The food category whose position on my quality continuum may be most alarming to you is that of whole grains. Am I really suggesting that you have to eat nuts and seeds more often than whole grains? The reason whole grains are ranked lower than nuts and seeds and fish and lean meats on the diet quality continuum is that, while whole grains are healthy, individuals who exclude whole grains from their diet are likely to be a little leaner than those who exclude either of the other two. Lots of athletes get good results from the currently popular Paleo diet, which excludes whole grains.
If you train heavily, it’s okay to move whole grains up the continuum. Runners who train five hours a week or less should generally try to eat nuts and seeds and fish and lean meat (unless they’re vegetarian) more often than they eat whole grains. Runners whose average training load is ten hours a week or greater may eat whole grains more often than they do nuts and seeds and fish and lean meat. If you routinely train more than five hours a week but less than ten, your frequency of whole-grain consumption can be about equal to that of your intake of nuts and seeds and fish and lean meat.
The most familiar whole grains are whole wheat, whole oats, brown rice, and corn flour. You can’t go wrong with any of these, but there are lots of other options with different tastes and nutrient profiles to give your palate and your body some welcome variety. Following are five alternative whole grains to try. Most can be found at your local natural foods market.
Amaranth: Amaranth seeds have a creamy consistency when cooked, and an earthy taste. Amaranth is among the most fiber-rich and protein-rich grains.
Buckwheat: Also called kasha, buckwheat has a strong, distinctive taste and is rich in the phytonutrient rutin.
Quinoa: Quinoa provides one of the broadest amino acid spectrums in the plant kingdom and is appreciated for its nutty taste.
Spelt: Similar to wheat, spelt contains more protein, fiber, magnesium, selenium, and niacin than its close grain cousin. It has a chewy consistency when cooked, and a light sweetness on the tongue.
Teff: Teff cooks into a porridgelike consistency and has a slightly malty taste. It’s a great source of iron, calcium, fiber, and B vitamins, among other nutrients.