Nutrition: The "second lunch" for runners
First and foremost, I cannot take credit for the term “second lunch.” I first learned it from the one and only Nancy Clark, during a nutrition talk she gave here in NYC. That was several years ago, and it resonated with me so much that I think of it often and regularly incorporate it into nutrition plans for my runner clients. Let me explain a bit more.
What is “second lunch”?
Second lunch is, drumroll please… a second lunch! It’s a different way to look at a mid-afternoon snack, in order to make it more substantial and help runners meet their high energy needs. I often find the afternoons to be the most challenging for my clients in terms of hunger and figuring out just what to have that will be satisfying until dinner. There are typically at least 5-6 hours between lunch and dinner, and if you don’t have a substantial snack in in between, you may arrive at dinner absolutely starving and/or bonk an afternoon or evening workout.
A word on energy and carbohydrate needs
I wrote a while ago about the number of carbs a female runner needs on a daily basis to support their training, and it’s a lot more than many are eating when we start working together. With that also comes, of course, not eating enough calories to support not just training, but all of the other normal functions the body performs on a daily basis. If that happens consistently, runners can be in a state of low energy availability, which increases risk for a whole host of other problems associated with RED-S. In the majority of cases, it takes work and planning to eat enough. A simple breakfast, lunch and dinner likely aren’t going to cut it without strategically planned snacks and “second lunches.”
Examples of “second lunches”
Second lunches should have all three macronutrients - protein, fat and carbs - and should be satisfying to you. That will differ from person to person, so the key is to experiment with some ideas to figure out what exactly will satisfy your hunger. Here are some of my faves:
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Avocado toast with egg
Greek yogurt with granola and fruit
Cheese quesadilla with spinach
Leftover pasta with meat sauce
Slice of pizza
Rice and beans
Potato salad
And these are just a few ideas! The possibilities are endless depending on your likes, dislikes, daily schedule and individual needs.
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