1. ‘Using a halved pitta bread as a pizza base helps control the portion size of your meal,’ says nutritionist Kim Pearson. Opt for wholegrain rather than white, she adds. ‘This lowers the glycaemic index [GI] of your meal to provide you with sustained energy release, keeping you fuelled for longer.’
2. ‘Combine low-sugar tomato sauce with green, yellow and red peppers to provide a boost of antioxidants that can help combat post-exercise free radical damage,’ says Pearson. Adding some sliced onions will notch up extra fibre and some immune-boosting allicin. Then throw on some mushrooms: in a US study at Johns Hopkins University participants who swapped beef for the fungi consumed 400 calories less, and felt just as satiated as when they ate meaty meals.
3. Satisfy that cheese craving by adding strips of fresh mozzarella, which is lower in fat than hard cheeses. Finally throw on some sliced chicken breast to deliver more muscle-building protein. Research has shown that runners require 50-75 per cent more protein than non-runners to help promote recovery and rebuild muscles, so don’t hold back. ‘Add peperonata for a tasty low-fat flavour boost,’ says Pearson. Bake for 10 minutes at 200°C.
