Workouts: What do I eat?

Protein? Carbs? A little bit of both?

Many people struggle deciding what they should eat before and after a workout. So you can stop guessing and finally feel confident about your pre/post workout meal, I’ve broken it down for you. Here are some tips and tricks on what to eat before and after to get the most of your workout!

What to eat BEFORE a workout:

Aim for a mix of complex carbs (whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, etc.) and protein. In general, try to eat between 1-2 hours of your workout.  If you need a quick boost of energy right before your workout, try eating healthy sugars like a few pieces of dried fruit.

Examples:

· Oatmeal with fresh fruit

· Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced banana

· Apple slices with almond or peanut butter

· Cereal with almond or skim milk

What to eat AFTER a workout:

Try and stick with foods that contain a lot of protein.  The protein will help you recover and rebuild your muscles. Be sure to eat something within 2 hours of your workout, but the sooner the better! 

   

Examples:

· Grilled chicken with veggies

· Veggie omelet with avocado

· Greek yogurt with almond slices

· Carrots and hummus 

Eat this, not that!

                                      

                                     

                                         Breakfast

Eat This	Not that
2 slices of whole wheat bread with peanut butter	Bagel with  butter/cream cheese
Apple cinnamon oatmeal	Cinnamon bun
Ham, egg and cheese on whole wheat English muffin	Bacon egg and cheese on plain bagel
Strawberry smoothie	Strawberry Pop Tart

                                         Lunch

Eat This	Not that
Avocado	Mayonnaise
Whole wheat bread	White bread
Greek yogurt	Sour cream
Turkey	Ham

                                        Dinner

Eat This	Not that
House salad	Chicken Caesar salad
Sweet potato	Garlic mashed potatoes
Brown rice	White rice
Whole wheat pasta	Regular pasta

                                        Dessert

Eat This	Not that
Frozen yogurt	Ice cream
Frozen grapes	Candy
Dark chocolate	Milk chocolate
Frozen banana slices	Banana cream pie

                                        Snacks

Eat This	Not that
Apple	Apple sauce
Almonds	Pretzels
Carrots with hummus	Tortilla chips and dip
Popcorn	Potato chips

Summer Smoothie

Nothing screams summer like enjoying a tasty, homemade fruit smoothie on a warm summer day. Besides the fact that smoothies are so delicious and filling, they are sure to cool you down in the strong summer heat.

With the help of my magic bullet, I have recently been trying out different fruit and vegetable combinations in attempt to find the best smoothie creation!  So far, one of my top combinations has been a green smoothie!

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 frozen banana
5-6 frozen strawberries
1 cup of almond milk
Handful of spinach
Blender

Here's what you'll do:
Simply throw all the ingredients into a blender (or magic bullet), blend, and enjoy your smoothie as the perfect snack or side to your breakfast!

Homemade Blendicano

Blenda-what?  A blendicano!
I have recently been seeing this drink on Instagram everywhere, marketed as a healthier version of a skinny frappuccino from Starbucks. From what I have seen, to order the blendicano ask for a Venti Iced Americano with 2 pumps of sugar free caramel and 2 pumps of sf vanilla, blended.  Since I haven't had time to go to Starbucks and I was curious as to how this drink tasted, I decided to make my own blendicano at home!  I couldn't believe how good it was and to think it's only 20 calories! Here's how to make your own blendicano at home:

Directions
1. Microwave 1 cup of water for 1 minute
2. Add 2 tsp of instant espresso mix
3. Place about 10 ice cubes, the espresso mixture and 1 tbsp into the magic bullet
4. Blend for about 20-30 seconds
5. Enjoy!!!

Quest Obessed

This weekend I finally went out and bought my first Quest Nutrition bars that I have been hearing so many good things about.  Safe to say, I am obsessed.  These bars contain over 20 grams of protein and are all under 200 calories!  They make the perfect snack and satisfy my sweet tooth.  So far I have tried chocolate brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough, they were both amazing!  I have also heard that Cookies N' Cream and Apple Pie are really good.  On Quest Bar's Instagram, I found that there are tons of delicious recipes you can make with the bars, including: cutting the bars up into pieces and then baking them in the oven for a few minutes to make Quest bar cookies!  This is something I will definitely be trying this week.  Bottom line, I would 100% recommend Quest Bars for anyone looking for a filling tasty snack!

Gym Question Answered!

Should I do cardio or weights first?
This has always been one of my biggest questions when going to the gym.  For some reason, the first thing I want to do when I get to the gym is hop on the treadmill or elliptical and start burning calories, then end with some weights and strength machines.  But after doing a little bit of research, I've learned this is the opposite of what you should be doing!  You should always begin with weights and then end with cardio.  For reasons why, check out this article here!

Chipotle Craving

Chipotle. This fast food Mexican chain is one of my favorites and same for a lot of people. However, some orders at this tasty mexican restaurant can add up to over 1,000 calories! But no need to feel guilty after a Chipotle trip, here are some tips on how to stay healthy and limit your calories when ordering at Chipotle!

6 Ways to Reduce Chipotle Calories

1. Get a burrito bowl instead of a burrito and save 300 calories!

2. Get brown rice instead of white rice.  It will keep you full longer and it's better for you!

3. If you order tacos, go for the hard shells instead of the soft shells and save 45 calories!

4. Do not feel obligated to finish your bowl! Eat half and save the rest for later!

5. Limit the number of chips you eat to around 10.  A whole bag of chips has 570 calories!

6. Get water to drink instead of sugary, high-calorie sodas.

What toppings to get?!

(Source: Fit-Personality)