A Sports Dietitian’s Diet for Muscle Growth and Energy

Ehsani usually starts her mornings with a filling and nutritious breakfast.

“I’m pretty obsessed with chia pudding as of now, and it’s super easy to make,” she said.

Before bed, she mixes a few tablespoons of chia seeds with dairy milk and refrigerates it. In the morning, she tops it with fresh berries, a drizzle of almond butter, and some granola or nuts.

That breakfast gives her omega-3 from the chia seeds, which is fantastic for heart health and also promotes strong joints, she said. From the other ingredients like dairy milk, berries, and almond butter, she’s getting protein, calcium, potassium, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats — all crucial for feeling good and energetic.

Sometimes, she changes up breakfast by eating oatmeal or a smoothie bowl, keeping many of the ingredients, like fresh fruits and milk.

Ehsani said that her lunch hours are “pretty busy,” so she whips together a quick and protein-packed meal for lunch.

“I’ll usually utilize something like smoked salmon or canned salmon as my protein source,” she said. Often, she’ll take either one and throw it into a wrap or sandwich with hummus, greens, and cut-up vegetables. Salmon is one of the highest sources of protein, with 27g of protein per serving.

Sometimes, she’ll have soup or a sweet potato for lunch instead. But she’s “always making sure to get plenty of protein, veggies, and some type of whole grain or starchy veggie.”

Ehsani usually exercises in the late afternoon or early evening. To prepare, she eats some fruit 15 minutes before the workout.

She’ll usually have a banana, seasonal fruit like mango, or dried fruits like dates or raisins. “I like to have it just pretty much right out the door, to top off my glucose stores and give me energy to get through that workout,” she said.

To get a little more protein throughout the day, Ehsani has dairy milk when she can, such as in an afternoon latte.

She also sips chocolate milk right after her workout.

“Chocolate milk is a great recovery beverage,” she said, because it has a three-to-one carb to protein ratio to replenish muscle glycogen and electrolytes to make up for lost sweat. It also just tides her over while she prepares dinner.

She tries to drink chocolate milk 30 to 60 minutes after the workout for it to have an optimal impact on her body. “Usually, I’ll try to do that really quickly after the workout, probably right away when I get home,” she said.

Ehsani relies on sheet pan dinners a lot throughout the week because they’re a quick and easy way to eat a fresh, balanced meal with protein, fiber, and other vitamins.

Usually, she’ll season or marinate a piece of salmon, chicken, or sablefish along with veggies like sweet potatoes, eggplant, or broccoli. Sometimes, she deviates by throwing the ingredients on top of some mixed greens and making a salad or grain bowl instead.

“I chop a little bit, throw it in the oven, and then I can go shower and get ready,” she said. “It just gives me all those nutrients in one.”

“I have a big sweet tooth,” Ehsani said. For dessert, she and her husband will have a few squares of dark chocolate. More recently, she said they’ve been making homemade mango ice cream by blending frozen mangoes and dairy milk together.

“It makes a really nice, almost like a soft-serve consistency,” she said, tasting like a satisfying dessert with some extra nutrients. For even more protein, she said Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or protein powder can be added as well.

“We’ve been doing that a lot of nights, making some type of healthy-ish sweet treat in the evenings,” she said.