Protein is your body’s ultimate secret weapon when it comes to better (read: smarter) recovery. It’s one of the most critical macronutrients for athletes to gain strength, heal faster and maximize performance. “Protein is made of amino acids that help build and repair muscle tissue that is damaged during exercise so that it can recover and you can come back stronger than before,” says Marley Oldham Carnes, MS, RDN, CSCS. 

Serious Spartans know proper protein intake is no joke. But not all sources of protein are equal. Red meat comes with its hodgepodge of drawbacks, and overdoing the protein bars (or any single source of protein, for that matter) isn’t the way to go, either, according to Oldham Carnes.

Related: Eat This, Not That: 3 Seafood Swaps For Your Favorite Meat Dishes

Enter: the seafood solution. In addition to packing a protein punch to rebuild muscle, seafood provides a dose of healthy fats (like omega-3s) which help to reduce inflammation during your recovery process. Not to mention, it’s a good source of creatine, to help muscles build, use and regenerate energy, and selenium, to protect your brain from oxidation (a.k.a. breakdown) so you stay ready for action. “Fish is one of the best proteins an athlete can eat,” says Oldham Carnes. “Be sure to pair it with whole grains, colorful and dark leafy-green veggies, fruit, and a serving of dairy to create a plate that is balanced, and that fuels optimal performance, health and recovery.” 

But, in today’s pandemic conditions, trips to the grocery store are a pain (and a risk!). Plus, there’s no knowing what’ll be available in the supply chain, making meal planning a trick. So up-level your seafood game and opt for catch from an online seafood delivery company. (Wild Alaskan Company, Fulton Fish Market and Salmon Sisters are a few of our faves.) 

With any one of these options, you can make winter meal-planning a breeze. Opt for the fresh-frozen, wild-caught, premium-grade seafood and get it delivered straight to your doorstep. Then, you’ll never be eating farm-raised fish (which comes chock full of hormones, antibiotics and god knows what else). Stocking up on seafood has never been easier, it lasts up to a year in the freezer, and you’ll always have healthy protein on hand when you’re ready to mow down a meal. No excuses.

Why Athletes Should Order Seafood Online, Now

1. It Cuts the Headache Out of Meal Planning

Real talk: you’re busy, training and trying to stay healthy. The last thing you need is to worry about what you’re going to eat. But, if you don’t plan ahead, you’re more likely to opt for less nutritious foods in your pantry. It’s a catch 22. That’s why seafood delivery is a rock-solid choice for swamped athletes. “Now, more than ever, is a time of uncertainty and constant change to our individual daily routines,” says Oldham Carnes. “Athletes have had to adapt many of their eating habits, including how they shop for food.” Having food regularly delivered is one simple way athletes can overcome new barriers to nutritional needs, like facing a scarcity of protein-rich options, planning healthy meals in a post-COVID world, and reducing opportunity for exposure to the virus by staying home.  

2. It Takes Temptation Out of Your Nutrition Game

The main goal to proper training nutrition is to ultimately improve performance and recovery so you can hit it again, ASAP. Knowing this, what you put into your body is so critical to your bounce-back window. And no matter how delish day-of fast food delivery sounds, it will never serve you like a whopping portion of seafood, rich in proteins and healthy fats that you prepare and cook yourself. “While reaching for the fast-food speed dial is tempting, the real solution to improve body composition, performance, and recovery is preparing and planning meals ahead of time,” says Oldham Carnes. “This is made easier for athletes through utilizing delivery technologies and companies that are making healthy food choices, like omega-3, protein-packed fish, easier and more convenient than ever.” 

3. It’s Sustainable, For You AND The World

There’s no point in being mindful of your diet if you can’t actually make the changes last. (Think: binging, purging, and other terrible-for-you nutrition patterns.) “One thing is certain, athletes (and everyone) can take control of their athletic performance and future health through sustainable healthy eating patterns,” says Oldham Carnes.

Sustainability—both for yourself and for the environment—is key. That’s why seafood delivery (via an eco-conscious company) tops our list for convenient, effortless meal choices. At your doorstep, you’ll get a batch of high-quality, wild-caught sustainable seafood straight from the ocean. It comes ready to cook, and seasonality is no big deal because that’s what freezers are for. By opting for wild-caught fish, you’ll dodge the diet of synthetic ingredients in farm-raised catch. With a process this easy, you’ll have zero excuses (or desire!) to eat like crap. So only one question remains: what are you hungry for—salmon, white fish, shellfish, or all of the above?

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