Contributed by Jamie Leighton
Use Real Food to Stabilise Your Energy When Daylight Drops.
When daylight decreases, your circadian rhythm shifts, cravingsincrease, and your body asks for more comforting, warmingfoods. Instead of fighting that, use real, structured meals tosupport energy, mood, and consistent training.
Less daylight → more cravings & mood dips
Cold weather → higher energy demand
Indoor life → more grazing & irregular meals
Why Real Food Matters More in Winter
When days get shorter:
1. Appetite signals get noisier
Less daylight = less serotonin = more carb cravings. If athletes under-fuel with real meals, they always reach for reactive snacks later.
2. Body temperature regulation costs energy
Cold weather increases energy expenditure. Your body prefers warm, substantial meals over light snacks or processed bars.
3. Training quality drops faster when under-fueled
In winter, fatigue blends with low mood. Real-food meals with carbs + protein give stable, steady energy that keeps consistency high.
4. “Snacky eating” increases when we’re indoors more
A structured meal pattern reduces grazing—which improves body composition. Add One Warming, Real-Food Meal Per Day to Improve Winter Training & Appetite Control.
Instead of relying on bars, protein snacks, or leftover Christmas treats, choose one anchor meal every day that contains:
✔ A warm carb source
- oats
- roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes
- rice
- wholegrain bread
✔ 20–30g protein
- eggs
- Greek yogurt
- lean meat
- tofu/tempeh
✔ Colour (veg or fruit)
- berries
- spinach
- peppers
- winter veg
✔ Optional healthy fats
- olive oil
- nuts
- avocado
This combination stabilises blood sugar → reduces cravings → improves recovery → supports body composition.
A Great example would be:
- Roasted Sweet Potato With Butter
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Sautéed Spinach and Roasted Asparagus
- Greek Yoghurt with Frozen Berries
Winter isn’t the time to shrink your food. It’s the time to upgrade it. Darker days mean your body works harder to maintain energy, mood, and temperature. A warm, real-food meal gives you stability that snacks can’t.
How Does This Link to Endurance Performance?
- Real-food winter meals support:
- Higher-quality Zone 2
- Better strength sessions
- Improved mood and motivation
- More stable body composition
- Fewer “I’ll just grab something” moments
Jamie Leighton - The Triathlon Nutrition Coach
Instagram - triathlon_nutrition_coach
www.nutri-tri.com
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