Sports Nutrition on a Budget

Rowers get hungry, and feeding hungry rowers can get expensive. Comments I hear commonly:

My teenage rowers are eating me out of house and home.

Protein bars and powders are so expensive. Do I really need them?

I spend way too much money on take-out meals. I’m just too tired to cook after I train hard.

Any way you look at it, rowers can overspend their food budget easily. Here are some practical suggestions to help you get more for your food dollar so you can thrive on a budget-friendly, performance-enhancing sports diet.

Good nutrition begins in the supermarket. Add food shopping to your busy schedule. Before shopping, think about a rough menu for the week. The ideal plan will include foods on sale that week at the grocery store. If you want some low-cost food ideas, google “budget-friendly healthy meals.” You’ll find lots of helpful websites, such as BudgetBytes, SpendSmartEatSmart, and $5Dinners.

Don’t overdo protein. The easiest way to lower your food budget is to eat less meat and animal protein and more grains (pasta, rice, oats), beans, breads, and other starches. While you need adequate protein (0.5 to 0.8 gram of protein per pound of body weight; 1.2 to 1.8 gram per kilogram), filling up on excess protein displaces the carbs you need to fuel your muscles optimally. Including some protein-rich food at each meal and snack can provide plenty of protein for the day. A four-ounce serving of chicken (about the size of a deck of cards) offers about 30 grams of protein. It’s common for hungry rowers to eat twice that much! No need for costly protein bars, powders, and supplements.

Budget breakfast suggestion: Eat more oatmeal! It’s much less expensive than dry cereal or eggs. Plus, oats have heart-healthy fiber that helps lower cholesterol. Because oats are carb-rich, they do a good job of fueling muscles. They also offer six  grams of protein per half cup of raw oats to build and repair your muscles. Buy the big 42-ounce container (about $8 for Quaker, $4.60 for the store brand). A half-cup uncooked serving costs less than 25 cents. Skip the individual packets (50 cents each) and microwavable tubs ($1.80 each).

To make Oatmeal of Champions, put a half to one cup of raw oats in a microwavable bowl, stir in a cup or more of milk (instead of water, for more protein and calcium), add some salt (enhances flavor) and microwave for two-ish minutes. Swirl in a spoonful of peanut butter and some raisins. Voila! A yummy carb-plus-protein balanced meal that fuels you up for (or refuels you after) your morning workout. Oats plus milk plus peanut butter give you at least 20 grams of protein. That’s the equivalent of the protein in three (more expensive) eggs.

Fruit on a budget: Seasonal fresh fruit is a smart choice— strawberries in spring; apples in fall. Off season, canned and  frozen fruits are just as nutritious, but with a lower price tag and no spoilage. A small box of blueberries can cost at least $4 to $6, depending on the season. Frozen blueberries cost about $4 for a 12-ounce bag. Frozen berries (and other fruits) are perfect for adding to oatmeal, smoothies, and yogurt.

Frozen fruit doesn’t spoil. Wasted food equals wasted money. Before it gets too ripe, peel, then freeze, that brown speckled banana (and other produce).

Dried fruit also doesn’t spoil and offers nutritional value similar to fresh. Drying removes water and concentrates the nutrients. Choose dried fruits of different color (orange apricots and mango, yellow pineapple, brown dates) to boost your intake of anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting phytochemicals. Munch on a handful of dates or raisins instead of snacking on ultra-processed and expensive ($1.50 to $2.50 or more) energy bars. Pair dried fruit with nuts for a handy carb-protein sports snack. Both can be bought in bulk for significant savings at BJ’s and Costco.

Vegetables: Frozen veggies are money savers compared to fresh. Plus, they can be more nutritious. That’s because they’re flash-frozen at peak ripeness. Freezing retains nutrients that otherwise get lost when being transported from, say, California to New York City. A one-pound bag of store-brand frozen green beans costs less than $2; fresh are twice that price. Frozen veggies are simple to cook. They require no prep time, leave no waste, and won’t spoil (like the head of broccoli you bought last week and never quite got around to cooking).

Lunch: A sports sandwich of champions is peanut butter plus banana. For only $1.40*, you can get about 500 satiating calories that cost less than making a turkey cheese wrap ($3.85**) or buying a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder ($6.40)

*two slices of Dave’s Killer Bread (80 cents) plus two tablespoons of Teddie All-Natural peanut butter (30 cents) plus a medium banana (30 cents) = $1.40

**one burrito-size flour tortilla (55 cents) plus four ounces of deli turkey ($2.75) plus one slice of Swiss cheese (55 cents) = $3.85

A grain bowl for lunch is another budget-friendly option. Toss into a bowl last night’s leftover rice, canned beans, shredded cheese, and salsa. Cheaper than buying lunch at Chipotle!

Snacks: Single-serve sports snacks, such as applesauce pouches and yogurt cups, add up in terms of money as well as landfill space. Purchase reusable small containers that you fill with yogurt, trail mix, or pretzels. Prep a week’s worth of grab- and-go snacks so they’ll be ready and waiting.

Instead of granola bars, enjoy peanut butter and graham cracker “snack-wishes.” They’re crunchy and tasty—just like a granola bar—but cost less and are better for the environment.

Note: Peanut butter, which is much less expensive than other nut butters, is an anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich source of protein that fits into many meals, be it PB in oatmeal for breakfast, PB&J for lunch, PB and apple for snacks, and even peanutty pasta for dinner.

Dinner: Canned tuna and salmon are less expensive than fresh fish and offer cook-free options for adding omega-3 fats to your diet. Enjoy eggs for dinner (instead of breakfast). If you’re a die-hard meat eater, stretch out the meat by making stews, stir-fries, and casseroles. Vegetarian meals can be more budget-friendly than meat-based meals. Bean burritos, anyone?

The bottom line: By planning ahead, buying store brands, taking advantage of frozen fruit and veggies, buying in bulk the foods that won’t spoil quickly (oats, nuts, dried fruits), and making leftovers into planned-overs to minimize food waste, you can enjoy an effective sports diet despite a tight food budget.

To reduce costly restaurant eating, curb your dinner appetite by enjoying an apple with peanut butter for an afternoon snack. You’ll have energy to cook and will spend far less than succumbing to takeout food.

Give it a try.

Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., counsels both casual and competitive athletes in the Boston area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook can help you eat to win. For more information, visit NancyClarkRD.com.

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