You may be investing time and energy in an exercise regiment right now but if you're not eating the right foods you could unwittingly sabotage your efforts. We're not just talking about avoiding junk food and eating "healthy" but rather fueling your body with the right combinations of complex carbohydrates and lean protein before and after your workout. So if you want to get the most out of your routine then be sure to include these foods.
Sweet Potatoes - Roasted, baked, mashed or boiled. However you prefer them, they're a great source of energy and a delicious addition to eggs, salads, in soups or enjoy oven-baked 'fries' or stuffed like in the Picadillo recipe below.
Yogurt - Plain high protein yogurt is loaded with calcium for strong bones. Combining it with fresh fruit and ground flax packs it full of additional nutrients for muscle recovery.
Milk - Milk also contains an excellent combination of protein and carbohydrates and the whey protein in milk also aids in rebuilding muscles.
Bananas - Banana will give you a tasty dose of Vitamin B for energy and potassium for your muscles. Eat them in oatmeal or alone with a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter or almond butter for protein.
Fish - Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids and have high anti-inflammatory properties to help with recovery after exercises.
Try this recipe for a satisfying nutrient dense post workout meal.
Turkey-Mango Picadillo Stuffed Sweet Potato
1 pound ground turkey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 cup salsa
1 large mango, cubed
4 sweet potatoes, baked and kept warm.
Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook turkey until browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes; drain off any fat. Stir in scallions, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, oregano and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Stir in salsa and mango; cover and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.
Remove top third of each potato. Scoop out the potato leaving a 1/4" shell. Dice the potato that you removed into small bite sized-pieces and gently stir into the turkey-mango mixture then fill the potato shells and serve.
Enjoy any leftover turkey mixture on it's own for a snack or a light meal paired with a green salad.
Serves 4
Recipe inspired by Weight Watchers Turkey Mango Picadillo.
Remember to "Eat Well, Live Fit and Have Fun!"