Everyone goes to the gym for the same exact purpose, getting in shape and hoping to lose some weight. Next time you are heading to the gym, snack on these fantastic and healthy “fitness foods”. Not only will they fill you up for a few hours but some of these foods can help your muscles from suffering injury due to heavy weight lifting, help stop cramping, help you burn more calories and give you more energy for the best workout you can give yourself and your body.
The Carrot
Rumor has it that if you eat enough of these in one day your skin will turn orange. I have yet to find this out but what I did find out is that carrots are packed full of complex carbs that provide energy to your muscles. They are also wonderful because carrots contain potassium which controls your blood pressure and muscle contractions.
** Carrot Zucchini Bars **
Ingredients
2/3 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter at room temp
1 3 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 C. coarsely grated carrot
2/3 C. coarsely grated zucchini excess liquid squeezed out
1/2 C. raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x9x2 " square pan. Beat together first 3 ingredients till fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder, and salt till well blended. Stir in carrot, zucchini, and raisins. Spoon into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Invert and frost with cream cheese frosting.
The Avocado
This delicious green fruit, which basically goes with any recipe is packed full of cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat. This means the avocados keep your body strong and pain-free from certain injuries.
** Pear and Baby Green Salad **
Ingredients
3 Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced
6 C. baby greens
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 C. fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper in a cruet and shake well. Arrange baby greens and pears in a large bowl. Just before serving, pour dressing over greens and toss.
The Banana
Bananas are known to be full of potassium, something everyone needs to have. Bananas are also packed with energizing carbohydrates.
** Banana Soy Smoothie **
Ingredients
1 banana
1/2 C. soy milk (organic and calcium-enriched)
1/2 C. orange juice (calcium-enriched)
Directions
Peel the banana, break it into pieces and put it in the blender with the soy milk and orange juice. Blend until smooth and serve. If you like, use frozen banana chunks or add a couple of ice cubes.
Yield: 1 serving
Berries
All berries have powerful antioxidants, which are good for protecting muscles from free radical damage like exercising. Just remember next time you go shopping for berries, the darker the color, the healthier the fruit.
** Apple Berry Brunch Bake **
Ingredients
Filling:
4 C. peeled, thinly sliced apples (about 4 medium)
2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) or sliced strawberries
1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 C. frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Topping:
1 C. Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 C. firmly packed brown sugar
5 Tbs. margarine or butter, melted
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. For filling, combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix until apples are evenly coated. Spoon into baking dish. For topping, combine all ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over fruit. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm.
Hummus
Most recipes for Hummus call for olive oil, which contains Oleic acid. According to Northwestern University Researchers, this wonderful acid is known as a fat that helps destroy the gene responsible for 20-30 percent of breast cancer. Hummus is known for its complex carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fats. These three elements give us energy during the day.
** Hummus (Garlic) **
Ingredients
2 1/2 C. canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until mixture reaches desired consistency. For a creamier texture add 1/4 C. water. Chill and serve cold with pita or tortilla chips.
Yogurt
Yogurt is good for a lot of things. The best thing is having it for breakfast or as a light snack before you go workout. This energy-boosting treat fills you up for a while and give you the immune-strengthening tools you need to make it through the day.
** Strawberry, Orange, Banana Smoothie **
Ingredients
1 1/2 C. frozen unsweetened whole strawberries
1 banana, peeled and cut up
1/2 C. orange or apple juice
1/2 C. nonfat vanilla or other flavor yogurt (not frozen)
1/2 C. small ice cubes
2 Tbs. protein powder
Directions
In a blender, whirl together all ingredients until smooth and thick. Serve immediately. Makes about 3 C., 2 servings.
Chicken Thighs
Meals with chicken thighs are an excellent source of iron and zinc. Even though many people prefer the white meat over dark, dark meat is lower in fat and has enough iron, zinc and B vitamins for everyone’s diets.
** Sautéed Chicken Thighs **
Ingredients
1 lb. boned, skinned chicken thighs
1 Tbs. minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tsp. dry sage
2-3 tsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sage sprigs (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each piece between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. With a heavy, flat-sided mallet, pound meat firmly but gently all over to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Sprinkle one side of each piece with minced sage, pressing into meat. Heat a wide nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Fill pan with meat, sage sides down, without crowding. Cook until golden on bottom (about 1 1/2 minutes). Turn pieces and cook until no longer pink in center; cut to test (30 seconds to 1 minute). Repeat until all chicken is cooked, adding more oil if needed to prevent sticking. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired, and lemon wedges.
Yield: 4 servings
Eggs
Many people associate eggs with cholesterol. Having too much is obviously not good, but we all need some. Having just one egg a day supplies 215 milligrams of cholesterol, which is just the perfect amount. Plus, a little known fact about egg yolk is that it is an excellent source of iron. It's also loaded with lecithin, which is critical for brain health.
** Baked Eggs with Leeks and Smoked Salmon **
Ingredients
1 dozen large hard cooked eggs, peeled
2 ripe California avocados
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. coarse ground garlic powder
2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots or green onions
2 tsp. capers mashed, optional
Garnish, slivers of red, yellow or green bell pepper
Directions
Slice each egg in half lengthwise removing egg yolks. Use egg yolks in another recipe. Cut avocado in half and remove seed. Peel avocado and cube. In bowl combine avocado, lemon juice and garlic mashing to blend. Stir in shallots or green onions and capers, if desired. Fill each egg white with avocado mixture. Garnish with bell pepper. Serve. Serves: 24.
Salmon
Salmon is great for the heart and also contains Omega-3 fatty acids which might help lesson abdominal fat.
** Salmon In A Snap**
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 1-inch-thick salmon fillets (about 1 lb.)
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning or 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 medium orange, halved and very thinly sliced
2 C. small broccoli florets
1 C. reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 C. water
1 tsp. bottled minced roasted garlic or minced garlic
1 C. couscous
Directions
Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Season salmon fillets with lemon-pepper seasoning. Arrange fillets in prepared pan. Drizzle with the soy sauce. Top with orange slices. Bake, covered, in a 450 degree F oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish just flakes easily when tested with a fork. Meanwhile, in a 2- qt. saucepan bring broccoli, chicken broth, water, and garlic just to boiling. Cook, covered, about 3 minutes or until broccoli is barely crisp-tender. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Serve fish over hot cooked couscous and broccoli. Yield: 4 servings
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
This is something great to snack on before you go workout. Cottage Cheese is very important because it heals the microscopic muscles that can tear during exercise.
** Zucchini, Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna **
Ingredients
1 1/2 C. reduced-sodium, low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
1/2 C. grated reduced-sodium Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 can (16 oz.) zucchini with tomato sauce
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (7x3 1/2-inches) or 6 no-boil lasagna sheets (8x8-inches)
8 oz. shredded reduced-sodium mozzarella cheese
1 3/4 C. bottled marinara sauce
1 can (13 1/2 oz.) no-salt-added whole leaf spinach, drained
2 cans (4 oz. each) sliced mushrooms, drained
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, mix together cottage cheese, Parmesan, egg and nutmeg. Into an 8x8x2-inch square baking dish, drain liquid from zucchini. Spread evenly over bottom of dish. Place 2 small lasagna pieces or 1 sheet in bottom of dish. Spread with zucchini one-quarter of the mozzarella and 1/4 C. of the marinara sauce. Repeat the noodle layer a second time. Spread evenly with 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and then 1/4 C. of the marinara sauce. Repeat the noodle layer a third time. Spread evenly with the spinach, then 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/4 C. of the marinara sauce. Repeat a fourth layer of noodles. Cover with the remaining half of the cottage cheese mixture and 1/4 C. of marinara sauce. Top with a fifth layer of noodle. Cover with mushrooms, 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/4 C. of marinara sauce. Top with a sixth layer of noodle. Top with remaining marinara sauce and remaining mozzarella. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until filling is bubbly and noodles are tender, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Servings: 8
Adding these ingredients into your meals and snacks before you workout will make a tremendous difference when it comes to energy and weight loss. For more healthy recipes that will get feeling good and looking good please check out Recipe4Living.com under the Healthy Category.
Focus on fruits and veggies – The high water and fiber content in many fruits and vegetables make them ideal for healthy snacking and incorporation into meals. Add veggies to your favorite main courses (made from lean meats and whole grains) to make your dish “go” further. In addition, vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help your overall health and vitality.