My 'Pre Match Pasta'- give it a try!

It’s obviously very important to eat correctly before training/competing because if you haven’t got enough energy you simply won’t be able to perform at a high intensity. Your body needs adequate fuelling otherwise you’re wasting your time!

I am a big fan of cooking and I love food so I always try to prepare something a little bit tastier than a standard bowl of pasta before I train or compete. Just because you need to fuel your body doesn’t mean it can’t be tasty!

We all know carbohydrates are the main fuel your body uses during exercise and so it makes sense to make this the main component of your meal.

My ‘pre match pasta’ is simple, effective and tastes great!

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 250g Whole Grain Pasta (also high in fibre, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids)
• 1 large Chicken Breast
• Half an Onion - sliced and diced
• Handful of Fresh basil
• 1 tin of chopped Tomatoes
• Handful of Mushrooms- sliced
• 100g Broccoli- finely chopped
• Half a Mozzarella ball
• 1tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

(The amounts of course depend on your appetite!)

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan
• Sauté the onion & mushrooms on a low heat
• Add the chicken and season with a pinch of salt and pepper- cook for 5 minutes (until no longer pink)
• Add the broccoli and cook for a further minute
• Add the chopped tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
• Thoroughly stir and add the chopped fresh basil
• Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes on a low heat- you want to soften the broccoli but make sure it still has a crunch
• Whilst simmering, heat the pasta in a saucepan of salted water (following the packet instructions- if longer than 10 minutes then put the pasta on earlier)
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to the chicken/tomato pan.
• Tear up the mozzarella and add
• Heat through for 30 seconds so the mozzarella melts

And there you have one pre match pasta- full of vital nutrients like carbohydrates and protein but with a great taste!

This is also a good post exercise dish and you can include other ingredients like chilli and garlic