it harder to get enough iron and zinc, especially if you’re female. You also may come up short on vitamins B12 (not found in plant foods) and D as well as riboflavin.Pregnancy. Supplement with iron and folic acid or eat fortified cereals just in case

food you’re already eating even better. Now, will it be mushrooms, fried onion rings...If you're a Runner's World UK magazine subscriber, you can see a full 10 sets of good-better-bests right here, including pre- and post-run nutrition. Otherwise, enjoy

or cooked in soups and stews. They are a great source of vitamin B, potassium, calcium and iron. But, most importantly for runners, they contain off-the-chart doses of betaine. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that this compound

drink after training. This could be a milkshake, fruit smoothie, yoghurt or just a glass of milk - Helen often does this already if she isn't planning to eat immediately after training. Vitamins and minerals Helen's intake of iron, copper, selenium

reserves, you need nutritious carbs. Fibre-rich cereals are good choices – a bowl (30g) of bran flakes supplies around a quarter of your fibre needs, 50 per cent of the RDA for folic acid and 25 per cent of the RDA for the B vitamins and iron. Yet

also offer protection against some cancers.Red PotatoesThe humble - and let's be honest, it's not much to look at - potato has had a bad reputation in terms of nutrition because we have a habit of frying it in fat, covering it with cheese or mixing

, this mineral stimulates taste, smell, appetite and mood. Lean beef also contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, while iron and vitamin B12 promote healthy red blood cells.Greek yoghurtAs well as containing double the amount of protein as regular yoghurt

-rich, muscle-boosting Whole-grain quinoa (pronounced ‘keen-wa') makes most other grains look like nutritional lightweights. No grain has more protein (8g per 170g cooked). It has hefty amounts of carbohydrate and more magnesium, folate, iron and fibre than

and help fuel muscle growth. Chicken is a time-honoured source of protein for runners, but pork chops are a great alternative - a 3.5oz serving has 28g protein compared with 30g in the same amount of chicken. Throw in some iron-packed spinach or cashew nuts

-have mineralsThe two minerals that women runners need to pay the most attention to are calcium and iron. “You will need to up your iron levels, as menstruating women – and, in fact, athletes in general – can be prone to iron deficiency,” says nutritionist Shona