Chef and avid runner Dan Churchill explains his favorite sources of electrolytes, carbs, and protein as he prepares to run the 2022 NYC Marathon representing City Harvest, the nonprofit that rescues would-be food waste and uses it to help feed the hungry. He also shares his tips on how to reduce food waste at home and for anyone who hopes to run the marathon one day.

The Superfoods Chef Dan Churchill Eats to Prep for the NYC Marathon

now. The new york city marathon is this sunday november the sixth. So exciting. Chef dan Churchill is actually gonna be running this weekend and we have him here with us and talk sam thanks for waking up early with pleasure. Now as an experience running, you're preparing for this marathon getting ready. How do you know when you're actually ready? Cause I ran a half marathon once, thought I was ready and almost died? Oh man. Well, first I'm gonna get you guys doing it one day. I think it's one of those things where you just know like honestly a marathon, something is definitely a feat to do. But when you're running for a really good cause that motivates you. I mean, being someone who's competitive myself, like the city's great. I'm gonna have to do it one day and then you just get, this becomes a bug. The thing I love about the new york city Marathon, besides the fact that I've never run in is all this lab spotting that you see big names, Ashton kutcher's gonna be there. Ellie kemper is gonna be there. Are you looking forward to any good celebs Spottings while you're there, you're running If Ashton's there, I'm gonna try and high five them on the way one day. I'm hoping Ryan Reynolds does it. That's just a personal favorite. But yeah, it's always good to see people a lot of times confuse you with Ashton kutcher. Yeah, I've got that honestly. It's yeah, I feel sorry for him and running. I know a lot of people get thursday they get hungry while they're running, especially when they're running 26.2 miles. So what are some of the things you use to fuel up while you're on these roads? Yeah, definitely electrolytes gotta keep up to date with that. I'm having really simple carbs, things to break down like an english muffin, A PB and J on that as well. But like you're taking gels on the run itself, but leading up, just make sure you have a really good dialing program. So how do you get enough of those things? You know, proteins, electrolytes? Because like Are you just guzzling gatorade all day? Like how do you get enough? So this whole week, you've actually loading up on carbohydrates, you're getting a lot of electrolytes in like 1500 sodium count a day. And then during the actual race itself, you're doing small things like gels and electrolytes itself. So it's actually training to actually learn how to eat for the run itself other than just the training and you're a chef. So, you know all about that. You mentioned running for a good cause you got to talk about the cause you're running for, you're the team captain for city harvest. Talk to us about that in the importance of the organization and how much food you guys provide? Yes. So City Harvest is the awesome organization. I've run for for many years now. We've got 100 runners on the team and we do two things with the funds. We raise. its 21 feed people in need one in five new Yorkers don't know where their next meal is coming from. And then also eliminates food waste. We rescue food because 40% of food still goes to waste. So we target two things there which are pretty close to my heart as a chef. And let's talk The sustainability aspect here because 40% of food waste is just insane as a chef, I'm sure it drives you insane. The amount of food, it's so frustrating. You look like an onion and you think of 40% onions as alone is still going to waste. So you know, everyone has the ability to control that whether it be at home as a chef, there's little things you can do and I think more more these days we look at the climate and everything, we definitely should be taking responsibility. Yeah. I'm always telling my kids you better eat all that food. because I, I eat like half of my apple and he says the same thing to read. I'm like baker eat the rest of the throw it in the trash can this morning and I heard it was loud. I was like, he didn't eat at all. So what can we all do to help not waste food and help city harvest. Yeah. So number one thing is if you are, you know, obviously things like cutting up all the ingredient itself. So like not just taking off the top of strawberry and removing that, still bit of read other things are just actually understanding where you can compost. So putting like, you know, compost section, your freezer, adding the food that you are going to throw away. So you're going to the rest of the apple may be put in that and then when you do go for a walk with your dog or go to the subway, make sure you're dropping off that compost in the compost section around new york city. Yeah, very good point. Let's talk about the marathon once again, I know a lot of people like Shannon wants to run something like this for those that are thinking about it, just thinking about it. What sort of the best way to sort of prepare yourself for it. I definitely think just going for a run itself, we, we've had so many runners over the years have never run more than three miles or two miles and the first thing I do is literally just go for a run and start to build up your understanding of, you know what it takes for your body to actually move at that capacity. But honestly, one of the things I always tell people is go watch the new york city marathon if you're in new york city, go watch it because once you're there you're gonna have one foam. Oh, like it's ridiculous how much fun you have. It is one of the best days of your life and when you're doing it with a team with a community, it honestly is the most rewarding thing to have. Like it is honestly one of the best days of your life. So just start up, go for a small run and start to do it up from there. There you go. That's one way to look at it. How about you? Just run for us and everyone can donate to City Harvest, like that amazing organization you actually should anyway. Big thanks to Chef Dan Churchill for joining us and of course watch him run the new york city Marathon this weekend in support of City Harvest and follow him at dan underscore Churchill for more great recipes as well, dan, thank you so very much.