“For three and a half months leading up to the 2008 trials, I eliminated sugar from my diet. Why? Because desserts aren’t helping me win gold medals. When the trials came and I became the first American to go under 48 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle, I celebrated with a big dessert — but the funny thing is that it was too rich: after so long without them, I had stopped craving sweets.”

“The best bread I’ve ever eaten was at Noma. It had five to six different grains in it, and really captured the heartiness and environment of Scandinavia. Whole-wheat flour tastes better than white does, and it’s less-processed and so much more filling.”

"I find that these give me the most lasting energy, and keep me full for a long time. If I have a race at 7 pm, I’ll eat a sweet potato around 5 pm. I like to bake them in the oven, but even if I have to use a microwave at a meet, I think they’re so delicious.”

"It should be used in moderation. When making a lasagna, for instance, don’t put cheese between each layer; instead, wait until it’s done cooking, pull out the tray, sprinkle a strongly flavored cheese — like parmigiano reggiano or pecorino — over the top, and then broil it for a few minutes. You get a crispy, cheesy effect with way less fat.”

“You should taste the sweetness of fresh peas or beets rather than oil or butter. I buy tiny farmers’ market beets, soak them in water to remove sediment, rinse, and cut them in half all the way up the stem to the leaf. I put them on a cookie sheet, season with black pepper, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. They come out super sweet, with crispy, chip-like stems and leaves.”

“I use Ocean's Flavor, the only salt substitute that doesn’t have a horrible aftertaste, but I also make my own spice blends. My Cajun one has paprika, cayenne, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, dried rosemary and red-pepper flakes. “

“Immediately after a workout, I replenish glycogen with something high in sugar: dried mango, pineapple, honeydew melon, a banana, an apple or a pear. A half-hour or so later, I have protein to help my body recover. I like making a bean dip: I simmer kidney and black beans with onions, garlic powder and veggie stock until it’s cooked down, then mash the beans and add some tahini, cayenne or black pepper. “

“When cooking, always reach for something acidic — vinegar, lime or lemon juice — before you think of salt. Vinegars and citruses have stronger flavor without the cholesterol. When I’m making steak, for instance, I’ll cook in a pan, then deglaze the pan and use it to make a sauce with beef stock, fig-balsamic vinegar, a little red wine and some water.”

“Olive oil loses nutritional benefits when heated, but coconut and avocado oils don’t — they’re good for baking vegetables. When I cook fish in a pan, I use grapeseed oil because it has a really high smoke point, so it gets really hot and gives you a nice crust.”

“Give yourself a certain amount of ‘cheat meals’ per week, when you let yourself eat pizza, have dessert, or go out to dinner. I have two cheats a week, but if you eat a lot of junk now, you could start out with six to seven and take away one per month. Guaranteed you’ll eat healthier than you did before!”

<p>Gold-medal-winning swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale met Daniel Boulud on the <em>Today</em> Show before the Beijing Games in 2008. Since then, he has apprenticed at <a href=http://www.danielnyc.com/ target=_blank>Daniel</a>, <a href=http://noma.dk/ target=_blank>Noma</a>and <a href=http://www.troisgros.fr/english/lerestaurant.php target=_blank>Troisgros</a>; hosted dinners with Tom Colicchio, David Bouley and Daniel Humm; and turned his high blood pressure diagnosis into inspiration to start the site athleticfoodie.com, a resource for people who love food, but also want to stay fit. He took a break from the pool to share his top ten food rules.

Eat like an athlete

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