This Roasted Cauliflower Salad is nutritious and filling! It works great as a light lunch or dinner. You get a healthy serving of spinach (one of our favorite superfoods) while the lentil sneaks in some protein and added flavor. Added with fruit for a higher energy (workout) day and you are rolling along. Lean Endurance program tips;
High in fiber to help your body work to burn more calories
Filling, to keep you sustained longer.
Healthy, loaded with fruits and veggies.
May not be the best choice however before a workout of any intensive nature.
If you’re in the habit of grabbing a hot egg sandwich on your way to work, this breakfast burrito byis for you. Make these burritos in advance, then wrap them up and freeze. When you wake up in the morning, simply pop one in the toaster oven to heat while you’re getting ready, then take it with you on the go - genius! Lean Endurance take;
Warm breakfast meals help to satiate as does protein.
This is a great way to fill up for the day and no “break the bank”.
A mix of fiber and protein to keep you full.
Sweet potatoes - the suer food of being regularly active!
Butter does provide a great taste to many of the foods we eat, however it is loaded with saturated fat and extra calories. There are many other alternatives to topping off your foods such as olive oil or other low calorie savory spreads. Lean endurance pro tip;
Consume butter in limited amounts.
Watch that the total fat content for the day does not go above 50%. In most cases we try to limit active people or athletes to no more than 35% per day.
Not all butters are created equal; organic butters with low saturated fat are ideal.
Coconut water, clear liquid found inside the fruit contains none of the fat found in coconut milk and has a tangy, light almond flavor. Learn more why this is a Lean endurance favorite recovery drink;
Eleven ounces contains 14g of sugar and 670 milligrams of potassium, which is way more than a sports drink!
Potassium works closely with sodium to maintain water balance and helps trigger muscles to contract and relax optimally.
This saucy and flavorful dish is an easy weeknight dinner. Smoky, herbed chicken thighs are smothered in an aromatic tomato sauce. The secret ingredient? Smoke paprika! Serve with a side of roasted veggies or greens for a complete meal! Why its a lean endurance favorite?
For a higher day of training, you will need an added boost of carbohydrates. These slow burning baby potatoes are just what are called for.
Chicken is a lean protein source which is perfect for recovery and keeping satiated.
Taste; Leaning out does not mean you need to be “devoid of taste!”
Grilled lean chicken is served alongside a portion of brown rice tossed with celery, onion, peas and carrots that’s dressed in a lemon-mustard sauce. It’s a zingy lunch filled with protein and fiber to fuel your active life! Meal benefits for staying lean and healthy include;
Slow burning carbohydrates from brown rice keep you satiated in combination with chicken (high in protein).
Excellent secondary recovery meal or overall satisfying meal that is filling and modest in overall total calories.
Low in sugar and a non processed food.
An all around balanced meal of protein, carbohydrates, veggies and lower in total fat calories.
Sweet and delicious there are many reasons to chose this awesome dried fruit for your post activity workout. To replenish carbohydrates there is no better way than natures candy! Timing benefits post workout include;
They’re packed with slow-burning carbs
They help prevent muscle cramps with loads of potassium.
They can help you recover faster
They’re a natural sweetener
Dates are a great natural sweetener to add to low-sugar smoothies, energy bars, or even to sweeten oatmeal
While breakfast is key to your day as an athlete, cold cereals that are moderate to high in sugar are low in nutrition value. Reasons why you should not eat them for breakfast.
Leaning out is harder to do with high amounts of sugar in the diet.
High sugar cereals will give you great immediate energy and then drop you hard when your blood sugar crashes due to insulin spikes.
They rot your teeth.. yup, cavities and the dentist await.
When is a better time to eat sugary cereals? After a long and long and or hard workout when the body is primed to receive glucose to top off glycogen stores. The insulin response timed then will be at its lowest as you are most sensitive to insulin after a depleting workout. High levels of insulin lead to weight gain and stored fat.
“Tofu and vegetables take a bath in just enough coconut milk to coat them with Thai flavors for an exotic and easy stir-fry. Steamed, diced sweet potatoes stand in for white rice, giving you a fiber-rich, slightly sweet base to soak up the sauce. Enjoy beneficial nutrients like 40% of your daily iron and 11 grams of fiber, while employing a cheap source of protein in tofu.”
Lean endurance benefits;
It is especially important for athletes because exercise produces free radicals and an excess of free radicals can damage cells
When eaten with the skin on, a sweetpotato provides 100% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A, which plays a vital role in vision, bone development and immune function
Complex Carbohydrates – Sweetpotatoes are made up of complex carbs – long chains of sugar molecules (polysaccharides). When eaten, carbohydrates break down into glucose (sugar) – the body’s main energy source.
Research has shown that some of the vitamins and minerals found in sweetpotatoes are especially important in athletes’ diets – these include iron and vitamin C
Diet soda is full of chemicals and not supportive of a nutritious diet. You should limit and or avoid these drinks. Diet soda can also “mask” hunger. If you are hungry.. eat! But eat healthy!
When you are hungry before a workout, when carbs are not called for but you are hungry and need something healthy. (Sparingly with any dips or dressings)
Sugar plays a roll in spiking blood sugar and insulin responses in the body. Sugar should be limited some instances of very high training, minimal “fun factor” I the diet and in emergency situations to rescue blood sugar. All carbohydrates bread down into sugar (they are carbohydrates) to be used for energy. Sugar and glucose are the the most rapid forms of energy that can be readily absorbed by the body for immediate body energy needs.
