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What Ironman champion Angela Naeth eats in a day

So how much fuel does it take to keep an Ironman champion going? A lot ...

Canada’s Angela Naeth might be an Ironman champion, but possibly one of her greatest triathlon performances came in 2018 – that year, while dealing with Lyme disease, she still managed an eighth-place finish at the Ironman World Championship.

Angela Naeth

So how does Naeth fuel herself for her demanding training program? We caught up with her to find out what a typical day of eating looks like:

Breakfast

I usually wake up every morning with out an alarm at 6 am. I make an Athletic Greens drink, start the coffee and usually have 2 bowls of dry cereal with 1-2 tbsp. of Trail Butter. I really enjoy coffee and typically have 2 cups, and have RISE Brewing Co. nitro cold brew coffee on the go. I drink a full bottle of Moxilife HydraMag and Body Health Perfect Aminos.

Snack

Pre-swim or bike workout I take in a Powerbar Gel. I like to be topped up before I start my first session. During the workout I always have Powerbar Sports Drink and a gel every 45 minutes at the minimum. I have at least 1 bottle of sports drink an hour. If I’m riding long I’ll add a Powerbar, or if I stop at a store, my favourite “go to” is a Rice Krispie treat.

Post-workout #1 :

Recovery drinks are key for me. I always have 1-2 servings of Powerbar Recovery Drink – Chocolate of course! This is taken within 30 minutes of my first workout. I also enjoy taking Fuel For Fire often. These are quick fruit and protein squeeze containers that are perfect for on-the-go.

Angela Naeth out on her gravel bike in February, 2020.

Lunch

I am big snacker, so I don’t typically have a sit down meal for lunch – basically I’m eating lunch all day long. Some of my favourites include rice cakes and almond butter, bread with chicken, and I make my own bars that I snack on that consist of almond meal, honey and protein powder. I typically snack all day long – a handful of grapes here and there, an apple with cheese, crackers and cheese.

Post-workout #2: same as one! Sometimes 2 Fuel For Fires.

Dinner

Dinner is usually at 6 and consists of whatever I concoct! I’m not much of a pre-meal planner, but I do stock the fridge/freezer at least once a week with meat, veggies, pre-made quick meals and frozen goods. Dinner usually is a large dose of vegetables with some source of meat and starch. My favorite is zucchini, chicken and rice. Olive oil is a big staple.

Dessert: I have it every night. Lately it’s been an ice cream kick, but other times I have a mash of yogurt, frozen berries and Trail butter. It’s delicious. I love Dove Mint Chocolates (which I tend to have a number throughout the day).

Snack: Post-dinner I always have more food. Typically 1.5-2 hours after. I can’t sleep if I’m hungry. I usually have a bowl of cereal or leave it at dessert.

I don’t restrict, I don’t binge (I just snack all day), and I don’t not eat something. I eat when I’m hungry.