Running burns more calories than any other activity ( according to askmen.com). On average, running burns 900 to 1,500 calories an hour and, on average, it takes 4 and a half hours to finish a full marathon. It is important for everyone to eat properly but, especially runners. People who run consistently burn more calories and put more stress on their muscles and joints. It is incredibly important to get enough calories and nutrients to keep up performance and prevent injuries.

Going to the grocery store can be overwhelming and tricky without a plan of action. Everything markets itself as healthy and good, but most of it is not. A great example of this is how m,any potato chips now market themselves as gluten free. It's deep fried potato, of course it's gluten free but that doesn't mean it's healthy! To help you navigate the store without coming out with bags of sodium free twinkies and sugar free pork rinds, this is a list of the best foods for runners.

The Best Foods For Runners:

1. Almonds
2. Sweet Potatoes
3. Cottage Cheese
4.  Whole Grain, Protein Packed Cereals ( Like Kashi Go Lean Crunch)
5. Black Beans
6. Mixed Greens
7.  On that note, leafy green like Kale
8. Lean Beef ( Bison is especially good)
9. Wild Salmon
10. Stir fry Veggies ( I keep bags of it in my freezer for when I can't go to the store and get fresh veggies)
11. Whole Grain Pasta, Quinoa or Brown Rice
12. Chicken ( buy fresh and keep frozen filets in the freezer)
13. Frozen Fruit especially Berries ( great for smoothies)
14 Dark Chocolate ( we all need to indulge and it's good for the heart)
15. Carrots
16. Low Fat Yogurt ( I enjoy non-fat vanilla Greek, fantastic in a smoothie!)
17. Brussels Sprouts )
18. Bananas
19 Coconut Water
20. Energy Bars
21. Fig Bar Cookies ( great for energy and tasty)
22. Hummus
23. Oatmeal
24. Peanut Butter ( try to get one with less saturated fat)
25.  Tuna
26. Broccoli
27. Eggs ( Your fridge is not complete until you have eggs)
28. Popcorn ( make it yourself, don't buy the pre-bagged stuff filled with chemicals and fake butter)
29. Avocados

The list may seem long, because it is. Not everyone likes every type of food so pick out the ones you want. It is important to eat a variety of foods and try to get some form of protein at every meal plus in your post run snack. Now go shopping, take a deep breathe and avoid the bakery sale.

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