It’s something team co-captain Megan Rapinoe has down to a science. (Um hi, World Cup winner over here.) “Overall, my philosophy is just to put good things in my body,” she says. “I don’t really eat anything artificial, fake, or that I can’t pronounce. I try to keep it simple and clean.” Whether she’s crafting a meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Rapinoe says she always incorporates lots of fiber-rich veggies, protein, and a serving of carbohydrates, all of which help keep her energy up on and off the field.
A sample eating day: For breakfast, she typically scrambles two eggs with some vegetables like onion or green pepper. Then, she puts the scramble on an English muffin to make a healthy breakfast sandwich. After her workout (during the soccer season, she practices with her team from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and in the off-season she does a cardio workout followed by weight training or Pilates), she has a protein shake. Getting enough water throughout the day is important for her too, so she says she goes for BodyArmor electrolyte water when she needs an extra hydration boost.
“For lunch, I either have a sandwich and a salad or a grain bowl with sweet potato and farro,” Rapinoe says. Later, she says she likes to have either a protein bar or juice from Juice Press as a snack. When dinner rolls around, Rapinoe says she typically has either chicken or fish, a carb—sweet potatoes are one of her go-tos—and a big serving of veggies.
“Unless we’re going out—then it’s a free for all,” she adds. All part of a healthy balance, too, right?
Speaking of a healthy diet, here’s the deal with intuitive eating. And this is what a registered dietitian eats for dinner.