AnitaBeHealthy’s 7-Day Pre-Marathon Eating Plan Ready, Set, Go! Training for a marathon greatly increases your nutritional needs. Water is the single most important nutrient to consume when training for any sporting event. Extra mileage boosts your calorie needs and you'll need to eat even more carbohydrate to recover from training runs, especially those exceeding 90 minutes. Pay special attention to eating wholesome foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Taking a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement is an option but an even better source of vitamins and minerals can be obtained from the foods you eat. Try eating fortified foods, such as breakfast cereal, is good ‘nutritional insurance.’ DAY 1 Breakfast: Egg pita (two scrambled eggs and salsa inside a whole-wheat pita); fresh fruit salad; cranberry juice Morning Snack: Low-fat yogurt with honey and chopped almonds Lunch: One salmon-salad sandwich (two slices whole-wheat bread, canned salmon with reduced fat mayo, chopped celery, chopped dill pickle, and chopped cilantro); apple sliced and spread with chunky peanut butter; two fig bars Snack: Dried pear halves; sports drink §  Dinner: Grilled chicken served over brown rice; steamed cauliflower and broccoli with grated Parmesan cheese; boiled red potatoes tossed with chopped parsley and olive oil; low-fat frozen yogurt topped with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce

DAY 2 Breakfast: Blueberry pancakes topped with blueberry syrup; fruit salad; 1% milk Morning Snack: Low-fat cottage cheese with raisins and chopped walnuts Lunch: Vegetable pasta (made with green peas, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and red onion); apple slices; cranberry juice Snack: Rice cakes topped with peanut butter and bananas Dinner: Cashew chicken with carrots and snap peas over rice; cooked garlic spinach; fruit sorbet with wafer cookies DAY 3 Breakfast: Oatmeal made with 1% milk or fortified soy milk; whole wheat toast topped with strawberry jam Morning snack: Whole-wheat pita bread dipped in hummus; celery sticks; mango fruit nectar drink Lunch: Grilled chicken burrito (wrapped in spinach of whole wheat tortilla, fresh salsa, lettuce, rice, beans, light sour cream); watermelon slices Snack: Pretzel sticks dipped in chunky peanut butter; fresh orange slices Dinner: Garlic mushroom spinach pasta; green tossed salad with garbanzo beans, red onion, cucumber, and Italian vinaigrette dressing Evening snack: Graham crackers with fresh strawberries and vanilla yogurt

DAY 4 Breakfast: Nutty barley cereal with 1% milk or fortified soy milk; cinnamon raisin bagel topped with a non-hydrogenated buttery spread Morning snack: Granola bars; grape juice unsweetened; baby carrots Lunch: One roasted chicken breast sandwich (whole-wheat bread, romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, reduced fat mayonnaise salad dressing); baked tortilla chips; 1% milk Snack: Wheat crackers with peanut butter; fresh apple Dinner: Baked salmon over a bed of brown rice; steamed broccoli; spinach salad with cranberries and walnuts and topped with oil & vinaigrette dressing §  Evening snack: Fresh banana; fat-free frozen yogurt      DAY 5 Breakfast: Oatmeal made with 1%  milk or fortified soy milk; whole-grain English muffin spread with jam and non-hydrogenated buttery spread; one banana Morning snack: Trail mix (made with walnuts, dried mango, cranberries, and raisins); vanilla yogurt Lunch: Bean burrito (made with a wheat tortilla, beans, rice, shredded cheese, salsa); fresh fruit salad; baked corn chips; oatmeal cookies Snack: One energy bar with water Dinner: Marinara pasta topped made with ground turkey or soy substitute; grilled asparagus with onion;  2 ounce square of dark chocolate

DAY 6 Breakfast: Fortified cereal with 1% milk or fortified soy milk; whole-grain bagel spread with almond butter; orange juice Morning snack: Fig bars; tomato juice Lunch: One roasted turkey sandwich (whole-grain bread, sliced avocado, reduced-fat mayo, tomato slices, mustard, provolone cheese); vegetable soup; red grapes; ginger snap cookies Snack: Cold rice mixed with vanilla-flavored soy milk, a dash of cinnamon, raisins, and chopped pecans Dinner: Lean beef stir-fried with mixed baby spinach, corn, snow peas, and broccoli and served over whole-wheat soba noodles; vegetarian pot stickers; fortune cookies §  Evening snack: Air-popped popcorn; cranberry-grapefruit juice DAY 7 Breakfast: Fortified cereal with 1% milk or fortified soy milk; whole-grain bagel spread with almond butter; orange juice Morning snack: Fig bars; tomato juice Lunch: One roasted turkey sandwich (whole-grain bread, sliced avocado, reduced-fat mayo, tomato slices, mustard, provolone cheese); vegetable soup; red grapes; ginger snap cookies Snack: Cold rice mixed with vanilla-flavored soy milk, a dash of cinnamon, raisins, and chopped pecans Dinner: Lean beef stir-fried with mixed baby spinach, corn, snow peas, and broccoli and served over whole-wheat soba noodles; vegetarian pot stickers; fortune cookies §  Evening snack: Air-popped popcorn; cranberry-grapefruit juice Menus developed by sources including: Au, Lauren; Mayo Clinic; Runner’s World.  2007

Best Banana Bread– makes 1 medium loaf.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (F)   1/2 cup vegetable shortening (can substitute Transfat-Free vegetable spread) 2 eggs, beaten (can substitute the egg white of four eggs) 2 cup flour, sifted 1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts) 1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1 teaspoon black walnut flavoring   *Whip mashed bananas and set aside.  *Beat eggs and add butter flavoring to eggs.  *Combine shortening, sugar and eggs together into a creamy consistency. Add whipped bananas and mix well. Then add flour and soda and mix. Add nuts and vanilla and black walnut flavoring and mix well.  *Pour into greased loaf pan. *Bake at 350 degree F for one (1) hour. *Turn off oven and let banana bread set for five (5) minutes in the oven before removing. *Let cool at room temperature for ten (10) minutes before cutting.     Source: Evelyn Shaw. Knights of Kansas Cookbook, Knights of Columbus, Copyright 1978.  Simply Spicy Pumpkin Bread --  Makes 2 loaves.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. INGREDIENTS: 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour (OR you can modify to increase fiber content by using 2 cups unbleached flour & 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour instead) 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin purée 1 cup canola oil 8 egg whites or 4 whole eggs PREPARATION: Lightly oil and flour two-9x5x3-inch loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate bowl, gently stir together the pumpkin puree and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; add pumpkin mixture. Stir together only enough to moisten dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for one (1) hour, or until a wooden pick or knife inserted in center comes out clean. Source: Modified recipe into a heart healthy from original recipe, 10/24/05. Original recipe accessed 10/24/05 http://southernfood.about.com/od/pumpkinbreadrecipes/r/bl40328i.htm.