Training for a half-marathon? Running for fun? If you’re outside in the fresh air, burning lots of calories, no doubt you feel ravenous afterwards. Don’t worry: you can, and should, eat more. But your body needs the right food. The better you eat, the better you will run, and the easier it is for your body to repair itself afterwards.

But don’t just grab last night’s leftover pizza or that tub of choc-chip-cookie ice cream. What you eat can have a dramatic effect on your stamina and performance. If you are following a high-intensity training schedule, your diet should be 60%-70% carbohydrate, relatively low in fat and should include 15%-20% protein, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals (especially iron, if you are a woman).

If you are a casual runner, you won’t need such a high proportion of carbs, but in all cases, your everyday meals should be packed with unrefined, slow-burning, low-to-medium GI foods, which will feed energy to your body gradually, keeping you going for longer and helping to minimise cravings. Try foods rich in carbohydrates, such as wholemeal pasta, basmati or wild rice, couscous, chickpeas, beans, lentils, polenta, barley, spelt, porridge and muesli. Eat “good fats” — nuts, oily fish and olive, pumpkin or rapeseed oil are good sources. Keep your body hydrated all the time — it really helps. Don’t just drink before, during and after a run. Have bottles of water with you at your desk, in the car, by your bed.

Above all, don’t train on empty. Eat 1-2 hours before running, especially if planning a long run. Make breakfast tempting and wholesome. Hot oat pancakes with maple syrup and fruit will keep you going for hours, or try unrefined porridge topped with blueberries and walnuts drizzled with honey, or poached eggs on wholemeal toast with fresh orange juice. For lunch, you could have a hummus and rocket sandwich on stoneground wholemeal bread, butter-bean soup with pancetta, a delicious griddled tuna steak, spiced cranberry couscous with mango and avocado salsa, or conchiglioni with roasted tomato sauce.

Up your protein intake for supper, especially if you are running the following morning. Make it convivial with lamb kebabs on coriander and chickpea couscous with yoghurt sauce, chicken tagine with preserved lemons and green olives served on couscous or saffron rice, Thai fish curry with rice noodles, gnocchi and creamy mushroom sauce, or tagliatelle with walnuts, lemon and olive oil.

A nutritious yet stylish eating plan is good for us all — even if the longest run you are planning is between the fridge and the sofa.

Check out Kate’s running recipes at gofasterfood.blogspot.com

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