THE last food you expect a rugby player to be reaching for after a heavy training session is salad. But rugby international, Jason White, insists bagged salad is the one staple you'll always find in his fridge.

At 6ft 5in and burning an average of 5,000 calories a day, you'd expect that the 29-year-old could eat more or less anything he likes. Of course he needs to make sure that he eats enough calories to give him the energy to perform his best on the pitch. However, Jason says, for him, his diet is an equally important part of his training as the four hours exercise he does six days a week and, as such, he is very particular about the food he eats.

"I'm really careful about what I eat," he says. "I'm in the gym everyday and I train really hard, but being in good physical shape is also very much about what you eat.

"To be in top physical condition diet is very important. It's vital that you give your muscles the correct fuel.

"It's not just something I have to think about before a big tournament it has become a way of life. I eat healthily pretty much all year round. I maybe have a little bit more of a relaxed attitude when it's holiday time in the summer, but generally, playing for Sale Sharks is so intense the whole year round that I need to be spot on with my diet."

To play rugby requires size and strength as well as speed and agility.

At Sale Sharks there is a nutrition coach to advise players on how to maintain their energy and fitness levels with a diet that focuses on nutrient-dense sources of carbohydrate, including moderate amounts of lean protein with smaller amounts of fat and refined carbohydrates.

Alcohol, high-fat foods and refined carbohydrates, such as sugary snacks should be kept to a minimum.

After a hard training session or a match it can be easy to fall into the trap of reaching for a high fat or high sugar fast food, which is why Jason has some simple quick recipes he can follow to make sure he gets his sustenance promptly while keeping it nutritious at the same time.

"After a game it's important to get your food in quickly and you don't always have time to spend preparing a big meal," he explains. "Salad bags are really easy, they're really healthy and you can add some chicken so that you're getting lots of nutrients very quickly.

"As a professional player the time factor is a big thing. Bagged salads are an absolute staple in my fridge. They're really handy when I'm too tired to prepare anything, without sacrificing on nutrition or taste. The mix of leaves give me a good balance of vitamins and minerals which help to keep my muscles running smoothly and their near total absence of fat means I can get the most out of my training sessions.

"Normally I grab some salad and throw in whatever I fancy - so, pasta or new potatoes for healthy carbs, tuna to boost protein or lean steak if I want something a bit more substantial."

Peppers and tomatoes are also great additions because, like salad, they contain potassium needed for normal muscle function and vitamin C which helps maintain cartilage.

"I normally eat a lot of small meals to keep my energy high throughout the day," he adds. "I also take protein shakes because I'm burning a lot of calories and it is a good way of replacing them because sometimes it's easier to drink things than it is to eat.

"The night before a match I normally make a huge salad, which even my wife enjoys, with chicken and pasta as it contains slow-release carbs, high quality protein, vitamins and minerals which keep me in peak form."

Eating an array of colourful antioxidant-rich vegetables is essential for sportsmen and choosing foods like ready prepared salads, which are healthy as well as convenient; helps take the hassle out of eating well. Leafy greens such as spinach, rocket and watercress provide magnesium which helps the body to use the energy in food. Along with lettuce they pack in key vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, vitamins A and K, and folate.

All salad leaves are great providers of antioxidants which help maintain muscle health and keep the immune system strong by defending the body from cell-damaging free radicals which are increased during exercise.