Healthy foods for runners?

Question

I have just recently started running 7 miles one time per week, running 4 miles 3 to 4 times per week, and sprinting once per week.

I am 14 years old, 5'6" and weigh 102 pounds, I need a good diet that will not cause me to gain weight and be able to help me to run strong and fast.

I really need advice from marathon runners, nutritionist, or any long distance runner.

Answer 1

If you want to be a very good runner then your gonna have to run more than 7 miles a week. Try to go 21 or more miles per week. Just eat lots of fruit like bananas there really good for you. Try to avoid salty foods that would slow you down. Ex: burger and fries. Have green foods and pasta.  Run on a hilly course 2 a week that will get you really strong you'll know the difference in about 2 weeks.

Answer 2

if you are 5'6" and weigh 102 you should try to put on a few pounds of muscle (but too much). muscle will increase your times. good foods for distance are complex carbs ( whole wheat pasta and breads) and protein. also fruits and veggies. eating 5-6 small meals a day helps your muscles heal faster/helps relieve muscle soreness. eating a lot of small meals also revs up metabolism and burns more fat.

Answer 3

I'm a senior in high school and i've been running distance track and cross country since my freshman year. a healthy diet for a runner normally consists of a lot of healthy carbs and protein. for breakfast i normally have toast with peanut butter and/or a banana. before races i normally eat light crackers or pretzels without a lot of salt on them. the night before a longer run (like 7 miles) i normally eat some sort of pasta. it really helps you keep your energy up toward the end of a long run. i also eat almonds the night before a race. runnersworld.com has a lot of really neat suggestions about what to eat.

Answer 4

A combination of simple carbs and protein before running (peanut butter and honey on wheat is good), a protein shake after your long run.  Otherwise stay with whole foods, avoid processed foods.  You will gain some weight as you add muscle, muscle weighs more than fat.  Don't worry about the number on the scale, worry about the number on the clock at the finish line.