Food Is Fuel: Nutrition With Coach Liv May

If you’ve been working hard to increase your strength and performance but are struggling to see the results you had been hoping for, it may be time to take a closer look at your nutrition. When your goal is focussed towards improving performance and increasing strength, it is crucial to ensure you are fueling your body with the right types (and sufficient amounts) of food. It is incredibly important to recognise the role our food plays in shaping our progress and ensuring we consume enough.

We get it. Navigating the world of nutrition and fitness can be overwhelming and confusing. 

If you are looking to improve your performance, hit some PBs or gain some muscle, coach Liv May has some words of advice that will help to set you up for success on your fitness journey.

Keep scrolling to get a sneak peak of some of Liv’s favourite meals which are now available in the MWU App!

The Basics Of Fuel

Let's simplify nutrition – the food you eat provides fuel for your body. There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ fuel, some sources of fuel just provide more energy than others and it's about choosing foods that are specific to your goals and make you feel good. 

We want to aim for balance - meals containing a mix of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and fibre foods. These 4 components of your meals provide the building blocks for your body to function at it’s best!

Take a look at coach Liv’s Breaky Fried Rice below for some balanced meal inspiration - it is a perfect mix of fuel providing a source of carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and fibre.

Fuelling your Body for Muscle Gain, Strength and Performance

To build and repair your hard-earned muscle mass, adequate protein intake is of course essential. 

Include sources like lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and plant-based options like beans and tofu in your meals. Protein not only supports muscle repair but also keeps your hunger levels in check.

In addition to protein, we need those energy giving foods to fuel our workouts. 

Don't shy away from healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Healthy fats are found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil, and seeds! Complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes and quinoa, provide sustained energy for your workouts and daily activities. 

Coach Liv May’s Tracking Approach

“I currently track because performance is my highest priority at the moment, so I am just trying to nail all the things outside my training like my food, my sleep, my hydration, my recovery. So, tracking my food is just something I like to do around this time of year! 

I don't track my food for the purpose of weight loss, or body composition, it's literally to ensure that I am eating enough for my training. I am a busy gal, and I find it easy to miss meals, so I pre-track my food and meals for the week as a bare minimum for what I need to eat to get through my training, and then I'll keep snacking on top of this throughout the day.

I’m not strict with my tracking and i’m not tracking on weekends, so its more so that i’m eating enough - because I don’t want to waste all my efforts at training and train my ass off just to under-eat and therefore not get better at my sport, and not grow my muscles and not get faster and stronger! So, I do track my food, but just for the purpose of awareness.”

YOUR Unique Journey 🫶 

While it’s easy to look at others and compare your progress, it is so important to remember that everyone is on their own unique journey! Although your progress may take time, every little step forward is still progress towards a happier and healthier version of yourself.  

You can achieve anything you set your mind to and showing up for yourself consistently will allow you to achieve any physique, performance or muscle gain goals you wish to make, but ultimately it’s up to you!

This journey is a personal one, so let’s embrace the challenge together as a community! 

Coach Liv’s Go-To Recipes:

Liv’s PB & Jelly Bowl 

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• 125g Lite Jelly (all flavours)
• 170g YoPro (flavoured)
• 80g Strawberries
• 80g Blueberries
• 20ml Caramel Flavoured Topping (no added sugar) 
• 20g Peanut Butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, prepare jelly as per packet instructions and refrigerate for 4 hours, or until set. 
2. Remove jelly from fridge and add yoghurt to bowl. Mix to combine. 
3. Top yoghurt and jelly with strawberries, blueberries, peanut butter and caramel topping.

 *This meal can be stored in an air-tight container 

Breaky Fried Rice

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 160g White basmati rice (raw)
• 180g Egg whites
• 60g Mushrooms
• 60g Capsicum (bell peppers)
• 20g Spinach
• 60g Carrot
• 100g Avocado
• 20g Kewpie mayonnaise
• 10g Fried shallots

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables: finely dice mushrooms, capsicum, spinach and grate carrot. 
2. Cook rice as per packet instructions.
3. Heat a medium-sized pan over medium heat and apply a light spray oil, if necessary. Add prepared vegetables and stir over heat for 3-4 minutes or until soft.
4. Heat a separate pan over medium heat and apply a light spray of oil, if necessary. Add egg white and stir over heat until cooked.
5. Add cooked egg white and cooked rice to pan with vegetables and stir until combined.
6. Serve fried rice in a bowl topped with avocado, kewpie mayonnaise and fried shallots.

*This meal can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Chicken Nourish Bowl

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 120g White basmati rice (raw)
• 240g Chicken breast (raw)
• 60g Zucchini
• 60g Capsicum (bell peppers)
• 20g Spinach
• 160g Butternut pumpkin (raw)
• 60g Tomato
• 60g Cucumber
• 30g Kewpie mayonnaise
• 10g Nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Prepare ingredients: dice chicken, zucchini, capsicum, pumpkin, tomato, cucumber and roughly chop spinach. 
2. Place chicken, zucchini, pumpkin and capsicum in air fryer basket and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 18-20 minutes at 180°C, turning over halfway.
3. In the meantime, cook rice as per packet instructions.
4. Assemble bowl: place rice as a base and add chicken and vegetables. Top with kewpie mayonnaise and nutritional yeast.  

*This meal can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Liv’s Fritters

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

• 2 Large Eggs (raw)
• 110g Chickpea flour
• 474g Zucchini
• 230g Carrots
• 100g Avocado
• 104g Greek yoghurt, low fat (plain) 
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• All purpose seasoning, to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables: grate zucchini and carrot with a box grater. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, crack and whisk egg. Add zucchini, carrot, flour, seasoning and baking soda. mix to combine.
3. Heat a medium-sized pan over medium heat and add oil. Once hot, scoop fritter mixture into pan. Push down fritter using a spatula to slightly spread mixture. Repeat for remaining mixture. Cook fritters for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. 
4. Serve fritters on a plate topped with yoghurt and avocado.

*This meal can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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