From taking on a heavy Ivy League workload to running miles every day during practice, Kaitlyn Bonnet is quite the busy athlete. In order to properly fuel her body for every exhausting day, Bonnet makes sure to eat right. The way she talks about it, eating seems to be just as important to her as her daily training and homework. “I strive to eat all-natural food with some sort of nutritional value in it as much as possible. Instead of just eating empty calories, I try to have a purpose behind my eating – fueling my body with specific nutrients (protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, complex carbs, dairy, etc). I know that what I eat will directly affect my performance so I’m conscious of how I fuel my body during meals.” The 5’5” freshman from Haddonfield, N.J. may not seem that intimidating in the cafeteria at first glance, but to Bonnet, eating is no joke.
Every day, Kaitlyn makes sure to consume enough high quality food to be prepared for her day. Although no diet is exactly consistent, some of her go-to meals may include brown rice, vegetables, meat as protein, salad and avocado; as a mid distance runner, Bonnet needs a lot of clean energy to run the 800m and 1600m races. However, she’s been doing this long enough to know not to quantify her meals. “I know my body well enough so that I eat ‘til I’m full. Many people often worry too much about their weight and exactly how much they’re eating. I don’t want to fight my body’s natural equilibrium so I just trust my body, trust my training, and eat right.”
When asked about the importance of eating, Bonnet responded, “I don’t think that there’s necessarily a right or wrong answer to eating because everyone’s body is different. However, it is important to listen to yourself because at the end of the day, food is fuel and you have to fuel your body properly in order to perform at your best.”
Breakfast
Oatmeal
Greek yogurt
Banana with peanut butter
Snacks
Trail mix
Tree nuts
Lunch
Salad
Grilled chicken with brown rice
Avocado
Cereal
Post Workout
Chocolate milk
Dinner
Salad
Red meat and beans
Whole grain pasta
Vegetables
Snack
Yogurt
Tree nuts
Spoon of peanut butter
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