How To Eat Like Olympian Abby Wambach While On The Road

Before hitting the soccer field, Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach fuels her body with the right eats, which can be a challenge on the road.

Wambach, a forward on the U.S. women's national soccer team, is headed to the London 2012 Olympic Games, where she will take her tips for eating healthy on the go with her.

"For me, it's directly related to performance which is directly related to income [and] health," said Wambach, who met with The Daily Meal to share her tips on how to eat like an Olympian before heading off to London (win a soccer clinic with Wambach).

"It's not just about professional athletes. It's about everybody," said Wambach. "Really it's about moderation and that you're fueling your body the right way. Everyone's body is different."

Wambach stresses the importance of getting good carbs and 100 percent whole grains in your daily diet, even when traveling on the road. Wambach typically has a smoothie for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch, her favorite meal of the day.

"Fuel your body with lots of fruits and vegetables. What you put in is what you get out, and healthy produce is the key to energy and performance," said Wambach (tips for fueling future Olympians).

One of Wambach's tips for travelers who want to eat like an Olympian on the road is to pack a sandwich. Her favorite is turkey, avocado, tomato, mustard, and some type of mayonnaise-based dressing. She also makes simple swaps that make a big nutritional difference, like making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with almond butter (60 percent jelly and 40 percent almond butter is her ideal ratio), which offers more vitamin E, iron, and calcium than peanut butter, and she cooks with extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter and other oils, which works to lower blood sugar levels.

"If you plan ahead, you're likely to not have to make a choice," said Wambach, who packs portable snacks like granola bars, fruit strips, and fresh fruit like bananas and apples when she is getting on a plane.

While she allows herself the occasional splurge — red wine and chips and guacamole are some favorites — making healthy choices and sticking with them has become part of her lifestyle and her travel plans.

For more tips, see Olympian Misty May-Treanor's tips for eating healthy on the road.