Carb Diversity, Fuelling and Moving Away From the “Low-Cal, High-Protein” Mindset

Somewhere along the way, sports nutrition started to feel like a competition to make food do more while eating less.

Low calorie.

High protein.

Low sugar.

High fibre.

More protein per calorie.

And if you're an athlete, it can be very easy to absorb that message.

Because protein is important.

It supports muscle repair and adaptation.

It helps with recovery.

It is an important part of an athlete's diet.

But somewhere along the way, protein became the hero and carbohydrate became the thing we were supposed to minimise.

And for people who train, I think we need to start asking a different question.

Not:

“How much nutrition can I get for as few calories as possible?”

But:

“How much fuel does my body actually need for what I'm asking it to do?”

Low calorie isn't automatically better

This sounds obvious.

But look at how much food is marketed now.

Low calorie.

High protein.

Light.

Reduced.

Skinny.

Low sugar.

More protein for fewer calories.

The underlying message can become:

The less energy you can eat while still getting your nutrients, the better.

But your body isn't trying to win a competition to consume the fewest calories possible.

Especially if you're training.

You're asking it to move.

To contract muscles.

To produce force.

To maintain body temperature.

To concentrate.

To recover.

To adapt to training.

To repair tissue.

To support your immune system.

To keep all the processes of your body running.

That requires energy.

And this is where carbohydrate matters

Carbohydrate is an important fuel source for exercise.

Your body stores carbohydrate as glycogen in your muscles and liver.

When you're training, those stores are being used.

So if we're constantly trying to make meals lower calorie, replacing carbohydrate with more protein, or choosing the product with the most protein for the fewest calories, we can end up missing something really important.

Fuel.

This isn't an argument against protein.

It's an argument against treating protein as though it has to replace everything else.

Protein isn't the enemy

I actually think this distinction matters.

Because the answer isn't:

“Stop eating protein.”

Protein is important.

Athletes need protein.

But protein and carbohydrate do different jobs.

And your body doesn't suddenly stop needing carbohydrate because you've eaten enough protein.

A meal can contain protein and carbohydrate.

A snack can contain protein and carbohydrate.

A recovery meal can contain both.

You don't have to choose.

The problem with “high protein” becoming the default

Think about the language we see everywhere.

Protein bars.

Protein cereals.

Protein puddings.

Protein yoghurts.

Protein crisps.

Protein pancakes.

Protein everything.

And sometimes the question becomes:

“How can we add more protein?”

Before we've asked:

“What does this person actually need?”

If someone has just completed a hard training session, they may need protein.

They may also need carbohydrate.

If someone is training again tomorrow, carbohydrate matters for replenishing glycogen.

If someone is doing a long endurance session, carbohydrate is a major source of fuel during that activity.

If someone is already struggling to eat enough, choosing the lowest-calorie option simply because it has a higher protein percentage doesn't necessarily solve the bigger problem.

This is where carb diversity comes in

I love the idea of carb diversity because it moves us away from the idea that there is one perfect carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates can come from:

Potatoes.

Rice.

Pasta.

Bread.

Oats.

Fruit.

Plantain.

Cassava.

Maize.

Beans and pulses.

Dried fruit.

Cereals.

And sports foods can have a place too.

Different foods provide different combinations of nutrients.

Different textures.

Different levels of fibre.

Different digestion rates.

Different amounts of carbohydrate.

Different levels of convenience.

And, importantly, different enjoyment.

That matters.

Because food isn't just a nutrition label.

Carb diversity doesn't mean eating perfectly

It doesn't mean you need seven different carbohydrate sources every day.

It doesn't mean you need to track them.

It doesn't mean one carbohydrate is “clean” and another is “bad”.

It simply means that over time, having variety can help you get a broader range of foods and nutrients.

And it can make fuelling much more enjoyable.

Because imagine trying to train for months eating the exact same thing every day because you've decided it is the “best” carbohydrate.

That's not sustainable for most people.

Variety matters.

And sometimes the most useful food isn't the lowest calorie option

This is probably the biggest mindset shift.

Imagine you're heading out for a long run.

You could choose the snack with the fewest calories.

Or you could choose the one that actually gives you enough carbohydrate to support the session.

Those aren't necessarily the same thing.

Imagine you're four hours into a bike ride.

A low-calorie snack might sound like the “better” choice on paper.

But your body doesn't care about the marketing.

It needs fuel.

And if you're trying to prevent under-fuelling, making every food choice as low calorie as possible is heading in the opposite direction.

REDs makes this even more important

Low energy availability can happen when the energy available to your body isn't enough to support the demands you're placing on it.

And it doesn't always happen because someone is deliberately restricting food.

You can genuinely believe you're eating well.

You can eat lots of protein.

You can eat plenty of vegetables.

You can choose nutrient-dense foods.

You can avoid processed foods.

You can train incredibly hard.

And still not eat enough.

That's why I think the conversation around REDs needs to move beyond:

“Are you eating healthy food?”

and towards:

“Are you eating enough food to support what you're asking your body to do?”

Because those are not the same question.

What if we stopped trying to make food smaller?

This is something I've been thinking about a lot.

What if instead of asking:

“How can I make this lower calorie?”

we sometimes asked:

“How can I make this more useful for my training?”

What if instead of:

“How much protein can I get into this?”

we asked:

“What combination of nutrients will actually support me?”

What if instead of:

“Which carb is the healthiest?”

we asked:

“Which carbohydrate will work for me right now?”

Before training might look different from during training.

During training might look different from recovery.

Recovery might look different from a normal meal.

And that's okay.

This is why I don't want sports nutrition to be about restriction

I don't want athletes thinking they need to find the food with the fewest calories.

I don't want carbohydrate to be something they feel guilty about.

I don't want protein to become another obsession.

I don't want REDs awareness to create another list of foods people are scared to eat.

I want people to understand what their bodies are asking for.

Sometimes that's carbohydrate.

Sometimes that's protein.

Sometimes that's both.

Sometimes it's a proper meal.

Sometimes it's a snack.

Sometimes it's simply eating more regularly.

And sometimes the most important thing is making food easy enough that you actually eat it.

That's part of why RED-Scue exists

I couldn't find sports fuel that felt like something I actually wanted to eat.

So I made it.

Not to replace meals.

Not to tell people what they should eat.

And definitely not to create another “perfect” food.

I wanted a practical source of carbohydrate that could fit into real training.

Something substantial.

Something made from ingredients including cassava and plantain.

Something you could take before training, during longer sessions, after training or simply have when life makes eating properly a bit harder.

Because sports nutrition has to work in real life.

Maybe the question needs to change

Instead of:

Low calorie or high calorie?

Ask:

Enough for what I'm doing?

Instead of:

High protein or high carb?

Ask:

What does my body need?

Instead of:

What's the “best” carb?

Ask:

What can I eat, enjoy and actually use?

Instead of:

How little can I get away with?

Ask:

How well could I support myself if I gave my body enough?

Because fuelling isn't about finding the smallest amount of food that gets you through.

It's about giving your body enough to do the life and sport you're asking of it.

And that means moving away from the idea that the goal is always:

less energy, more protein, more control.

And towards something much more useful:

enough energy.

Enough carbohydrate.

Adequate protein.

A variety of foods.

Practical fuelling.

And no fear around eating what your body needs.

Fuel Without Fear.