Five Smart Snacks to Enjoy When Working on Your Fitness

By Kait Spong

Whether you’re a highly-trained college athlete or just an average Joe trying to get in shape, both seasoned and beginner athletes must realize the importance of nutrition in their training regimen. When professional trainers are asked whether training or nutrition is more important when it comes to fitness, most tend to respond without much hesitation that nutrition should be the primary concern. Let’s face it: you’ll never get the results you’re after without the right nutrition.

Beyond your normal meal planning routine, active gym goers also want to pay special attention to what they are putting into their bodies both before and after their workout. Even when you’re not working out, your body is building muscle, and the right snacks can provide you with the fuel you need to burn fat and recover that very muscle.

If your workout lasts longer than one hour, consider eating a snack 45-60 minutes prior to your workout. Refueling your body post-workout is just as important, and if you have an especially intense training session, the window for glycogen replenishment is the first 30 to 60 minutes after your workout. Whether you decide on snacking beforehand or afterward, these listed foods are great staples to begin your recovery before you’re on to the next session and allow you to skip out on the chalky protein bar!

Avocado

The Perks: I love avocado. You love avocado. He/she loves avocado. I scream, you scream, we all scream for avocado… anyway, you get the picture. Avocado is typically hailed as the ultimate post-workout snack because nutritionists view it as ideal for “recovery.” In addition to being a healthy fat (yes, those do exist), avocado is also helpful in absorbing vitamins A and E, and its chock-full of B vitamins that allow your body to metabolize all the healthy carbs and proteins you’ve been including in your diet. Basically, the monounsaturated fat is perfect for muscle repair and gives your metabolism the jump-start you want!

How to Prepare: Mash and serve on whole wheat toast; Chop and enjoy over egg whites; Blend into a delicious smoothie

Green Tea

The Perks: Green tea is just an all-around good guy, and you definitely want to have him in your corner after you kick butt in your workout routine—or have your butt kicked. Green tea contains antioxidants that help metabolize fat while reducing muscle inflammation and soreness. Studies have shown that green tea benefits you even outside of the weight room: epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which is one of its primary compounds has been shown to treat diseases all over the spectrum from cancer to heart disease.

Brands We Love: Harney & Sons, TEAVANA, Tazo

Eggs

The Perks: Eggs are a wonder food. People tend to love them or hate them with very little wiggle room in between, but the fact remains that eggs set the gold standard for diet food. Even though eggs aren’t calorie heavy, they contain nine essential amino acids –the building blocks of protein—that help reduce muscle damage in the body. Everyone knows that egg whites are healthy, but if you’re looking for an additional nutritional boost then don’t discard the yolk, which accounts for half the protein as well as the vitamin D and the omega-3 fatty acids. And the best thing about eggs? There’s so many ways to prepare them that we could do a whole blog series on recipes alone!

How to Prepare: Scramble and serve loaded with your favorite veggies; Fry and create an egg in the basket with some whole wheat bread; Boil and include in a sandwich or salad

Greek Yogurt

The Perks: Like so many of the other foods we’ve featured on this, Greek yogurt is loaded with protein that rebuilds your glycogen stores and provides aid to the small muscle tears you’ve accumulated during your training regimen. Greek yogurt can be found in so many different varieties that it may seem a little overwhelming, but the main thing to avoid is any unnecessary sugars. Keep an eye out for brands that fall between the range of 11 to 20 grams per serving. It’s also important to make sure that the grams of sugar included do not overpower the protein in the recipe!

How to Prepare: Serve plain in a bowl with your favorite seasonal fruit or honey; Create the ultimate yogurt parfait with plenty of berries and crunchy granola; Blend in a fresh smoothie

Low-Fat Chocolate Milk  

The Perks: Remember the delicious chocolate milk you would gulp down in your favorite local donut shop with your mom and dad by your side? Not only does chocolate provide a fair amount of nostalgia, but believe it or not, it’s a great option for recovering post-workout. In addition to the protein and carbohydrates you so desperately need after exercise, “researchers found that chocolate milk restores muscle glycogen and rehydrated the body just as well as Gatorade…it packs a gold mine of calcium, healthy fats, and whey protein.” So, guess who gets a special, chocolatey treat even on their diet? That’s right—it’s you!

Brands We Love: Silk, Fairlife, Organic Valley

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