RECOVERING AFTER SPORT: PURÉE COMES IN HANDY!

Mashed potatoes are your friend. Didn't you know that? During a stage race or an intense session followed by a trip where you need to recover quickly, purée will be your health ally of choice. Or even when you don't really feel like cooking after a long training session. It's great for making a great recovery meal, whatever the circumstances. Ultra-practical, it allows you to replenish your glycogen stores quickly and well,’ explains Benoît Nave, Baouw nutritionist. Potatoes have a very high glycaemic index, especially when cooked as a puree.

‘Note that this is one of the rare occasions when I'll be advising you to go for a food with a high GI. But in this particular case, you need to replenish your stocks, which is really the objective. The alkaline potato is easy to prepare in this way, making it an indispensable companion. It's a must-have in any sportsman's cupboard’.​

Easy recipes from Yoann Conte, Baouw's 2 Michelin-starred chef

• Your savoury version of mashed potatoes

- Organic mashed potato in sachets

- Vegetable milk, such as almond milk

- A small head of garlic ​

- Quality olive oil, such as that produced by our artisanal oil house, Chris and Olive, super rich in antioxidants

- Salt and pepper  

• Your own exotic version of mashed potatoes

- Organic mashed potatoes in sachets

- Coconut milk

- Curry powder or turmeric

- Quality olive oil ​

- Salt and pepper

•   Your sweet and comforting version of mashed potatoes

- Organic mashed potato in sachets

- Coconut milk

- A little cooked banana and a little applesauce

- A spice such as cardamom (you can add more to taste)

- A dash of quality olive oil

BAOUW NUTRITIONIST BENOÎT NAVE'S OPINION ON POST-SPORT RECOVERY

‘It's extra, in terms of food combinations: alkalinising, rich in minerals, antioxidant, in short, a meal that's got it all! Another piece of advice, by the way, concerning food combinations: avoid at all costs eating red meat at the same time as potatoes (otherwise, you're guaranteed to get a huge spike in insulin secretion and therefore a reactional hypoglycaemia! So, I'm sorry, but we're going easy on shepherd's pie or other deep-fried burgers, ‘which should be avoided at all costs because of this unfortunate combination’ warns our nutritionist, ‘otherwise you're guaranteed to feel a bit bamboozled in the afternoon and put on weight. It's also a vector for inflammation. If you're prone to diabetes, watch out, it's a real disaster! Good to know!

Red meat + Potatoes = NO! (Or not very often, let's say).

Recovery after exercise: the extra tip

Ideal dietary protocol: just after exercise, a Baouw protein bar with 23% vegetable pumpkin seed protein to boost your recovery. Then, in the hour (hour and a half) that follows, your mash. Then, for dessert, you can enjoy another Baouw bar of your choice. ‘These sequenced intakes will ensure ideal assimilation to optimally recharge the glycogen needed to renew the effort,’ explains Ben.