It puts your workouts and recovery at risk.
The science:
A new study found that picky eaters have less healthy diets than their nutritiously adventurous counterparts. Notably for athletes, they’re also more likely to get too little protein.
Expert insight:
Food neophobes are afraid to try new ingredients, and in turn, the list of items they will eat is limited. (Food neophiliacs, on the other hand, are fearless eaters.)
In general, protein is the macro that loses out. “Picky eaters typically consume fewer healthy sources such as fish and milk products,” says study author Heikki Sarin, visiting researcher at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland. This impacts your workouts by hampering muscle protein synthesis (which repairs damage caused by intense exercise) and slowing recovery.
The bottom line:
Eat protein-rich foods you’d normally avoid with flavors you enjoy, Sarin says. For example, cook fish with your favorite herbs, legumes with beloved spices, or yogurt with your go-to granola. Give an ingredient least 15 tries before you give up on it.