PB Banana Pre-Workout Shake

A question I get all the time- "what's the best thing to eat before a workout?"  There is no simple response to this- the "best" meal/snack depends on how much time remains before the workout, the type of workout, the person's personal preferences and what foods your stomach can handle before activity. 

In general, the closer to the workout you are, the lighter you want to go as far as your meal or snack.  If you are within 60-90 minutes, a liquid can be much easier to digest, decreasing the risk for GI upset at you get through your workout. 

If you are doing a cardio-based workout, you most definitely want to include adequate carbohydrate to top off your muscle glycogen (you wouldn't try to drive across the state on just fumes right?!)  Including a bit of lean protein supports maintenance/building of lean body mass.  Lastly, go low on the fat- fat slows gastric emptying, i.e. fat will keep the food in your stomach longer, increasing the chance for a "heavy" or full feeling during your activity. 

Since it had been quite a few hours since my last meal, I whipped up a quick shake to drink about an hour before my run this afternoon.  I used a powdered (defatted) peanut butter to still attain that wonderful peanut flavor, but without the filling fat.  A little cocoa powder and dash of cinnamon add a powerful antioxidant boost, plus some yummy flavor!

The lower fat content, and the liquid meal itself, kept me from feeling full during my run, and the extra boost of nutrition primed my legs to keep on moving :)

 

PB Banana Pre-Workout Shake

1 ripe banana
1/4 cup plain, fat free greek yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup water
2 Tb PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
1 Tb cocoa powder
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Blend all ingredients in a smoother- add ice to reach desired consistency. Enjoy!

Nutrition information: 220 calories, 4gm fat, 217mg sodium, 39gm carbohydrate, 8gm fiber, 18gm sugar (natural), 14gm protein

Ginger Spice Blueberry Proatmeal

With plenty of hot weather in the forecast, the cooler breeze this morning was a great reason to take my favorite (and most adorable) running Buddy out for a jog!

While Buddy was content with his Blue Buffalo after the run, I chose to re-fuel and repair with an ideal combination of protein and carbohydrate.  Oatmeal is a great source of heart-healthy soluble fiber, which makes it always a good choices for a healthy start to the day. 

I boosted the nutrition even more in this oatmeal by adding lean protein from egg whites, healthy omega 3 fats and fiber from flaxseed, tummy-soothing benefits of ginger (great for post-run), bone-strengthening calcium from the almond milk and antioxidant rich (and delicious!) fresh summer blueberries... yum!  A ripe banana adds natural sweetness, so we can avoid adding in additional sweetener.

 

I made more than needed for one serving- now I have a quick grab-n-go, healthy breakfast ready to go for the rest of the week!

Ginger Spice Blueberry Proatmeal
Serves 4 (about 1 cup each)

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice!)
1 cup water
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup crystalized ginger, minced
1/2 cup egg whites
1 pint blueberries

1. Combine oats, almond milk, water, banana, flaxseed and ginger in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  When mixture starts rolling into a slow boil, turn heat down to medium-low and cook until thickened, stirring frequently.
2. Turn heat to low and add egg whites- stir vigorously to disperse egg whites without having a scrambled egg effect.  Fold in blueberries and remove from heat. 

Homemade Trail Mix

Wow, it's been a while! Sorry guys, life got a little hectic and there wasn't much time for blogging. You'd think I would have blogged during the snow storm but I was too sick to even think about it. So, here's a long overdo post!

I make this trail mix just about every week on Sunday. I vary the fruit and nuts used but the basic recipe stays the same. It's been nice to have something sweet/salty all week long when I need a quick snack. I prefer this to other store bought trail mixes that are loaded with sugar and canola oil. Even the "all natural" or "organic" trail mixes have a ton of extra sugar. When I educate clients on label reading, we always cover ingredient lists. Try not to fall under the "it's organic, so it must be good" frame of mind.

This trail mix takes a total of 15-20 minutes of work! It's really easy and delicious. Here's what you'll need.

Trail Mix:

-2 c. almonds (raw)
-1 c. macadamia nuts (dry roasted with sea salt)
-1 c. pecan halves (raw)
-1/2 c. shredded coconut (unsweetened)
-1 egg white
-1 T honey
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. dried orange peel
-1/4 tsp. ground ginger
-dash nutmeg
-1 1/2 c. raisins (unsweetened)
-1/2 c. goji berries (unsweetened)
-12 slices dried mango diced (unsweetened)

*Feel free to use other nuts (cashews, pistachios, etc.) or fruit (dried banana chips, blueberries, etc.) I change it up each week myself!

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F, line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with coconut spray.
Step 2: Mix all the nuts together and add wet ingredients to a bowl. Toss until well combined.

Step 3: Pour onto baking sheet and cook for 5-8 minutes (until fragrant and browning), toss halfway through and repeat on the other side.

Step 4: Add all dried fruit and mix.

Step 4: Eat!

Pineapple Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast

This meal is a lot less time intensive then it looks. You will cook everything in the oven together so once you've got your prep work knocked out you're pretty much done. The sweet and salty combo from the pineapple and bacon makes for a great meal. You could also try to substitute for figs or mandarine oranges. 

Pineapple Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

-8 chicken breasts, sliced in half
-16 chunks of fresh pineapple
-8 slices of bacon (or turkey bacon)
-salt/pepper to taste
-1 T coconut oil (for greasing pan)
-1 bunch asparagus
-1 green pepper sliced





Step 1: Preheat oven and spread coconut oil onto baking dish.
Step 2: Clean all chicken breasts and slice in half.
Step 3: Place 2 slices of pineapple into each. chicken breast and wrap a slice of bacon around.












Step 3: Dice asparagus and green peppers. Place on top of chicken breasts.
Step 4: Place in oven and bake for ~30 minutes or until cooked through.

Sweet Potato Wedges

-3 large sweet potatoes, diced into wedges
-1 T coconut oil 
-2 T seasoned salt


Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie tray with aluminum foil and spray with coconut oil.
Step 2: Dice sweet potatoes and place in bowl with coconut oil and seasoned salt. Lightly toss.
Step 3: Lay wedges onto cookie sheet and place in oven to cook for ~45 minutes (flip half way through) or until cooked through and crisp on outside.

Paleo(ish) Protein Breakfast Bars

Looking for a minimally processed meal replacement bar? Look no further! This would be great for breakfast, if you have early mornings like me, or a meal replacement later in the day.

These bars are super simple to make. They are pretty much a high protein Larabar. They would also be great post workout if you need a meal on-the-go. I made my first batch last week (the chocolate one) and didn't snap a pic or jot down the recipe. Honestly, I wasn't sure how they'd turn out. Thankfully, they were a big hit! I tried a new flavor combo this week and decided I'd post both. The pictures are of the cinnamon raisin flavor. Feel free to get creative and try your own mix (different nuts or fruit).


Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Bars

1 package baking dates (13 oz)
2.5 cup walnuts
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
3 scoops vanilla whey (grass fed)
1/2 c. raisins
1-2 T water

Chocolate Protein Variation

1 package baking dates
2.5 cups almonds
3 scoops chocolate whey (grass fed)
1-2 T water

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined and nuts ground. It should look grainy and crumbly. At this point you should be able to pinch the mixture together to form a ball or bar. If you cannot, or the mixture is too dry add small amounts of water, 1 tsp at a time. Place parchment paper or plastic wrap in a 9x9 baking dish and press mixture down.