Healthy food tips from Aussie Olympians

For our athletes in Rio, diet plays an important role in their quest for glory.

For three weeks from Saturday (local time), all eyes will be on Rio for the XXXI Olympiad. An Australian contingent of 418 athletes across 26 sports will join more than 10,000 other athletes from 206 countries, all competing across more than 300 medal events. For athletes who have dedicated their waking lives to a shot at Olympic glory, the hours of training each day is complemented by a strict diet regimen.

But what does a breakfast of champions really look like? We asked some of our great athletes what fuels their fires.

Steph Catley 22, Soccer

Steph will make her Olympic debut in Rio, having lined up in her first World Cup last year. She first took to the pitch for Melbourne Victory in 2009 aged just 15 and made the Australian team in 2012. She now plays for Orlando Pride in the US.

A typical day's eating?

8.30am breakfast: 1 piece of almond butter toast, 1 bowl of oats with shredded almonds, honey and mixed berries.
Lunch: It varies but generally a salad with some sort of meat mixed in or on the side. My favourite combination right now is a chicken salad with spinach, walnuts and pear.
Snack: A coffee with a small chia pudding bowl, or some fruit.
Dinner: I love different types of pastas, grilled vegetables and potatoes, or stir fries and dishes with brown rice.
What do you eat on a competition day? It depends what time the game is. But no matter what I eat in the morning or lunch, around an hour and a half before I play I always eat two slices of multi-grain toast with peanut butter and sliced banana on top.
What are you most looking forward to eating after the Olympics? A huge burrito bowl from Chipotle with lime and salt chips on the side.

Rachel Jarry 24, Basketball

Rio will be the second Olympic outing for Rachel, who was part of the bronze medal-winning team at London.

A typical day's eating?

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled on toast with 1/4 avocado and a handful of spinach.
Post weights snack: A smoothie made from banana, protein powder, a handful of spinach and kale, and either full-cream milk or almond milk.
Lunch: A chicken salad made from chicken breast, spinach, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 sweet potato roasted, capsicum and a couple tablespoons of sauerkraut.
Pre-training snack: Peanut butter on apple slices.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with 1/2 cup sweet potato mash, broccolini and asparagus.
What's your go-to drink for energy? Coffee! I'm lucky enough to have travelled all over the world but I know I'll always be a Melbourne girl at heart because we definitely have the best coffee! There has been a lot of research on the effects of caffeine on performance and it's been shown to improve endurance so that's a nice added bonus of drinking it.
What's your go-to smoothie recipe? Sometimes after games I find it hard to eat a whole meal so I love having a smoothie instead. My smoothie recipe is 1 cup milk (usually full-cream or almond), 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup of berries (fresh or frozen), 1/2 cup of spinach, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
What's your favourite Melbourne cafe? It has been awesome to see all the amazing new places that have popped up in my hood. My fave is Healthy Self Co. in Yarraville; they have lots of smoothies, acai bowls, healthy meals as well as some great coffee.

Karsten Forsterling 36, Men's Quad Sculls

The oldest member of the rowing team, Karsten is no stranger to the Olympic village, winning bronze in London in 2012.

A typical day's eating?

6.30am breakfast 1: A large bowl of porridge with sultanas, two crumpets with honey.
7am training 1 (2-2.5 hrs): A muesli bar or sports bar.
10am breakfast 2: Three eggs on rye bread, asparagus sprigs, half an avocado, bowl of cereal.
10.30am training 2 (1-1.5 hrs): No food, water only.
1.30pm lunch: Two toasted ham, cheese, tomato sandwiches; a small bowl of cereal with milk.
3.30pm training 3 (1.5-2hrs): Banana, water.
6.30pm dinner: Salmon fillet, broccoli, sweet potato mash, steamed carrots with tomato relish.
8.30pm dessert/snack: Ice cream or bowl muesli with yoghurt.
What's your go-to drink for energy? Milkshakes really fill a calorie hole post-training. Milk, ice cream, banana and honey are simple and the best.
What do you eat on a competition day? We normally compete midmorning so breakfast is fairly light, such as a bowl of cereal. Post-race would then be a more substantial lunch such as a large serve of pasta or large chicken wrap.
What's your favourite Melbourne cafe? Hellas Cakes in Lennox St, Richmond. Its baklava is a family favourite.

Cate Campbell 24, Swimming

Cate is the current world record holder in the 100m freestyle. Training alongside sister Bronte (right), the duo were the first Australian siblings to qualify for the same swimming event at an Olympics (the 50m freestyle) at the London games.

A typical day's eating?

6am Pre-training snack: a bowl of Uncle Toby's muesli.
8.30am Post training: protein shake 9am Second breakfast: 2 eggs on toast.
12pm Lunch: usually a salad with lots of veggies (beans, capsicum, broccoli), apple, dried cranberries, walnuts and some kind of protein, usually either chicken or beef.
3pm Pre training snack: Usually some toast or a bowl of Uncle Toby's oats, or some yoghurt and a price of fruit. Plus another cup of coffee with a biscuit.
6pm Post training: Protein shake
6.45pm Dinner: I'm a terrible cook, so something very simple that includes meat, vegies and carbs.
What do you eat on competition day? Really bland, simple foods; plain pasta or rice with a bit of salt, white bread with butter, or cereal. Whatever I can keep down.
What are you most looking forward to eating after the Olympics? Pizza! It goes down a treat.

Bronte Campbell 22, Swimming

Bronte has qualified for her second Olympics in the 50m and 100m freestyle, and will also compete in the 4 x 100m relay.

What's your go-to snack for energy? Bananas. Especially when we're in competition I eat a lot of bananas, they're really good just to fill you up enough until you can go get some more food.
What are you most looking forward to eating after the Olympics? I can't wait to try all the food in Rio. I've heard all the local food is amazing but I'm not game to try it before I swim in case I get sick. But after my race I'm probably going out to get pizza and ice-cream!
What is your ultimate guilty pleasure/ blow out food? I really like fudge. I don't have it all that often but I love it.

Jess Trengove 28, Marathon

Jess, whose brother Jack plays AFL for Melbourne, will be running her second Olympic marathon in Rio, following her debut in London.

A typical day's eating?

I start the morning off with a piece of toast with honey and sometimes a quick coffee. After training I aim to consume a combination of quality protein and carbohydrates to facilitate the recovery process. On most mornings this is in the form of a banana pancake. I also love homemade porridge with apple slices, nuts, seeds and yoghurt. For lunch I usually have a wrap or open sandwich with sliced meat or smoked salmon, avocado, mushrooms and any other vegies that I have in the house at the time. My dinners range from curries in the slow cooker with rice to stir fries, salmon with sweet potato and salad, steak and vegetables, pulled pork burritos and homemade pizzas. Meals at my parents' place are my favourites. Mum makes some amazing dishes from the Ottolenghi cook books!
What do you eat on a competition day? My breakfast before a race is usually a few slices of toast with banana and honey. I consume this about 2-3 hours beforehand. On the morning of a marathon I add in a few extra carbohydrates, maybe a small bowl of cereal or rice crackers. I snack on rice crackers or energy chews in the hours leading up to the race.
What's your go-to snack for energy? A piece of toast with ricotta, banana and honey or energy balls or bars.
What are you most looking forward to eating after the Olympics? The local South American cuisine - a good steak perhaps?! I look forward to trying the Brazilian acai bowls and smoothies, too.

Rowie Webster 28, Water Polo

Known as one of the toughest defenders in water polo, Swisse ambassador Rowie will make her second Olympic appearance in Rio, after helping Australia win bronze against Hungary at the 2012 London Games.

A typical day's eating?

Breakfast of muesli, fruit and yoghurt in the morning, a post-training snack of a banana and a coffee. Lunch is usually a salad with some chicken or a wrap filled with veggies. Boiled eggs or crackers with peanut butter or an apple are all go-to snacks in the afternoon. Dinner is split between a protein and vegies with carbohydrates of some sort.
What's your go-to drink for energy? I train up to 2 hours in the pool with very few drink breaks, and hydration is imperative. A trick I use is always carrying a water bottle around with me to meetings and meals; you'll consume far more water if you carry something around with you.
What are you most looking forward to eating after the Olympics? Post-competition food hall visits are dangerous! I am looking forward to a well-earned cocktail (outside the athlete village) and experimenting with the Brazilian cuisine.

Will Ryan 27, Sailing

Will is set to make his Olympic debut at Rio, alongside teammate and defending Olympic champion Mathew Belcher in the men's 470 class event.

A typical day's eating?

Due to the nature of our style of boat, we are quite restricted in what we eat due to the individual weight requirements.
Breakfast: Weetbix wherever possible, some low sugar muesli, fresh blueberries, Greek yoghurt and light milk. Tea, either black or lemon.
During training: A combination of pre-packaged bars all low in sugar.
What's your go-to snack? A smoothie of banana, coconut water, Greek yoghurt, chia seeds, and ice. Bananas are viewed as being ‘unlucky' on boats, so I only eat them after returning to shore!