What is dietary diversity and why is it important?

As a runner, you need quality nutrition from diverse foods to help boost your performance. Dietary diversity is a measure of the number of individual food groups consumed in a given reference period. A food group is a collection of different foods that share similar nutritional properties. A well-balanced diverse diet with the basic food groups helps you in getting all the key nutrients to maintain optimal health and performance.¹

How to achieve dietary diversity?

A food pyramid can help you achieve the required dietary diversity by explaining the 6 food groups and ways to get them. As an athlete, your activity levels will be much higher than others and you need additional quantities of the nutrients. Hence, you need to ensure that you replenish your stores regularly. The following figure explains the major food groups that can be included in your regular diet:

Food Guide Pyramid²

Tips on achieving a diverse diet

• Balance your macronutrients by having a mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at each meal.
• Try to choose a varied diet from the range of food groups such as vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat and fish every day.
• Go for healthy fats by eating foods such as avocado, nuts and fish.
• Aim to have at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables each day. Fresh fruits are an excellent, portable and nutritious snack option. They are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
• Add a range of colourful and seasonal fruits and vegetables to your diet.^1-4