Eat like an athlete - Thomas Young's diet

Do you have a signature dish?

Living at home, I’m very lucky that my parents cook my food. They make a great beef stew that provides me with the balance of nutrients I need to support my training.

What’s your favourite treat food?

After a race, I am known to stop on the motorway to have a 'Maccies' at a service station, although I usually just go for a chicken wrap and some chips.

What does a typical day of training food look like?

I train five days a week. I have my breakfast in the morning before training, then after training I come home and have some chicken and rice. My evening meal varies daily, but it always consists of meat for protein, rice or potato for carbohydrates and some green veg to aid my recovery and fuel me for the next day.

What are your go-to energy-boosting snacks?

When I am racing I reach for energy bars, typically chocolate flavour as I do have a bit of a sweet tooth. In the past, I would reach for a fizzy drink to give me that instant energy hit, but I’m learning that that is often followed by an energy low. I’ve recently discovered energy teas, which I interchange with hydration powders, and they’ve really helped in the past couple of months as it encourages me to drink more water – I’m now on the hunt for my favourite brand and flavour.

How do you keep your diet varied when you have to follow such a strict training regimen?

I enjoy quite plain food and I’m fortunate that my mum typically cooks a different evening meal each day which gives me variety. I sometimes find the necessity of eating healthy frustrating and that is why I reward myself after a race.

What do you eat on your days off?

Although we have days off physical training, there are no days off working towards our goals as athletes. So even when I’m not at the track, I still eat healthily to give me the fuel I need for the following days and weeks. On days off, I often rest at home with family or friends, on occasions I travel for appearances or media and on some days I travel to watch my football team, Fulham. I have an allergy to cheese and can be fussy when it comes to flavours so when I am travelling for appearances, media or football, I am learning that I need to plan ahead to be able to access food that I like and that meets my nutritional needs. We are fortunate that when we travel for racing, it is most often with the British Athletics or Paralympics GB team who have worked with the accommodation to ensure we can access suitable food. When I am travelling, I allow myself some fruit gums for energy as I find travel days can feel quite long.

What would your top diet and exercise advice be for amateur athletes?

Try and achieve a balanced diet. Build your understanding of the nutritional composition of food as what you put in is what you get out. Remember to not be too serious, you do need treats, being too serious with your food can get stressful and become unhealthy. Focus on your goal and keep a diary so you can track your results.

Do you have any advice for getting more protein into your diet?

I am fortunate that I have access to a nutritionist, so I can go to him to get tips on what to eat, when and why to eat it which really helps me. The advice he gave me to get more protein in my diet was to ensure I have a meat option with each of my meals. I’ve also started to have prawns as a snack when I’m on the move.

Apart from your speciality, what’s your favourite sport/exercise?

I love football, I am a massive Fulham fan. In the past, I regularly played with my friends in the local park. Right now, it is my job to ensure I’m in the best physical shape to run fastm so I have to be careful with sports that could risk injury, particularly as my coordination is what is limited most due to my impairment. I do enjoy swimming, and I have always loved being in water.

What’s your favourite recipe on goodfood.com?

My favourite recipe is chicken & ginger fried rice.

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