I'm often asked how a triathlete could really fuel their body with thousands of daily calories, and still avoid common inflammatory foods and diet "allergy" triggers like soy, gluten/wheat, dairy and eggs. So in this three-part series, I'm going to give you a run-down of some of my favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner options for enhancing performance, maintaining immune system health, and giving you an overall A+ on your dietary report
card!

Part I will start with the morning meal. In no particular order of importance, here are some of your best breakfast bets:

1. Hot Cereal - 1⁄2 cup cooked quinoa (boil 10 minutes, let simmer 20 minutes) with 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (optional) 1 teaspoon almond butter, and 1 handful blueberries or other berries. Serve with 1⁄2 cup plain almond milk or rice milk. Don't take 30 minutes to cook breakfast. Instead "batch" cook quinoa on a Sunday night.

2.Blueberry-coconut shake - Combine a handful of frozen blueberries, 3 tablespoons of shredded, unsweetened coconut and ice to desired texture. Add approx 4oz unsweetened coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk or water to desired texture and blend.

3. Avocado and tomato breakfast sandwich - Use one slice of warm and toasty sprouted, gluten-free bread, and eat open faced with a 2-3 slices of avocado, 1 teaspoon goat cheese, a handful of spinach (steaming is optional), and a 3-4 slices of fresh tomato. Serve with 1⁄2 cup plain almond milk or rice milk.

4. Fruit Salad: Into a bowl, throw 1/2 of a sliced apple, pear, grapefruit with one handful of blueberries. Add 1 handful of walnuts or almonds, sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with raw honey, and serve.

5. Walnut pancakes: grind two handfuls of walnuts, and mix with 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoons light sour cream or fat free yogurt (VERY small amount of dairy), 1 scoop rice, pea or hemp protein powder, 3 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1-2 tablespoons raw honey. Grill over olive oil or small amount of butter. Freeze or refrigerate extra pancakes for future use.

6. Bread with berry and almond spread – Spread two slices sprouted, gluten-free bread with one handful of fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries and 1 tablespoon of almond butter.

7. Meat - Grill 2 turkey sausage patties with 1 cup steamed fennel and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Recommend coconut oil for the grilling.

8. Snack Mix - Mix at beginning of week: 2 cups raw coconut shavings (preferably unsweetened), 2 cups raisins or craisins, 2 cups Brazil nuts, 1 cup dried mango or chopped papaya and 1 cup flax seeds. Keep in freezer. Eat 2-3 handfuls for breakfast.

Compared to an McMonald's Egg McMuffin or a packet of preservative-laden Quaker oatmeal, you're now optimizing your fuel. If you like this type of information, my book, Holistic Fueling for Ironman Triathletes, which is available at http://www.mindsettriathlon.com or http://www.triathlondominator.com , goes into great detail about how to eat, when to eat, what to eat, and why!