Lay Your Base

You’ll be pleased to know there’s room for carbs in any healthy meal plan. Eat them around your training to power your performance and keep stress hormones in check. And it doesn’t always have to be quinoa, either

Grains

The smart move is to prepare more than you think you’ll need. Leftovers will last in the fridge for up to four days, and brown rice, buckwheat, farro, teff and so on will keep in the freezer for a month – which is handy for refuelling emergencies. When you’re ready to warm them up, simply pop in the microwave. As a rough guide, a fist-sized serving per meal should be about right. If you want to carb up even more, mix in tinned lentils, beans or chickpeas.

Greens

Water is your worst enemy if you want to keep your salads crisp. When you’re washing your greens, make sure to pat everything dry. (Bonus points for spin-drying.) Rocket, watercress, chicory and romaine are all more nutritious than iceberg, while fresh herbs, such as coriander and parsley, will pump up the flavour and vitamin count.

Pasta and Noodles

Pick varieties that work well cold, such as soba noodles, so you don’t have to microwave clumps of spaghetti. For the same reason, favour shorter pastas such as fusilli, orecchiette or rice-like orzo, which should stay separated. Cooking and cooling pasta increases its levels of resistant starch, which curbs your appetite and supports gut health. Aim for 60-70g (dry weight) per portion.