This Is What Breakfast Typically Looks Like For A Pro Athlete Versus The Average Person

For the active person who isn’t a professional athlete, there are some general guidelines to follow to help fuel your workouts and help achieve your health and fitness goals. Dunn recommends ensuring that your breakfast includes healthy fats, protein and complex, fiber-filled carbohydrates. “These nutrients not only support muscle, combat inflammation and aid in vitamins and mineral absorption, but they also help maintain a feeling of satiety until the next mealtime.”

Some specific breakfast options she recommends are yogurt with granola and berries, whole-grain cereal with fruit toppings and milk or a protein-packed milk substitute, oatmeal with nut butter and fruit, cottage cheese and whole-grain toast, a veggie omelet with toast, and a waffle with nut butter and milk.

Bubbs recommends starting with protein when building your meal, with at least 20 grams of protein for active individuals. “Breakfast is the meal of the day that people typically get the least amount of protein, so that should be the main focus,” he said. He said 30 to 40 grams of protein per meal for men and 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal for women are ideal amounts to hit. This number will vary for individuals based on their activity level and body weight. For reference, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for active individuals.

Next up is carbohydrates, which Bubbs recommends decreasing for individuals looking to lose weight or improve their blood sugar. “Have more berries rather than bananas, and have a slice of bread rather than three or four,” he said. Last is fats. Again, if you’re trying to lose weight, this is an area you can be conservative with: a drizzle of olive oil or a quarter or half of an avocado.

If you’re the type of person to get a morning workout in, Bubbs’ recommendation differs depending on the type of workout you’re doing. For an aerobic workout, he recommends fasting or having a low-carb breakfast, but for an intense training session he recommends eating a full breakfast beforehand with sufficient carbohydrates. “If you’re training hard, make sure you have enough fuel on board,” he said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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