Tag Archives: snacks

Pre-Workout Snacks

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Going to the gym and working out consistently can be very beneficial to our health, but many people struggle with motivation. Everybody who works out has their own reason for doing so, and have their own fitness goals. Whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, diet is an essential part of any workout routine. Eating certain types of foods before a workout will help you get the most out of your body and maximize results to help you achieve your goals sooner. Here are some snack ideas and general tips to help fuel your workout.

 

1. Peanut Butter Sandwich

Many people tend to stay away from peanut butter as much as they can because it is dense in calories and carbs. Although this is true, carbs are actually good, making a peanut butter sandwich on wholegrain bread a great go-to snack before a workout. Before any type of moderate to intense training, carbs are essential. When eaten, carbs are quickly broken down into glucose, which gives us energy and allows our bodies to function at full potential. A lack of carbs during your workout can cause you to feel weak, tired, and jittery. The carbs found in the bread and peanut butter are a strong source of energy to help you through a run or lift. If you are not into peanut butter, fruit, oatmeal, and toast are wholesome alternatives.

 

 

 

2. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is filled with protein, which is essential before and after exercise. If you are into weight training, in particular, this is great before a lift. When we lift weights, small tears are being created in our muscle fibers. A substantial source of protein before a lift helps the muscles heal and grow back stronger. When choosing your Greek yogurt, plain is best because it has significantly less sugar than most brands of flavored Greek yogurt. To help cover up the awful taste of plain yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, or any other fruit is great on top. Some other easy sources of protein before a workout are nuts, eggs, and milk.

 

 

 

3. Water/Gatorade

It is extremely important to make sure you are hydrated before physical activity. Drinking as much water as possible throughout the day will help improve performance. According to Active.com, the average person loses about 37 ounces of water through sweat throughout an hour of moderate exercise. Dehydration leads to weakness, headaches, and muscle pain. Sometimes I like to mix in a Gatorade right before I workout for some added electrolytes and energy. Electrolytes are important for regulating heartbeat and allowing muscles to move properly.

 

 

 

Much like eating breakfast before school, eating the right types of foods before a workout can be extremely beneficial. Everybody is different and has different goals that they are trying to achieve. These guidelines and suggestions are general, and can be tweaked to personal preferences. Pre-workout nutrition is all about finding what your body responds to best. If you feel that something gives you more energy and helps you perform better, go for it! Everyone’s body is different and responds differently to various foods.

The Right Way to Snack

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While it’s ideal to only eat the standard three meals a day, for most college students that just isn’t realistic. Whether it’s a late night full of studying or an all-day Netflix marathon, snacks are a must. In between meals, it is too easy to find yourself reaching for a bag of greasy potato chips or a tub of Ben and Jerry’s. These processed treats taste delicious, but so many alternative snack options exist that aren’t loaded with sugar and unnecessary calories. Finding healthy snacks options keeps off that dreaded freshman fifteen and still satisfies your cravings.
Salty Snacks
When I looked at the snacks I eat on a regular basis, I realized I could replace these snacks with healthy, tastier options. For example, when you feel like eating handfuls of those greasy potato chips, choose to make your own. With a few simple ingredients, you can indulge in real potatoes sliced, salted, and cooked to a crisp in a microwave. To find out more on how to make them yourself, check out “The Dreaded Freshman Fifteen.” Another yummy snack for your salty snack craving are kale chips. All the latest diets have incorporated this leafy green that is full of nutrients. Just drizzle the kale leaves in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven for 10-15 min. You can always add salt and vinegar or grated parmesan cheese for a savorier chip. Only a few short steps to make a crunchy, nutritious snack!
Mini-Meals
Sometimes if you feel really hungry or just bored, you may want a snack with a little more substance to fill you up. Resist reaching for the Bagel Bites, Hot Pockets, or even calling Dominos because you can make something even better. On www.Pintrest.com , I found a recipe for a single serving pizza that will do the job. This homemade pizza’s costs less and makes for a healthier snack – what’s not to love? This recipe calls for an English muffin, tomato sauce, cheese and any topping you like. Just warm in the microwave, and you’ll have a mini pizza with warm melted cheese that’ll be sure to satiate your hunger.
Sweet Tooth Satisfiers
If you are like me, sweet tooth cravings occur regularly. Instead of eating candy bars or ordering Insomnia every night, try Nutella energy bites. These only take five ingredients: oats, shredded coconut, chia seeds, honey, and Nutella. Mix them all up in a bowl and then roll into one inch balls. Their benefits include easy preparation and no baking time. A fruity snack to munch on are frozen banana poppers. Slice up a banana, dip into Greek yogurt or melted chocolate, freeze, and enjoy. Freezing them makes them take on an ice cream effect that is addicting to eat. What a great way to snack without consuming excessive amounts of processed sugar.
As you can see, alternatives exist for almost all of your favorite daily snacks. With just a little effort to stock up on the necessary ingredients, you find yourself snacking the right way in no time. If you have any suggestions for snack recipes you love, please share below in the comments!

Kale Chips
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Wash and dry the kale leaves by pressing them between paper towels
• Rip off the thick stems
• Using your hands, rip up the kale into smaller pieces if necessary
• Toss kale leaves with olive oil in a bowl
• Spread the leaves on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Bake for 12-15 min or until the edges of the kale curl up and turn brown
• Let cool and enjoy!

Frozen Banana Poppers
• Scoop any flavor of greek yogurt or melted bakers chocolate in a bowl
• Slice bananas up
• Dip banana slices in yogurt/chocolate
• Place coated banana slices on plate/wax paper and freeze for an hour roughly

Midnight Munchies

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As you leave high school, everyone tells you how prepared you will be for college. I guess either everyone was a liar or my high school did an awful job of preparing me, though. In high school, students typically get home by 5, finish their homework by 10, and go to bed by 11. In college, students are not even home from their obligations by 10 on most nights. The homework starts at 11 and the bed time comes at some point in the wee hours of the morning. Besides the obvious sleep deprivation, students face another issue: late-night snacking.

I fell into the category of people that had a few misconceptions of “the freshman fifteen” coming into college. I assumed it was the result of unhealthy eating and a lack of exercise. After the first week of college, I found myself completely wrong on that assumption. Us students walk many miles a day between classes, sorority and fraternity obligations, dorm rooms, and other events. On top of that, we do not have time to just sit around and snack all afternoon. So how do us students gain the fifteen pounds if most of us are doing more exercise and eating less throughout the day than they did in high school?

Whether it occurs while cramming for a big test or binge watching the newest Netflix series, every college student faces the late night munchies. That is where everyone falls victims of gaining the freshman fifteen. Eating a bag of Cheeto puffs on  Sunday night, a bag of Hersey kisses on Monday night, two Insomnia cookies on Tuesday night, a big bowl of cereal on Wednesday night, and some Cookout french fries on Thursday night sadly does notjust cancel out the four miles that were walked throughout the day.

Staying up late might be unavoidable (toan extent). Getting the midnight food cravings might be unstoppable. One thing we can control, though, is what we eat at these points in the night. Against our better judgement, the food choice is usually something totally unhealthy and unsatisfying over a long period of time.

At this point in the night, we need energy to sustain us for the night, so a protein packed snack is ideal. Protein provides nutritional value and keeps you full for a long period of time, which will help eliminate the extra munching. Something sweet and salty, yet healthy and filling is often hard to come by in a college town full of unhealthy food choices. Think of all the possibilities in the store right down the road though. Go to Publix, get some tasty ingredients, and get to making your own delicious snacks. The possibilities are never-ending: trail mixes, smoothies, fruit and nuts, fruit sandwiches, sandwich rollups, and my personal favorite, protein energy bites.

Protein energy bites are nothing fancy. They contain simple, common ingredients that can be switched up to create a personalized snack. The healthy protein-packed ingredients like peanut butter and granola are valuable at this time of the night. The cranberries and chocolate help out the sweet tooth. Make this sweet and salty snack, keep them in the front of the fridge to enjoy, and keep off that freshman fifteen (or stop gaining if you have already reached the fifteen)!

 

 

Protein Energy Bites Recipe:

  • Peanut butter
  • Peanuts
  • Granola
  • Mini chocolate chips
  • Dried and chopped cranberries
  1. Slightly melt the peanut butter in the microwave.
  2. Combine desired amount of all ingredients into several balls.
  3. Refrigerate.
  4. Enjoy whenever!

* ingredients and amounts can vary depending on what is desired

 

 

The Dreaded “Freshmen Fifteen”

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Renowned Chef Julia Child once said, “If you are afraid of butter, use cream.” As college students, we could all probably do with a little less of both butter and cream. We often eat too much of what we shouldn’t, like greasy chips and dip, and not enough of what we should, like fresh fruits and vegetables. Treating yourself to Chick-fil-A after a particularly difficult day isn’t horrible, but not a great idea to indulge in all the time. Planning out a well-balanced, healthy meal is not always a feasible option for the average student due to time and money constraints. With these insider tips, we can keep the freshmen fifteen away and eat healthier in general.

 

  1. Compile a list of healthy snacks

Around halfway through last semester I was growing tired of the bland dining hall food: subpar pizza, frozen hamburger patties, burnt French fries. This is when I started looking for some cost-effective ways to add flavor during my meal time. Pinterest is always a great place to start gathering ideas, and that led me to the website The Daily Meal. From there I compiled my list of healthy snacking essentials that do not break the bank: blue corn chips, granola, Greek yogurt, almond butter, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. I am not saying to never indulge in your favorite candy, but if you can’t tell the difference between hunger and boredom, go for the granola instead.

 

  1. Adapt your favorite snacks into healthier versions

My favorite pro tip for eating healthy is the adaption of classical snacks you love into a healthier version. Inspiration Kitchen is a great website for recipes on your favorite foods with a slightly more nutritious twist. I found one for homemade potato chips that can be made in the microwave and only require potatoes, olive oil, and salt. This recipe is a much better idea for a late-night snack than the highly-processed chips out of a bag. If you are on the hungrier side and want a quick, easy mini-meal go grab some whole wheat pita bread, pre-grilled chicken, lettuce, and make your own chicken wrap.

 

  1. Watch serving size and daily value percentage

If you are looking to be more conscientious with what is already in your cabinets, there are a couple things to keep in mind. Watch what is considered a serving size for each particular food item you are eating because ignoring that information is an easy way to ingest a lot of calories. Also, watch if the foods you are eating fulfill your Daily Value requirements set by the FDA.

 

  1. Drink enough water, get enough sleep, cut out unnecessary sugar

A final tip to keep away unwanted weight, make sure you are drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Water reduces bloating, increases energy levels, and makes your body feel full. Swapping water for soda also helps keep off weight because you aren’t consuming sugar. This is personally difficult for me because I love the carbonation of soda, but not the dehydrated feeling I get after drinking it. I have used seltzer water as a substitute because it has the carbonation without the extra sugar. Getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night puts you in the habit of not needing a mid-afternoon nap, which inevitably leaves you grabbing a soda or coffee to wake back up. Then the whole cycle of sleep is broken where you are staying up later but getting up at the same time, needing more caffeine and eventually crashing.

 

 

Now that you have more information on how to eat healthier, you can create an environment for a healthier lifestyle. If you have more suggestions or snack ideas, please comment below!

 

Easy Microwave Potato Chips

1 bag fingerling potatoes

Olive oil

Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Wash and thinly slice fingerling potatoes
  2. Cover a microwave-safe plate with parchment paper. Brush olive oil on parchment paper (do NOT toss potato chips with olive oil!). Place potatoes in a single layer on the plate, being sure their edges do not touch (otherwise, they will stick together!). Sprinkle with sea salt.
  3. Place in microwave and heat on high for 2 and ½ to 3 minutes. Watch them closely to be sure they do not get to brown.
  4. Remove from microwave and serve! Repeat process until all potatoes are crispy and crunchy!