Our Fuel Up with Food To Recover Challenge continued this week! Participants learned about pre/during workout fuel, and made homemade workout fuel. The challenge will finish up next week, where we will be discussing post-workout nutrition.
Pre-Workout:
Goals: Avoid Hunger, Delay Fatigue, Minimize GI Distress, and Be Hydrated
Think of Pre-Workout as Topping off the Gas Tank
· A bigger meal is best 3-4 hours before
· If eating 1-2 hours before, have a snack or small meal
· Meal or snack should contain carbohydrates with low(er) fiber, moderate protein, and low fat
Examples:
· Yogurt with granola and fruit
· A slice of toast with peanut butter and banana
· Oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts
· Breakfast sandwich
· Granola bar
Experiment to find what foods work for you!
During Workout:
Goals: Maintain Energy and Maintain Hydration
60 minutes or Less: Water Only (extreme heat or humidity may be exceptions)
Over 60 minutes: Water, Electrolytes, and Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate Needs for Events 2+ hours:
· Your muscles store energy (glycogen) that it uses during workouts
o When you deplete muscle glycogen in endurance events, you become fatigued and may experience “the wall”
o Consuming 30-60g/carbohydrate per hour will help to delay fatigue
§ Average energy gel has 20-25g/carbohydrate and average sports drink has 35g per bottle
§ You can alternate your carbohydrate sources between foods and beverages, but you DO NOT want to consume them at the same time
· If you take in food, always wash it down with water
Examples:
Sports drinks
Energy gels
Energy blocks
Homemade fuel
Recipes for Homemade Fuel:
Energy Squeeze
½ cup mashed sweet potato
1/3 cup dates, finely chopped
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp chia seeds
1/8 tsp sea salt
1. In a small bowl, combine sweet potato, dates, peanut butter, 2 tbsp water, chia seeds, and salt. Stir until well mashed.
2. Divide among 3 snack size resealable bags.
3. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days.
PB&J Rice Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked sticky rice
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup fruit preserves (or your favorite sweetener)
1. Combine rice, water, and a dash of salt in a rice cooker and let cook.
2. When the rice is finished cooking, spread half of it onto a 9 x 12 baking pan, using a spatula to gently press rice into the pan.
3. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the peanut butter over the rice, then place several dollops of preserves evenly atop the peanut butter. (When you add the top layer of rice, the jam will spread).
4. Finish by gently pressing the remaining rice over the top.
Cherry Chocolate Sticky Bite (replace energy blocks)
1 cup uncooked sticky rice (or pasta)
1 ½ cups water
2 tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp cherry preserves
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Fold In:
¼ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Top With:
½ tsp coarse sea salt
1. Cook the rice or pasta and let cool to the touch. (to keep your bites sticky, cook pasta until al dente and don’t add oil after draining the water)
2. In a small food processer, combine the rice or pasta and the sticky and wet ingredients. Pulse until you have a coarse, sticky mixture. Transfer to a medium bowl.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Sprinkle with topping.
4. Press into an airtight container or wrap up in individual shapes.
Lemon Lime Energy Gel
4 dried, pitted dates
½ cup maple syrup or honey
Juice from 1 lemon or lime
1 pinch salt
2 tsp chia seeds
Put all ingredients, except chia seeds, in food processor or blender until smooth. Taste, adjust as necessary, and stir in chia seeds.
Snack of the Week Recipe:
Chocolate Granola
· 3 cups rolled oats
· 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
· 3 Tbsp hemp hearts
· 2 Tbsp chia seeds
· 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
· 1 cup chopped almonds
· 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
· 1/2 cup honey
· 1/4 c coconut oil (measured when solid)
· 1 cup chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
3. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine the honey and coconut oil and microwave 30-45 seconds.
4. Stir in cocoa powder and mix well.
5. Pour over oat mixture and stir until well coated.
6. Pour granola onto lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10.
7. Remove from oven and let cool.
8. Mix in the chocolate chips when almost cool if you want them to melt a bit, or wait until completely cooled before adding them.
Nutrition Tip of the Week: Nuts and seeds are packed with protein, healthy fats, and many important nutrients. Walnuts, flax seed, and hemp seed are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote brain health and can decrease inflammation in the body. They are an easy snack that you can take with you on-the-go too. The granola above is packed with nuts and seeds! You can eat it plain, or put it on top of Greek yogurt for extra protein. Try incorporating more nuts and seeds into your daily routine!
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