Nutrition Tips & Healthy Fall Recipes
Nutrition is a huge part of athletic performance. Similar to physical training, healthy meal preparation takes time and planning. If you are serious about your performance and overall health, you need to make nutrition a high priority. In this article, I will discuss the importance of post-workout food intakes as well as the quality of food an athlete should consume.
My father passed on his passion for both gardening and cooking. Both of these have become hobbies that I enjoy and help me relax after a stressful day at work. Growing up in the 1980’s when all of the processed food was introduced, I was fortunate to have fresh vegetables and fruit from our backyard garden. Our family consumed many processed food items, but our main meals were home cooked and filled with fresh veggies and fruits from the garden.
Over the last twenty-five years, I have enjoyed growing and eating fresh spinach, lettuce, kale, peppers, tomatoes, onions, squash, corn, peapods, green beans, and a variety of berries in my backyard garden. Gardening and cooking takes time and energy. Making home-cooked meals filled with nutrient-rich ingredients has always been a high priority in the Rudd home.
I am not a fan of following any type of diet that restricts me from eating real food. My view is to eat a variety of foods in good proportions that can fuel my body and mind for upcoming adventures. One of the most important lessons I have learned over the years is to consume a healthy protein/carb snack following a hard workout. In my early years as an athlete, I made the mistake of not refueling during and after my workouts and I would end up with headaches and eventually illness.
Timing is everything!
In a recent article on nutrition, PhD Nutritionist and coach Stephanie Howe shares the importance of food intake after workouts. “When we exercise, the muscle contractions stimulate the muscle cells to take up glucose. This is important because glucose is the energy our bodies use to keep working.”
“Immediately post-exercise, and for the next 30 minutes, those glucose receptors stay on the surface of the muscle cells and can take up glucose. Anything you eat within 30 minutes of finishing the activity will go directly to the muscles to kick-start recovery and repair. This time window is important because if you wait for an hour after activity, the muscles receptors are not active anymore and the fuel will go to the entire body, requiring insulin.”
Nutrition Tip number #1: Eat promptly after any workout to recover for your next training session.
Importance of Fuel Type
The importance of post-workout meals is crucial in how we will recover and perform for our next workout. Stephanie Howe recommends eating simple carbohydrates with a little bit of protein (4:1 ratio to be exact). “The carbohydrate is the main source for recovery- it resupplies the muscles with glycogen (glucose) to be used for the next session. Protein helps to repair any muscle damage that occurred during activity”.
I highly recommend reading Dr. Stacy T. Sims’ Next Level book. Stacy provides helpful tips for eating healthy as an active female athlete. If you are not a fan of meats there are plenty of high-protein meatless sources. Stacy T. Sims recommends the following high-protein foods following a workout session: Cauliflower, Broccoli, seeds, spinach, nut butter, oatmeal, eggs, Greek yogurt, and nuts all provide excellent sources of protein.
Some of my favorite post-workout recovery foods include the following:
- Toast with avocado and egg
- Toast with almond/peanut butter and bananas
- Banana almond/peanut butter smoothie
- Yogurt and almond/peanut butter granola
- No-bake energy protein balls
Nutrition Tip #2: Eat good quality protein and carbohydrates following your workout.
Healthy Fall Recipes
When the days get shorter and the temperatures cool, I get excited about cooking my favorite fall entrees. I have never been gifted in the artistic department, but with cooking, I can create some spectacular flavors and beautiful dishes.
Some of my favorite ingredients in the fall season are pumpkin and cranberries! Every year I stop at one of Wisconsin’s Cranberry farms to purchase around 20 pounds of fresh berries to freeze for winter use. Cranberries are rich in polyphenols which provide antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. I throw cranberries into my butternut squash, bread, oatmeal, apple crisp, and wild rice to add a splash of color and tangy berry flavor.
Over the years I have created an online cookbook filled with delicious recipes from family and friends. Below are a few of my favorite fall recovery workout meals and snacks.
Hearty Breakfast Baked Goods
Kim’s Homemade Almond Butter Granola
Dinner Entrees
Curried Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Desserts
Post-Workout Recovery Snacks
Frozen Banana Chocolate Smoothie
Gluten-Free Banana Protein Muffins
I hope these nutrition tips will help fuel your next endurance adventure. Enjoy the beautiful fall colors as you hike, roller ski, mountain bike, and trail run! Don’t forget to take a healthy snack along to refuel yourself for your next workout.
Kim Rudd