Now, the jury is still deliberating over whether eating pre or post workout is the best, but my experience as a personal trainer has shown that morning workouts with a post-workout meal are the best for both weight management and muscle gain. Everyone is different, so there is always some required fine tuning, but a good rule of thumb is a meal of protein and carbohydrates within a window of 15-30 minutes, post activity. The obvious exception to this would be if your workout includes cycling, running, or some other form of moderate to intense cardio--in these cases, you would want to eat 30-45 minutes before the workout begins composed of easily digestible carbohydrates and a small amount of protein.
That being said, what can you make that will be substantial enough to get you into your day without having to fret over prep time? For mornings that I cannot cook, I fall back on peanut butter sandwiches (two tablespoons has about 7 grams of protein). Sliced turkey would be another good staple to keep around for quick sandwiches, also.
When you CAN cook. . .
In Cooking for Adventurers, I went on and on about the wonders of the common egg. Eggs can be as complex or as simple as you want to make them, and can be prepared in as little as a couple of minutes. One of my favorite post workout meals is a bit of a fridge cleaner, as I tend to use leftovers for an extra protein punch.
Cluster Scramble--
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 smallish onion, chopped
2 oz. chopped mushrooms
1-2 eggs, beaten
Pepper, basil, cayenne to taste
A sandwich-sized portion of whatever leftover protein you have in the fridge.
A sandwich-sized portion of whatever leftover protein you have in the fridge.
Dice or shred whichever protein you selected (it could be steak, turkey, even fried bologna or spam, if that's all you have). Heat the olive oil until it begins to shimmer, then saute the onions and mushrooms, stirring constantly until the onions start to become tender. Add the meat, stirring until it has warmed thoroughly, then pour the well-beaten eggs over the top of all of it, seasoning as you see fit. Remember to pull your eggs across the pan, rather than trying to flip them; this gives them a fluffy appearance, plus it helps get them thoroughly cooked in a timely manner.
Another way to sneak protein into your post-workout morning is in pancake form. Some recipes are rather involved, but if you take a page from every backpacker's guidebook, you'll see that many of the dry ingredients can be pre-mixed for quick execution. These are a couple of recipe variations that I've used frequently. The first is a bit more traditional pancake, while the second utilizes some special ingredients that not everyone has lying around.
Banana Nutbutter Flapjacks--
Mix (this can be done ahead of time):
1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
2 Tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 Tsp. salt
Mix:
1 1/4 cups milk
1 mashed banana
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 Tbsp. canola oil
Dash cinnamon
Begin heating your griddle as you prepare to mix together the ingredients from both sets above. Whisk everything together thoroughly, then pour out about a quarter-cup of batter per pancake. Cook until the edges start to dry and air bubbles form on top. This will take anywhere from 2-4 minutes, depending on the griddle you're using. Flip and keep cooking until both sides are golden brown. Each pancake comes out to be just under 5 grams of protein.
"I'm Not Messing Around" Protein Pancakes--
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup egg whites (or two more eggs--we'll talk about this in a little bit).
4 Tsp. baking powder
1 Cup oats
1 Mashed banana
2 Tbsp. flax meal
1-2 scoops protein powder
1 Tsp. vanilla
Begin heating the griddle as you blend all of the ingredients together. Cook in the same manner as you would any other pancakes, keeping in mind that these have a much different consistency as a regular flapjack. Note that each pancake comes out to around 5 grams of protein before considering the protein powder. Every powder is different, so results may vary!
A note on egg whites--The easiest way to get your half cup of egg whites is to use a pasteurized egg white substitute. An egg white is about two tablespoons, which means you would need four eggs to get enough egg white for this recipe. A whole egg is the equivalent of 2 egg whites, so adding two more eggs to the mix (4 eggs total) would work, though it may make for a thicker batter.
Quick substitutes abound, though you should be wary. A banana and plain yogurt is a good combination, but most flavored yogurts (in the cute, little single-serving cups) are very high in sugar. In a coming entry, we'll cover making our own energy bars, and talk a little about some workouts that can be fit into the week's adventures with little effort. Until then, stay active, stay creative, and don't forget your morning coffee. . .
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| I have no idea who made this meme, but they know me quite well. . . |
