just as much. Rolled oats, rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish and tinned legumes last for months, so you can buy them in bulk when they are on special and never run out in a heavy training block.
Snacks before training
Keep the snack before training simple and easy to eat. A banana, toast with honey, a small yoghurt or a muesli bar all work. Our pre workout snack guide covers timing, and what to eat before parkrun has the Saturday-morning version.
Common questions
What should athletes buy at the supermarket?
Protein for every meal, carbohydrate to match the training week, fibre staples like oats and legumes, fruit, vegetables and a few easy snacks.
Is frozen fruit and vegetables OK?
Yes. They keep well, cost less and make it easy to have them on hand after a late session.
How do I shop on a budget?
Lean on eggs, tinned fish, mince, oats, rice, tinned legumes, bananas and frozen vegetables. They are the cheapest protein, carbohydrate and fibre per serve.
Do I need sports products?
Only for long sessions and events. Everyday training can be fuelled from the normal shop.
When to get it checked
If you are eating well on paper but training still feels hard work, an exercise physiologist at our Samford gym can look at your week as a whole, training and eating together.