Natalie Coughlin on Healthy Eating

When Natalie Coughlin ; a healthy, gorgeous, successful athlete says SHE was a picky eater growing up,  I think it should put many parents at ease.  Its comforting to know our kids eventually can grow out of their food aversions and move on to choose a healthy life for themselves.

I was so lucky to be able to interview Natalie last night!  She is one amazing woman.  Her career highlights include:

• Olympic medalist, (has won a medal in every single event she’s entered)
• Dancing With the Stars contestant,
• Judge on Iron Chef America, and
• recipe creator.

I really enjoyed talking with Natalie and getting her insight on healthy living.  I think she is an amazing role model for young girls.  Here are some of the questions I asked her.

• Did you always eat healthy food growing up?
• What do you eat in a typical day?
• Natalie eats lot’s of different foods. She focuses on variety (to maximize nutrients).  She chooses what’s fresh and in season, including lots of fruits and vegetables in her diet.
• Did you spend a lot of time in the kitchen growing up? Did your mother teach you how to cook?
• No, Natalie was too busy swimming to be in the kitchen. It wasn’t until she got to college and was confronted by unhealthy dorm food that she started experimenting in the kitchen, creating healthier recipes.  However, her mother was a great cook, so she was always a phone call away when Natalie was trying to figure things out.
• Was your mom good about providing healthy food for you growing up?
• Always!  She always had vegetables and fresh food for her to eat.  Natalie was slightly chubby before she started swimming and her parents were careful about keeping her active and not having junk food around.  They never bought soda, so she never cared for it.  Healthy eating became a lifestyle for the whole family.
• What is the best diet for YOUNG athletes? 
• Natalie strongly believes it shouldn’t be complicated.  Parents shouldn’t obsess about the macronutrient breakdown of what their little athletes are eating.  It is however important to have an adequate amount of calories.  She also believes the most important thing to be concerned with is to replace foods after a long workout (like 2 hours or more).  Right after she has a long workout, she makes sure to have a balance of fat, protein, and carbs within 30 minutes to replace everything that was depleted.  She also says it’s important to have lot’s of fruits and vegetables, with protein and grains as a side.  ( Me too !!)
• What kinds of foods do you take on the road, or when you are gone all day?
• Dried fruit, like dried plums !  Nuts in a plastic bag like almonds, cashews.  She carries herbal teas in her purse, because “water gets boring”.  She also has a recipe for a gluten free snack bar you can make ahead of time and then throw in your purse or gymbag.
• What is your training schedule like today and when you were younger?
• Today, Natalie is in the water 5 days a week for 2-4 hours. She also cross trains with Pilates, weights, and other exercises for another 2-4 hours.  She actually swam MORE  than 2-4 hours when she was younger (with less cross training)
• Is there any food you won’t eat?
• If it’s healthy, she can usually trick herself into liking it.  She even will eat sea weed salad once in a while, even though she HATES it.  She still has a problem with “greasy, nasty fast food” though.
• Can you share your favorite breakfast?

For more of Natalie’s awesome recipes, visit California Dried Plum site. Definitely check out her gluten free snack bars , that I’ll be trying for sure!