5 Real-Food Swaps for Sports Supplements

From protein bars to gooey gels, shakes to jelly beans, the dietary supplements industry is making big bucks, but those pricey sports supplements may do more harm than good. Although they present a quick and convenient way for you to meet your high energy needs, highly processed products and mystery ingredients can be hard to stomach. And there’s no reason why real food can’t do the same thing, in a much healthier and tastier way.

Allen Lim, PhD, sports physiologist, cycling coach, and co-author of the cookbook Feed Zone Portables, has made it his mission to bring real food back to sports nutrition. Instead of reaching for packages, his athletes swear by his recipes for rice cakes, little sandwiches, and waffles. His advice: “Choose products and recipes with a minimal number of ingredients, preferably real food, that you can recognize and that don’t challenge your intelligence, even if they challenge your desire for convenience.”

Try these five flavorful foods that will enhance your performance and taste better than the engineered stuff.

Raisins vs Sports Jelly Beans

Sports jelly beans boost blood sugar levels during training, but they come with a long list of ingredients and, often, a hefty price tag. And when pitted against the humble raisin, they fared no better in terms of boosting endurance performance or power in cyclists. Munch on raisins for a more natural way to get your carbs during moderate- to high-intensity endurance exercise.

Rice Cakes vs Sports Gels

Lim works with some of the top athletes in the world, showing them how to replace sugary gels with real food. His recommendation? White rice! High in calories and low in fiber, it’s an efficient fuel for athletes both during and immediately after training. Lim makes it into a sticky rice, which can be shaped into little cakes, easy to pack for the road. He also plays with flavors and mixes in red lentils, masala spiced chicken, berries, and peanut butter—yum! Check out his recipe for Cinnamon-Apple Rice Cakes.

Get the full recipe for Cinnamon-Apple Rice Cakes.  

Chocolate Milk vs Recovery Sports Shake

To nail the three R’s of recovery (rehydrate, refuel, and repair), try your kid’s favorite drink—low-fat chocolate milk. It provides all the right benefits—water and sodium to rehydrate, carbohydrate to refuel, and protein to repair damaged muscle fibers—at a fraction of the cost of a recovery sports drink.  

Beet Juice vs Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide supplements promise increased blood flow to your heart and muscles, but leafy green vegetables and beet juice, naturally high in nitrate, are safer and just as effective in enhancing athletic performance. But if drinking beet juice isn’t your thing, you could give dark chocolate a try, too. A recent study showed eating just 1½ ounces of dark chocolate may have similar blood vessel effects thanks to the antioxidant epicatechin. Just make sure it’s only a couple of pieces, not the entire bar!

Coffee vs Pre-Workout Formula

When the last thing you feel like doing is hitting the gym, it’s tempting to sneak a scoop of pre-workout formula into your water bottle. But why swig a mix of mystery stimulants, when a cup of black coffee can do the same thing, and without the tingles and jitters? A recent review of more than 600 studies confirms just 200 mg of caffeine can increase endurance performance by an average of 24 percent. Stay grounded and reach for an Americano next time you yawn your way into exercise gear.

This list is just a start, but many simple foods perform just as well when put to the test. Experiment with what you like—PB&J sandwiches, bananas, and sweet potatoes are other favorites. Learn to tailor what you put into your body to meet your personal needs—sports drinks can easily be made at home with a simple mix of water, salt, and maple syrup. View sports supplements as just that—“supplements” to the real foods in your diet.