Consistency is key | What hockey player Kurt Lovett eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Hockey player and NSWIS scholarship holder Kurt Lovett moved from Parkes in country New South Wales to Sydney at the spritely age of 18.

The now 21-year-old captained the NSW Under 21 Men’s State Team last month and has his sights set on making the next step up to national selection. One of the ways he’s looking at supporting that journey is through his diet.

“I make a big effort to eat healthy” said Lovett.

“I eat a lot of veggies and simple rice dishes, and make sure I get plenty of protein and carbohydrates especially when I’m training heavily. I’m actually anaphylactic to nuts, so I stay away from them!”

Lovett understands the importance of nutrition in fuelling his field efforts on the hockey field.

“Food plays a massive role in my performance, as the majority of my training is in the afternoon.

“If I’m not getting the right foods and right amounts during the day this seriously affect my ability to train, play well and keep focused.”

Consistency is key for the young athlete, and Lovett likes to keep it simple.

“My diet doesn’t typically change when I head into competition – I usually like to stick what I’m used to and what I know works for me.

“A breakfast for me is usually just a basic couple of eggs on toast or potentially some Chobani yogurt, with some muesli and of course my coffee.”

Kurt Lovett manages his athlete career with a part-time job as State Teams Coordinator for Hockey NSW, so a practical approach to meal preparation is important to ensure a healthy balance between all aspects of his life.

“I like to keep my lunches pretty simple, especially while I’m working during the day.

“If it’s not leftovers from last night’s dinner, it’s more than likely some type of rice dish usually involving some tuna and veggies.”

Tough one against VIC, well earned rest day for the lads today. ⚪️ @hockeynewsouthwales @kookaburrahockey

A post shared by Kurt Lovett (@truklovett) on Jul 5, 2018 at 5:55pm PDT

In the evening it’s not just what’s on the plate which makes it a good meal but the plate he uses – which can help to add variety to dishes.

“At the moment I’m really into my ‘bowls’ for dinner – lately I’ve been having a lot of ‘Burrito bowls’ or ‘Buddha bowls’ with chicken”.

“To treat myself, I’ll just cook up one of my favourite meals, like a nice big chicken stir fry that I can have for lunch the next day as well.”

And when it comes to eating between meals, Lovett again has a simple and healthy approach – eat fruit.

“Fruit is always a go-to snack for me, whether we’re talking apples, bananas or mandarins. I always like to have them during the day”.