Thursday, April 21, 2016

Post Workout Snacks: All About the Protein!

First off, for those of you coming from my girl Carlee's blog, thanks for stopping by! Carlee rocks my socks and I was thrilled to guest post for her! 

Second, I wanted to join a conversation started by Nuts.com about post-workout snacks. I decided that since it wouldn't cost me anything, and would possibly get me more exposure for my blog, to go for it. Plus, this gives me a shot to write about something I never did before! So, here it goes!

We all know that it's important to fuel right before a workout, and even during, if you have a long run or spend a few hours in the gym (like I've been known to do on Saturday mornings). But what about AFTER the work is done? Ice cream? Buffalo wings? NO WAY! Those are simply not the nutrition after a sweat sesh our bodies need. After a workout, you want something with protein and some carbs to refuel. There are lots of tasty and healthy options to refuel and help you feel better! 

Chocolate Milk
This is a fav of mine! Who doesn't like chocolate milk? With an average of 23 grams of carbs and eight grams of protein per eight ounce serving, this is an awesome option to refuel after a workout! I especially like single-serve containers because it takes the guesswork out of it for you. I try to drink organic, but must confess that sometimes, nothing is like Wawa's. Be a kid again. Drink some chocolate milk. =)

Yogurt
No, I am not referring to self-serve fro-yo with all the toppings. I'm talking a cup of yogurt with maybe a little bit of fruit added. My favorites are Stonyfield's varieties (both regular and Greek). I try to eat Greek more often since it tends to be higher in protein than regular, at 12-15 grams for six ounces, but the regular still comes in pretty good at eight grams. 



Peanut Butter
Confession: I love peanut butter. I usually eat it with breakfast in the morning. I go for the real stuff as I am not a huge fan of powdered peanut butter, unless I'm cooking with it as it's easier to handle in recipes. I would rather eat "real" food than powder. However, there are a few tricks to working peanut butter into a successful snack. The first is to limit your serving. It is protein rich at eight grams for two tablespoons, but most have anywhere from 14-18 grams of fat. Second is to look for something as all-natural as possible. It doesn't necessarily have to be organic, but something with as few ingredients as possible. My personal favorite is Crazy Richard's as it's all-natural and has peanuts as the ONLY ingredient.
 


Snack Bars
I try not to eat these too often, as there's something that cancels out something else. Quest Bars are not a fav of mine, since they have sucralose (which I try to stay away from), plus taste blah. I love KIND and Luna Bars, but since the first is high in fat (thanks to the nuts) and the second is sometimes high in sugar. Still, if you need something fast, and a treat, they are pretty good, with about 10 grams of protein a bar!



Nuts
I love grabbing a handful of almonds or pecans as a quick munchie. Like peanut butter, less is more. They do tend to be high in fat, but for a bite on the go, they are good too.

There you go! Some awesome snack options to help you refuel after a workout and ready for the next one sooner! If you're looking for something new to try or that can be delivered directly to your house, Nuts.com has options for just about every dietary need! Check out both the healthy and high protein options for some awesome choices! Enjoy!


What is YOUR favorite post-workout snack?