Properly balanced eating habits play a big role in the sports performance of athletes and recreational players. In order for athletes and recreationists to meet the energy and nutritional needs for training and recovery, and to prevent the risk of injury, it is necessary to have a proper ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrate intake. In this paper, the most common eating habits of athletes and recreationists are shown, and depending on the type of sport and the level of training load, the differences between them. Guidelines are presented on how to properly introduce certain nutrients into the body. Also, it is shown what macro and micronutrients are and what their role is in the body of athletes and what effects they have on the activity of athletes and recreationists. The paper concluded that most athletes and recreationists know the importance of proper nutrition, but do not consume it to a sufficient extent, therefore it is necessary to develop and practice awareness of proper nutrition on a daily basis, according to which their results will then be better and more successful, and at the same time, their and mental health, which is certainly the most important. At the end of the paper, a conclusion will be presented about the importance of proper eating habits in athletes and recreational people, as well as physical literature that is used during the preparation of this final paper.