Somehow a different kind of post here, as I’ll talk about food and nutrition. That said, trying new food and adapting to the eating habits and local products is part and parcel of travelers’ and expats’ life.
So here is a selection of my favourite local food I am/was eating on a regular basis in the various countries I lived in in Europe, Asia and Africa. These products are particularly beneficial for runners and athletes on a nutritional point of view, even if, of course you don’t need to be an elite athlete to benefit from them. Although many of them can be found in Europe and elsewhere as imported products, I chose to focus on the products that are grown locally and commonly found and consumed in my host countries.
Super fruit!
Superfruit are fruit that are particularly dense in terms of nutritional and health benefits. They are especially rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibers and other essential nutrients. I’m not sure wether all the fruit below could be officially classified as superfruit but anyway, there are all very interesting on a nutritional point of view for runners.
Dates (Morocco)
What is it: dates are fruits from the dates palm trees, and when they’re dried, they are like natural moist and chewy sweets.
Why are they beneficial for runners: dried dates may be high in calories but they are packed with nutrients. As they contain mainly carbs (mostly from fructose), they are a good source of energy that is rapidly available for athletes. Dates are also a good source of B vitamins and are very rich in potassium (that we lose a lot when we sweat), magnesium and copper.
When do I take them: I take 2 or 3 dates before and/or after a running session, and I ALWAYS take 2 or 3 10 minutes before a race.
Pomegranates (Spain, Italy, Morocco)
What is it: A juicy, healthy fruit that became very fancy a few years ago for its high antioxydant properties but quite tricky to prepare and eat.
Why are they beneficial for runners: pomegranates are particularly rich in vitamin C, K and B9. They also contain high amounts of minerals like copper, potassium and manganese.
When do I take them: breakfast, or whenever as fresh juice in Morocco (once a day in Essaouira lol).
Prickly pears (Morocco, Spain)
What is it: prickly pears are fruits growing on the top of a type of cactus tree (the nopal cactus in Mexico). Not my favourites to be honest, they are full of thorns outside, full of hard seeds inside, and don’t have much taste (at least the ones I could find in Casablanca). But well, they have many nutritional benefits.
Why are they beneficial for runners: prickly pears are rich in essential electrolytes like calcium, potassium and magnesium. They also contain a good amount of vitamin C. Finally, the seeds provide essential unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids good for cardiovascular health.
When do I take them: I used to buy them during summer and fall in Morocco. In that season, you can find street vendors everywhere selling them. They peel them in front of you (and their technique is quite impressive), so you don’t have to suffer that step.
Mangosteen (Vietnam)
What is it: a small round tropical fruit, with a thick and hard skin and a white, soft and sweet-sour flesh. Mangoustan is considered as a superfruit for its multiple health benefits.
Why are they beneficial for runners: in addition to being an excepional source of antioxydants, mangoustan contain remarkable amounts of electrolytes like calcium, potassium and iron. It is also rich in fibre and vitamins A, C and B vitamins (B1, B3, B9 and B12).
When do I take them: I found them between May and July in Vietnam
Madd (Senegal)
What is it: Madd is a wild fruit that grows in the forests of Casamance in Sénégal and the neighbouring countries. Madd is its wolof name, but it is called differently in other local languages (I once found it in Uganda called… “forest fruit”). Madd is oval shaped, with a thick, wrinkled orange skin. The inside is divided into segments, and you have to let the seeds melt in your mouth to enjoy its sweet-sour flesh.
Why are they beneficial for runners: Madd is probably one of the remaining superfruit that Western countries have not discovered yet. With high antioxydant properties, madd is also packed with minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamine A, C and B6.
When do I take them: In Senegal, you can buy it fresh, or already prepared with sugar and spices (sometimes fresh, sometimes cooked). It is also used to prepare juice, and even prepared as a spicy condiment. I consume it fresh to get the most of its nutritional benefits. Madd is widely available during the rainy season, i.e from early June to September.
Super food!
You probably already came across one of those fancy-trendy-healthy dietary supplements that turned into a real hype a few years ago. Most of them cost an arm and a leg in Europe and are imported from the otherside of the world. In Sénégal and Uganda, I could easily find them for a ridiculously low price 😎
Moringa powder (Senegal and Uganda)
What is it: Moringa is a tree that grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions. All the parts of the moringa tree can be used: the seeds (eaten fresh or to make oil), the flowers, the bark, and, the most interesting part, the leaves, that are highly nutritious.
Why is it beneficial for runners: Moringa deserves its super-food nickname, especially for athletes and vegetarians/vegans. Its nutritional values are so exceptional that moringa is used by NGOs and aid-agencies in humanitarian programmes to fight malnutrition. Moringa leaves are very rich in protein, and contain all the 8 essential aminos. In terms of vitamins and minerals, they are a great source of iron, calcium, vitamin C and B6.
When do I take it: the leaves are mostly eaten dried and reduced in powder, but you can also find whole dried leaves to make tea. I take moringa powder to complement my protein/iron/calcium intake when I’m tired and/or training more usual.
Baobab powder (Senegal)
What is it: just like the moringa tree, every part can be used in the baobab tree. The fruit called “monkey bread” (pain de singe or “bouye” in Senegal) is a kind of small gourd, with a hard shell and white flesh inside that looks like powder. In Senegal, that powder is often used to prepare juice.
Why is it beneficial for runners: Very rich in vitamin C (3 to 6 times more than oranges), antioxidants (4 times more powerful than kiwi fruit and 15 times more than apples), calcium (2 times more than milk), zinc, iron, phosphorus, amino acids and potassium, the baobab is ticking all the super-food boxes.
When do I take it: I drink bouye juice after long and/or intense short runs to recover carbs, vitamins and essential minerals. Alternatively, I can also eat it as an energy bar.
Tamarind (Senegal and Uganda)
What is it: The tamarind tree is a tropical tree that looks like an acacia tree and produces long pods. Tamarind is the sticky fruit that can be found inside these pods.
Why is it beneficial for runners: Tamarin is especially rich in B vitamins, iron, magnesium and potassium. It is also a very good source of antioxydant and polyphenols that help to reduce inflammation.
When do I take it: same as bouye juice, I drink tamarind juice after a long run for the carbs and electrolytes. In terms of taste, tamarind juice is my favourite. In Senegal, it is also used as a condiment to eat with the national dish, the thieboudien.
Chia seeds (Uganda)
What is it: I think there’s no need to introduce chia seeds anymore as they are very famous nowadays after being a hype ten years ago.
Why are they beneficial for runners: chia is first a valuable source of omega 3 fatty acids for vegetarians and vegans, and it contains a fair amount of protein (5g/100g). It is also equally rich in minerals such as manganese, phosphorus, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium and selenium.
When do I take them: I used to sprinkle them on my breakfast porridge (I don’t like the sticky texture of chia seeds). In other countries, I replace them with blended flax seeds (that I often bring back from France).
Super grains!
Other runners-friendly favourite staples for me: cereals. I’ll talk here about these “lost crops” that made a comeback in Western countries some years ago (after the quinoa hype), as they are interesting from a nutritional point of view, and most of the time gluten free (the other hype of the 2010s). All these grains are close cousins from the same family.
Fonio (Senegal)
What is it: fonio is a West African grain that is quite unknown in Western countries. In addition to be able to grow in harsh climate conditions, fonio is also very interesting on a nutritional point of view.
Why are they beneficial for runners: fonio can be a good alternative to wheat and rice. It is rich in protein (around 10g/100g), but its main avdantage is that it contains B vitamins, and, most of all a great amount of minerals like iron (100g of fonio is covering half of your daily needs!), calcium, magnesium and zinc.
When do I take them: In Senegal, I eat it for breakfast (yes I sometimes have weird breakfasts), just preparing it as instant couscous in the microwave. I can also use it to make salads and, more generally, replace rice or pasta.
Sorghum (Uganda)
What is it: another unknown grain for us Westeners, even though it is the fifth most widely grown cereal in the world, mostly in Africa. Sorghum is pretty similar to fonio.
Why are they beneficial for runners: Sorghum is also rich in protein, in B vitamins and it contains a huge quantity of magnesium (half of the daily intake in 100g), phosphorus, selenium, iron, calcium and copper.
When do I take them: I used to eat porridge in Uganda for breakfast made with sorghum and/or millet flour (sprinkled with chia seeds, ofc).
Millet and bushera (Uganda)
What is it: millet is the only “old” African cereal that has somehow gotten famous outside as a no-gluten alternative.
Why are they beneficial for runners: millet’s nutritional benefits are similar to fonio’s and sorghum’s.
When do I take them: As porridge for breakfast. Millet was also used to prepare “kalo”, a stapple food in Nothern and Western regions of Uganda, that is the equivalent of “posho” that is made with cassava elsewhere (known as “ugali” in Tanzania and Kenya). Something else I used to love in Uganda was “bushera”, a drink made of fermented millet and/or sorghum, with a sour taste and even more packed with nutrients.
Lupin (Germany)
What is it: lupin is a legume that is actually native from the Mediterranean region, but I accidentally discovered it in an organic store in Berlin (an never found it again elsewhere in that format 😞)
Why are they beneficial for runners: lupin is a treasure for vegans, vegetarians and athletes. It contains around 40g of protein for 100g, which is high above any other source of vegan protein and even meat. It also contains minerals (sodium, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, etc.), and vitamins A, B and C.
When do I take them: lupin can usually be found as a condiment prepared like gherkins. I used to find it pre-cooked like boulgour, and used it as a meat replacement (especially for bolognese).
Favourite super drinks
When we run and sweat, we do not only lose water but also essential minerals for our body functionning (the famous electrolytes). The most important ones for runners are sodium, potassium and magnesium that are involved in muscular contraction, among others. It is all the more important to refuel those nutrients after a long run (more than 1 hour), after an intense session, and if you’re living in a hot and humid climate.
Coconut water (Vietnam, Sénégal)
What is it: coconut water is the liquid contained inside the coconul shell, not to be mistaken with coconut milk. In Vietnam, I used to drink it directly from the coconut (don’t forget to eat the flesh afterwards!) ; in Senegal, street vendors sell it in small plastic bags.
Why are they beneficial for runners: coconut water is often refered as a “natural sport drink” as it is packed with electrolytes, especially potassium, manganese, magnesium and calcium. It is also a good source of vitamin C.
Bouye/tamarind juice (Senegal)
What is it: the natural juices prepared with baobab powder and tamarind paste.
Why are they beneficial for runners: as said above, both of these superfruit are full of vitamins and minerals. Beware though, there’s often a lot of added sugar in those juices, so dilute them half/half with water.
Non-alcoholic beers (Morocco)
What is it: Just beers from which alcohol has been removed. You can find them pretty much everywhere, but I used to buy them mostly in Morocco, since they are replacing regular beers in most supermarkets.
Why are they beneficial for runners: non-alcoholic beers may be the perfect post-exercise recovery drink. It enables you to replenish your carbs, essential electrolytes, especially sodium, but also potassium and magnesium, as well as B vitamins.
I could have talked about okra/gombo, peanut and sesame paste (another staple for me) in Africa, red tiger balm in Vietnam (not food but essential as a fragile runner like me lol), but I’ll leave space to complete the list, should I be moving somewhere else in the future…