Clean Eats: Best Post-Workout Snacks

We’ve collected 10 of the best post-workout snacks that trainers and registered dietitians love!

1. Handful of nuts – “I love a handful of nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, or peanuts—they offer fiber, protein, healthy fats, and slow-burning carbs which is the perfect post-workout formula.” – Sharon Palmer, R.D.N., The Plant-Powered Dietitian, author of Plant-Powered for Life
2. Greek yogurt – “I love this snack because it’s nutrient-dense and has just the right amount of digestible protein to help restore and repair your muscles right after a workout.” – Amy Dixon, a celebrity trainer in Los Angeles and star of the Breathless Body DVD series
3. Beets – “After yoga, pilates, or bar, I like to eat beets—I add them to salads, sandwiches, or even put them on top of avocado toast. Beets are a great source of natural electrolytes, which can help to replete those that I’ve lost through sweating. The nitrates in beets also work to widen blood vessels and improve blood flow to your muscles, which may help to prevent soreness and fatigue.” – Ilana Muhlstein, R.D.
4. Sweet potatoes – “I like sweet potatoes as a post-workout snack because they are packed with vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins B6, C, D, iron, magnesium, and potassium.” – Andrew Leonard, a certified trainer and expert for inerTRAIN, an online personal training service
5. Chocolate milk – “One thing that people don’t realize when they take protein supplements, is that your body can only use about 20 to 30 grams of protein at a time. Any extra protein will be broken down to use as energy or stored as fat. That’s why I love chocolate milk post-workout. Milk has 8 grams of protein per cup and 22 grams of carbohydrates, which is everything I need after a challenging class.” – Rebecca Clyde, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.
6. Protein popcorn – “My favorite post-workout snack is a small bag of low-fat or fat-free popcorn with one scoop of chocolate whey protein powder (sprinkle it in after it comes out of the microwave and shake a few times). Popcorn is one of the best whole-grain sources to replenish glycogen storage after working out, while the whey protein powder nourishes the muscles and assists with recovery. This snack fits the bill for both an endurance and a resistance type of workout.” – Marta Montenegro, an exercise physiologist and creator of the Montenegro Method DVD series
7. Smoothies – “Smoothies made with Greek yogurt or milk and fruit are a great option post-workout, because they contain that combination of protein and carbohydrates. Dairy-based options are particularly advantageous because they are rich in a protein called leucine, which appears to kick-off the muscle-building process after a workout.” – Edwina Clark, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., and head of nutrition and wellness at Yummly
8.  Sunbutter and dates – “Dates are high in potassium, which is great to help revitalize post-workout and also helps to flush out any excess salt and water weight. You get the protein from the Sunbutter (which is made with sunflower seeds instead of nuts so it’s perfect for people with allergies), and it’s addicting-ly delicious!” – Laurel House, a certified personal trainer and author of QuickieChick’s Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion, and Finance—on a Less-Than-Fabulous Budget
9. Sabra’s single-serve hummus – “I do a lot of Pilates, and some of these classes are pretty cardio-heavy. I love Sabra’s single-serve hummus because the 2-ounce pack is so portable. I’ll have one of these with a small whole-wheat pita after my workout. The protein from the hummus and carbs from the pita help my muscles recover, and the fiber helps keep me fueled post-workout.” – Amy Gorin, M.S., R.D.N., owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition
10. Apple with almond butter – “I like to bite into something crunchy, and combining it with a little sweetness and texture gives me a filling snack and builds up my energy and muscles.” – Tamilee Webb fitness expert and star of the Classic Buns of Steelcollection

Try one of these after your next barre class! Snacks sourced from SELF and SHAPE Magazine.

Cheers, Michelle

Fit Fuel – The Power of Protein

Protein is found throughout the human body—in muscles, bones, skin, hair and nails. It makes up the enzymes that power many internal chemical reactions as well as the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in our blood. Found in a wide range of foods like lean meats, eggs and legumes, proteins help to rebuild and restore the body by building bone and supporting muscle tissue.

Proteins are made up of organic compounds called amino acids. The body doesn’t store amino acids like it does with carbohydrates and fats. In fact, the body is unable to produce some amino acids, called essential amino acids, on its own. Thus, we need to constantly replenish (eat) protein each day to make new proteins.

There are two types of proteins needed to maintain proper body function, “complete proteins” and “incomplete proteins.” Complete proteins contain 9 essential amino acids your body needs to build new proteins. Protein sources that lack one or more of the essential amino acids are called incomplete proteins. Animal sources of protein tend to be complete while fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts are incomplete proteins.

Protein-rich diets are promoted by nutritionists (as opposed to diets rich in fast-burning carbohydrates) to keep you full and healthy. There are at least 10,000 proteins at work in your body that constantly need to be replenished to maintain proper body function. Here are a few of my go-to foods that are delicious and rich in protein:

• Milk – I throw these milk boxes in my gym bag to drink if I’m not going straight home after a workout.
• Nut butters – Great on apples, celery or whole-grain bread.
• Eggs – Hard boiled, scrambled or over easy on top of avocado toast.
• Yogurt – My mom adds shaved almonds, chia seeds and honey to plain yogurt. It’s delicious and the honey naturally sweetens the yogurt.
• Lean meats—Chicken, turkey and lean beef.
• Beans – Chick peas and black beans are two of my favorites.
• Michelle’s amazing no-bake energy balls!

Until next time, happy eating 🙂

Xo Marissa

Why Health & Wellness Guru Dr. Sara Gottfried Gives Barre an A+

This Technique Tuesday I’m letting a doctor explain why barre workouts are good for your body and booty! Dr. Sara Gottfried is a well known health and wellness blogger, Harvard-trained MD with 20+ years of experience, and author of the New York Times bestselling books, The Hormone Cure and The Hormone Reset Diet. She recently decided to give grades to different forms of exercise for women to explain if and why she thinks they are good for women’s bodies and which personality types different exercises are best suited for. She started her series with barre and gave it a raving A+ (as a new barre-believer herself)!

I love this article because it explains everything I try to convey to newbies during their first class: barre is a low impact workout anyone can take at their own pace, but you will feel the burn; it takes a few classes to figure it out and not feel awkward; when barre exercises are done properly – and consistently – they create long, lean muscles and a dancer’s toned figure!

If you are interested in trying your first class, unsure if you want to come back for class two, or a regular looking to scientifically back up why you love class so much to your friends and family, check out her article: Dr. Sara Grades Different Forms of Exercise for Women: Barre Fitness Gets an “A+”.

Here are some of my favorite points in the piece:

• This total body workout focuses on simultaneously lengthening and strengthening muscles, while providing a high intensity (but low impact) workout has served many of my fitness needs to strengthen (without bulking), build cardiovascular endurance, improve posture and lose weight.
• While there have been several variations on the theme the general idea is the same; that is to draw on the knowledge of physical therapists and the modalities of dance to lengthen and strengthen muscles in a low impact manner that maximizes muscle endurance and strength while minimizing injury.
• Barre fitness is my star student and gets 100 out of 100 on my grading scale. And it’s not just the outward appearance (can you say body-by-barre?) that puts barre fitness heads above the rest (although better posture-which makes you taller-is definitely a benefit), it’s actually good for you too! (And she goes on to explain why…)
• Many newbies who first begin barre fitness are surprised (and often alarmed) to find their legs shaking uncontrollably as they perform their fiftieth plié. While potentially embarrassing, there is a very good explanation for why your legs tremble so ferociously and moreover, it’s a good thing.
• With time and practice (yes, that means more barre, more often), your body adapts to the challenges. Your muscles fibers become larger and stronger, and your nervous system more efficient. You will begin to notice less burning and trembling and will instead power through with no problems, and need a further challenge to reach the state of fatigue. So the next time you find yourself in a barre fitness class barely able to stand, remember that this too shall pass, and you soon become one of those laughing, joyous barre-lievers who are trembling for more.
  • This is so key! If you come to class once a week getting over this hump will take longer. Increase the numbers of classes a week to 3+ and you’ll start getting over the shaking and seeing the difference in your leg muscles – during the exercise and in short shorts!
• Perhaps best of all, barre is suitable for all personality types. This is the closest to “one size fits all” as far as I’m concerned. For the bendy yoga types, barre fitness offers lengthening and stability, for the power lifter types, barre fitness offers strengthening and for those Type A’s that never feel satisfied unless they are crawling out the door at the end of a workout, barre fitness offers high intensity too with its hoards of bending, plié-ing, bouncing and pulsing.

Whether you are a barre-believer or a babe to barre, my message is the same: barre fitness is one of the best ways to get yourself that lean, toned body wile minimizing your risk of injury.

Keep this article in mind next time I say “chair pose” and feel confident making barre workouts your new fitness routine!