Becoming an elite CrossFit athlete goes beyond what you do in the gym. Competing in CrossFit means you have to be fast, strong, coordinated and basically all-around really fit.

You also have to feel your best in order to move your best the way elite CrossFitters do.

That comes down to training, recovery, mindset — and nutrition.

So we’re all wondering… what are the elite CrossFit athletes eating on a regular basis? And how do I compare?

Do they need to eat all day to fuel their training? Or maybe they’re actually eating less than we imagine to maintain a lean body composition?

What food groups do they mostly eat and do they avoid any?

The truth is, these are all loaded questions and have different answers depending on the season, goals and individual bodies, preferences and tolerances. But, in this blog, we get a little look into one day’s menu for a few #TeamWAG members that are full-time CrossFit athletes.

We took a look at what Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, Katrin Davidsdottir, Christian Lucero, Carly Fuhrer and Cole Sager eat in a day around their three to five-hour daily training sessions.  

A day of eating with... 

Katrin Davidsdottir

Breakfast

  • Egg whites
  • Whole milk
  • Bell pepper
  • Apple
  • Oatmeal
  • Egg
  • Spinach

Snack

  • Sweet potato
  • Olive oil
  • Gatorade 

Lunch

  • White rice
  • Chicken
  • Mayonnaise
  • Grapes
  • Lettuce 
  • Walnuts
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Sports drink

Dinner

  • Salmon
  • Shrimp
  • Tomatoes
  • Feta cheese
  • Butternut squash
  • Mango, coconut & pepper sauce
  • Brown rice
  • Cashews
  • Carrot

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

Breakfast

  • La Colombe Mocha Draft Latte
  • Gluten-free instant oatmeal
  • Macadamia nuts

Snack

  • Orange

Lunch 

  • Basmati rice
  • Shrimp
  • Guacamole
  • Reduced-fat bacon

Snack

  • Banana
  • Macadamia nuts

Dinner

  • Yellow pepper
  • Steak
  • Basmati rice
  • Shrimp
  • Guacamole
  • Reduced-fat bacon

Dessert

  • Chocolate hazelnut spread
  • 0% Milkfat Vanilla Skyr
  • Blueberries
  • Spinach

Cole Sager

Breakfast

  • Cabbage
  • Ground beef
  • Sweet potato
  • Egg
  • Brown sugar
  • Honey
  • Steel-cut oats
  • Buttermilk pancake
  • RX BAR

Snack

  • RXBar
  • 2 apples

Lunch

  • Frozen berries
  • Protein shake

Snack

  • Bean salad
  • Cabbage
  • Atlantic cod

Dinner

  • Spinach
  • Cabbage
  • Craisins
  • Honey
  • Vinaigrette
  • Bacon crumbles
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Chicken breast

Dessert

  • Honey
  • Rolled oats
  • Protein powder
  • RXBar

Carly Fuhrer

Breakfast

  • Cinnamon raisin sprouted bread
  • Raspberry jam
  • Brown sugar & cinnamon butter spread

  • Zucchini
  • Ground beef
  • Purple sweet potato

Lunch

  • Purple sweet potato
  • Chicken breast
  • Green beans
  • Avocado

Snack

  • Choc Chip Moon Bites
  • Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Dinner

  • Purple sweet potato
  • Zucchini
  • Pineapple
  • Cheese
  • Salsa
  • Avocado
  • Chicken breast

Dessert

  • Orange juice
  • Collagen peptides
  • Frozen berries
  • Probiotic nonfat yogurt

Christian Lucero

Meal 1

  • Pear
  • Salami
  • Mozzarella
  • Collagen protein

Meal 2

  • Oatmeal
  • Nutella

  • 3 eggs + extra egg whites
  • Butter
  • Avocado
  • Ghee
  • Kale
  • Potatoes
  • Kombucha

Meal 3

  • Protein shake
  • Creatine

Meal 4

  • Sweet potato
  • Bison burger
  • Macadamia nuts

Meal 5

  • Salmon fillet
  • Mashed potato
  • Butter
  • Asparagus

What do they have in common?

When we say that nutrition is individualized, we’re very serious. You really can’t model your own diet off one particular athlete. Learning what works for you will be key to your success.

You can, however, look at the big picture and see what the best of the best all have in common. From there, you can take away some pretty great anecdotes about where to focus first. So, here's what you should note:

  • Athletes training at a high intensity generally consume higher-carb meals around workouts.
  • They include a variety of vegetables.
  • They always include a high-quality protein source.
  • The meals are put together with intention, most often on a plate, and include each macronutrient: carbs, protein and fat.
  • The majority of meals are not eaten on the go, to ensure proper digestion and all-around rest and presence with food.
  • There’s a distinct lack of supplements. The focus of these meals is whole foods and not an abundance of powders, bars and pills. The best of the best focus on real food first.

When you look at these observations, how do you compare?

What should you eat to feel and move your best?

Should your day look more like Cole’s or Katrin’s? To answer that question you have to consider so many factors… like weight, goals, preferences, training, etc.

First and foremost, we believe in personalized nutrition and focus on eating whole foods.

From there, you can dial in the quantity and quality based on your individual needs and goals.

I know it’s not an exact map of what to eat and when because, honestly, it takes a lot of trial and error to discover those answers.

Every journey looks different but if you want help finding your own roadmap consider working one-on-one with a WAG Nutrition Coach.

Your coach will help you find what the best “Day in the Life of (insert your name here)” looks like so that you feel satiated and healthy, perform your best and love the way you look, too. 

Whether body composition is your main goal or an added bonus to better performance in the gym — it’s part of the “eat healthy, be healthy” package (and we’ve never had any complaints about that).