Football Jesse Lingard goes nut's for Pistachio's
As a professional athlete keeping yourself fit and health is a must and when you're a professional football like Manchester United and England star Jesse Lingard you're always competing for your place in the team so remaining fit and health is at the top of your priories. A man Lingard has to help him with his food is pro sport nutritionist Nigel Mitchell, and theres one particular snack / ingredient they both are very fond of is the pistachio.
Recent research has revealed that American pistachios are a good source of protein, with a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of over 80. This means that American pistachios, within a balanced plant-based diet, can contribute significantly to quality protein intake. Something that is vital to Lingard and the majority for athletes isn't just how much protein they are getting in them but the quality of the protein.
“While we’ve always known nuts contain protein, we now know roasted pistachios, with all nine amino acids,” said Nigel Mitchell, BSC, MSC, RD and nutritionist for multiple pro and British national sports teams.
Mitchell then goes on to say, “This is great news, especially for active adults and athletes who would want a complete protein that’s portable and doesn’t require cooking. As such, roasted pistachios usefully contribute to the varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle that is so important for good health.” In Europe, pistachios meet the threshold for a source of protein.
American Pistachios in football
FIFA Nutrition for Football Highlights: The Importance of Protein: The FIFA guide recognizes the importance of protein, and suggests an intake of 1.2-1.6g/kg per day. Jesse requires approximately 110g of protein each day.
Pistachios are lower in fat than other nuts, which means they tend to be higher in protein than other nuts. The normal suggested serving of American pistachios is 1 oz (28g which is about 48 nuts). This is an ideal snack and makes a significant contribution to Jesse’s overall protein intake.
‘Crunch time,’ using American pistachios as a healthy snack, can provide a more nutritious snack for athletes, which is higher in micronutrients such as thiamine, vitamin B6, copper and potassium, and they are lower in sugar and salt. Snacking on American pistachios may help people avoid sugar and chocolate cravings. A growing worldwide trend is the desire to consume more plant-based sources of protein.
For optimal health, it is important that players consume healthy fats, and even though pistachios have one of the lowest fat content of tree nuts, the fats they contain are considered as “healthy” fats. This has been recognized and certified by the American Heart Association.
Not only do pistachios provide the protein and energy for sustained exercise, they are packed with micronutrients, such as zinc and selenium. Pistachios’ distinctive green and purple pigments provide the phytonutrients, which are the antioxidants, xanthophylls, and tocopherols. The FIFA nutrition guide promotes the regular consumption of foods rich in such nutrients to help support the player’s health and recovery. “When you look at all of the evidence, it is of little wonder that a player such as Jesse chooses to include pistachios as part of his healthy performance nutrition plan,” says Mitchell.
Jesse Lingard’s profile on the pitch it is the same when he’s off of it. Adored by fans around the world, he has created some iconic goal celebrations, and he embraces social media, giving fans a true insight into how he lives. During a recent digital interview the United Academy graduate was seen snacking on American Pistachio's whilst talking about his nutrition during lockdown with Nigel Mitchell and how important they are to his fitness. He also shared about how he was keeping fit during lockdown and how happy he was that football in England had manged to resume after a nationwide lockdown.
