“I just love food!” said 10-year LPGA tour veteran Lindy Duncan. When she was younger, she could eat whatever she wanted and always felt reasonably good out on tour. However, at 33 years old, she has found that a healthy diet now makes a huge difference in how she feels and performs. “Not a lot of things are in our control, but being mindful about what I eat to make myself feel better is in my control. It is exciting, and I love talking about it.” Since focusing on a healthy diet, Duncan feels healthier, is more energetic, and sleeps better. She said, “the changes I made have led to a positive mental cycle because I have lots of energy so I can work hard and then I feel good doing something I enjoy. My mental clarity is better, too. I feel calmer and more focused than before.”
One of the first things she does when she arrives at a tournament is rent a car and go to the grocery store. Duncan likes to cook for herself during a tournament, so she’ll stay in an Air BNB or hotel with a kitchen. She buys what looks good to her and that will last a few days before she needs to shop again. Typical items she purchases for the week are meat, eggs, yogurt, blueberries, avocados, salad kits, spinach, zucchini, and asparagus. Simple meals that are easy to prepare with minimal clean-up are her go-to’s. She loves beef and doesn’t eat a lot of high carbohydrate foods. She has found that this is what she feels best eating and it has helped improve her blood glucose levels. A typical dinner will be steak, broccoli, and salad or ground beef with a big salad. While she enjoys cooking, she also looks forward to eating out with friends a couple of times during a tournament week.
“Eating on the road can be challenging, and I can get really hungry at times. Everything looks good and it is easy to overeat, so I always keep snacks on hand that contain good ingredients. I am cautious about what is in our food, and I try to stay away from processed foods,” remarked Duncan. Her favorite snacks are Chomps beef sticks, beef jerky, carrots, yogurt, berries and an occasional RX Bar. Her electrolyte of choice is LMNT. Duncan said, “I still love the taste of processed snack foods, but my tolerance for eating them is lower. I usually feel a crash after my glucose comes down after eating processed foods, so I feel sluggish and hungry.” Below is a typical day of eating and playing in the life of Lindy.
Lindy Duncan’s Schedule: Pro-Am Day at the Dana Open
6:30 AM: Wake up
Breakfast: Two over easy eggs, ½ avocado, cheese
8:50 AM: Pro-Am Tee Time (9 holes)
On course snacks: Beef jerky stick and water
1:00 PM: Back to her Air BNB
Lunch: Salad with avocado, burger patty with cheese, yogurt, frozen blueberries
Rest: Put her feet up and watched Simone Biles Rising, the documentary of Simone Biles on Netflix
3:00 – 5:30 PM: Back to the course for practice, putting and hitting
6:30 PM: Texas Roadhouse dinner with a friend
Dinner: Steak, broccoli, side salad
9:00 – 10:00 PM: Reading and bed (Lindy is currently reading Golf Beneath the Surface: The New Science of Golf Psychology by Raymond Prior)
It’s really great hearing and watching how LPGA pros and their routine, we can definitely learn from their experiences. Thanks for sharing.