Refuel & Recover – Easy Protein Snacks for Athletes

Yup, I’m a serious snacker. But, I try my best to stay away from the sugary, salty, highly-processed stuff. Instead, I recover from my workouts, give myself an afternoon energy boost, and treat my late-night sweet tooth with small, protein-rich meals. Compared to carb-only snacks, higher protein options offer longer-lasting energy, regulate blood sugar and moderate hunger. Protein snacks are also super important for athletes; a 4:1 to 3:1 ratio carbohydrate-to-protein snack is what most experts recommend consuming within a 30 minute window of intense exercise. That’s because the amino acids in protein help to rebuild damaged muscle tissue while encouraging the hormone activity needed to stimulate muscle growth. Aim for about 20 grams of protein at a time (or a little more depending on your size); anymore at one sitting and your body can’t really process it all.Jennifer Fisher thefitfork AFMI explain all this in more detail and share five portable protein-packed snacks in the March 2014 Issue of Austin Fit Magazine — pick it up on stands here in Austin or read it online.  As a preview, I’ll share one of these pumped-up protein snack that your mouth and your muscles will love.

greek yogurt with hemp and raspberries

Hemp Heart & Berry Greek Yogurt

This is a go-to snack for me, there is absolutely no cooking – just a little stirring! Take a 6-ounce cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt and stir in ¼ up of your favorite berries like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of raw shelled hemp seeds on top for a nutty, crunch protein bonus. If you’ve never munched on hemp seeds, you should start now. Hemp seeds lend a nutty flavor and robust texture to foods and provide a plant-based, complete chain of amino acids. Each single serving of this yummy yogurt snack has 184 calories and 23 grams of protein.

Check out my other healthy snack recipes at AustinFitMagazine.com

  • Garlicky Chili Chickpeas
  • Chocolate Almond Java Truffles
  • Blueberry Flax Microwave Mug Muffin
  • Lucky Lime Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

So, seriously, I need a lot of protein to pull off stunts like this at my age. Every Thursday, my friends and I think of a new challenge for our weekly “fit, fearless and forty-something” photo.

yoga pyramid

What protein snacks have you munched on this week? What have you done this week to get outside your comfort zone (and yet still have fun) this week?

SuperFoodie: Southwestern Sweet Potato Chickpea Soup Recipe

Sweet potatoes. It’s hard to believe that I strongly disliked them until just a few years ago. I thank some overly sweet marshmallow sweet potato casseroles for the aversion and an amazing array of more savory dishes for my newfound love. In fact, I adore sweet potatoes so much today that they are my go-to carb source for pre-marathon race fuel. Plus, my recipe for Spicy Beef and Sweet Potato Samosas almost won me a million dollars in the Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Oh, some other potato appetizer won, but that’s okay — I still stand by the funky orange tuber!

sweet-potatoes (1)

Not native to America, the sweet potato was brought over by Columbus from the West Indies. Thriving in many parts of the country, folks during the Revolutionary War relied on this early “superfood” as a primary source of nourishment. One physician during the era anointed the tuberous root as an “indispensable vegetable” and I couldn’t agree more. The sweet potato is loaded with calcium, potassium and vitamins A and C. The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates sweet potatoes as the number one most nutritious vegetable on the planet because they such are so nutritionally rich. Sweet potatoes rate low on the glycemic index which keeps blood sugar levels from spiking. Sweet potatoes have a glycemic load of just 17 while a regular white potato comes in at 29. Finally, a carbohydrate you can feel great about eating!

Since I was planning soup as our main dish for dinner, I wanted to add something to maximize the protein – chickpeas seemed an innocuous ingredient choice that would pump up the overall protein by 6 grams per serving (for a total of about 18 grams per serving) without altering the taste.  Knowing my family likes slightly spicy, southwestern flavors, I also added just enough Ancho chile powder to take down the sweet a notch without making it “hot.”  Soup’s on — hope you enjoy!

ancho sweet potato chickpea soup

 

spicy sweet potato and chick pea soupUpdate March 2017: This soup was featured in Taste of Home’s Healthy Cooking Annual Recipes cookbook.

 

 

 

 

 

Southwestern Sweet Potato Chickpea Soup Recipe

  •  1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise (about medium)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground Ancho Chile pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable stock (eg: homemade, canned or reconstituted)
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 green onions, bubs and greens sliced

Place potatoes, cut sides down, in an 11 x 7-inch microwave-safe baking dish. Add 1/4 cup water; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cool slightly; discard potato skins.
Heat stock pot over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 1 minute or until translucent. Stir in cumin and Ancho powder. Scoop sweet potatoes out of skin and add to pot along with stock and chickpeas.

Place half of sweet potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters); blend until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining mixture. Stir in salt.
If serving as an entrée, divide soup evenly among 4 bowls (6 to 8 bowls for soup course); sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over top. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Oh, and if you’re in a breakfast-for-dinner mood don’t miss my “Top of the Morning” Sirloin Sweet Potato Hash, it’s great way to fuel up for the weekend and the leftovers make fast and filling breakfast tacos come Monday.

leftover-beef-sweetpotato-hash

Making Sense of School Lunches Plus Rainbow Veggie Wraps

What’s for lunch, Mom?  Whether I’m making meals at home or packing them for school, this is one of the most pressing questions of the day from my three active boys aged 11, 14 and 16. They’re old enough now to make their own food choices and I am hoping and praying that my role modeling and introduction of healthy options over the years is finally paying off. It’s not realistic to think we’re going to eat clean day in and day out, but keeping the fridge and pantry stocked with nutritious options helps us get closer to that goal.

jennifer fisher litehouse rainbow wrap open

If I’ve prepped an assortment of fresh produce, one of their favorite lunches to make (and eat) are these vibrant Rainbow Veggie Wraps. A whole-grain tortilla and lower-fat cheese serves as the backdrop for a spectrum of colorful vegetables – and, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow wrap is the satisfaction of watching these once-picky veggie protesters elbow each other out of the way for seconds.  The kids like to eat these along with hard-boiled eggs for a protein boost. I might sneak in some Quinoa-Almond-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies for a treat.

smart cookies thefitfork.com

I blogged about this Rainbow Veggie Wrap recipe at the Litehouse Food’s blog, Living Litehouse, in honor of National School Lunch Week.  School lunches are only as healthy as the food actually eaten – meaning, there is absolutely NO nutritional value in healthy food that is placed on a tray or packed in a lunch box if it is thrown away!

photo credit: New York Times

photo credit: New York Times

New government mandates regarding school lunches, albeit well-intentioned, are missing the mark in some cafeterias.  Yes, reducing sodium and fats while increasing consumption of whole grains, fruits and veggies is a good thing. But, if it is presented in a way that is unappealing to a kid or caters to more mature taste buds, it’s just not going to be touched with a 10-foot pole. And, that’s a scary fact considering these same mandates also place limits on the maximum allowable calories in school lunches – elementary (650 calories), middle (700) and high school (850). I’m not sure how my still growing, over 6-foot tall, 16 year old son who runs cross country in the morning would make it through class dismissal at 4pm without major stomach grumblings.  I hope he’s not throwing any of his lunch away. Does one size meal really fit all? Do I really have to send him with additional money to hit the snack bar . . . . for junk that’s allowable because it’s not tallied into the federal reimbursement record?  Sometimes all he wants is just an extra carton of milk.

But, definitely not all school cafeterias are blindly and blandly following the new federal mandates.  Thanks to a new friend at School Meals That Rock, my eyes have been opened to districts that are very progressive when it comes to feeding our kids. From organic gardens that bear the proverbial fruit in many ways (hands-on learning, active engagement with the meal being served, and the obvious healthy fuel) to farm-to-fork initiatives and practical “build your own” salad bars, there are plenty of good things happening in school nutrition.

I'd totally eat this hummus grab-and-go salad!

I’d totally eat this hummus grab-and-go salad!

Obviously, school nutrition is a complicated issue and there is no one perfect solution. However, it certainly deserves my attention considering that approximately one in three American kids or teens is overweight or obese (nearly triple the rate in 1963) and increasing numbers of children are relying on free or reduced priced meals for their main sustenance of the day. As a mother, who is blessed with the resources to do so, I’m going to keep on stocking up with healthy foods for packing lunches from home, keep my kids involved in and educated about what goes into their lunches so there’s a higher chance that they’ll actually eat it. And, when it’s Taco Day or Pizza Day (on a whole grain crust, natch) at school, I’ll let them partake should they choose. My district is doing a pretty good job, but I’d be happy to share my ideas – nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

Don’t forget to visit Living Litehouse for the Rainbow Veggie Wrap Recipe!

living litehouse button

Figs, Not Just for the Birds! Fresh Figs with Balsamic Fig Jam Recipe

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - fresh figs with balsamic fig jam

Years ago, I remember taking care of my Aunt’s house in Houston while they were away on vacation. “You’re welcome to pick the figs as they ripen, but you’ll have to hurry to beat the greedy birds,” she said before leaving.  Having never eaten homegrown figs (a Fig Newton was about the closest I had come), I wasn’t too excited about the invitation to develop my latent “gatherer” gene. But, a few days later when out watering the plants, I saw the fig tree bursting with fruit just crying to be picked.  I sampled a fig straight off the branch and, oh my goodness, I jogged back to the house to get a basket for the harvest. Apparently, my jog should have been a mad dash, because when I returned, a flock of birds had swarmed the tree and were gorging on the spoils.

From that day forward, I have had a new appreciation (make that obsession) with this delicate, delicious fruit. I’m only sad that I don’t have my Aunt’s green thumb nor live near the Gulf Coast where they seem to grow so happily. Summer is really the season for figs, but I am ready now. You can purchase figs in grocery markets with fancier produce departments nearly anytime of the year, although they aren’t as good as homegrown. Common varieties you’ll find in the supermarket are Turkish figs, Mission figs and Calimyrna figs.

My Fresh Figs with Balsamic Fig Preserves recipe makes a uniquely nutritious and utterly delicious dessert that doesn’t wreck a day of clean eating with lots of sugar, fat and bad gunk. Did you know figs offer the most calcium of any fruit?  I was excited to find out that just three figs provide 25-percent of the daily recommended allowance for fiber. The great thing about fruit fiber, besides being filling, is that studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women.  A source of many essential vitamins and minerals, figs are especially rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K and B vitamins. Also, when choosing your figs, the ripest fruits yield the most antioxidant health benefits.

Fresh Figs with Balsamic Fig Jam Recipe

  • 2 cups quartered fresh figs (stems removed)
  • 1 cup all-natural honey
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt
  • 2 dozen fresh figs (halved into 48 pieces)

To make jam, add the quartered figs, honey and water to a large pot. Simmer over low heat until the figs break down and the liquid is reduced by one third. Remove from burner and let mixture cool for 30 minutes. Puree fig mixture in food processor, add balsamic and season with the sea salt to suit your personal taste.

Gently wash and dry remaining 2 dozen figs and then slice in half lengthwise for a total of 48 pieces.

Serve jam with fresh figs as a dessert or over a salad of baby greens. Leftover jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Serves 8 (6 fig halves per serving)