For the athlete, this area provides amazing snacks and recovery items. Most of the foods and drinks in this area have tons of protein and vitamins and minerals. You will find great sources of calcium, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin C, selenium, riboflavin, etc. Milk, I call this the athlete's beverage, is by far the best thing to have in the fridge. It's got milk sugars for energy, protein to recover and build muscle, and tons of added bonuses like calcium, vitamin D, and lactoglobulins (milk proteins) that boost immune function. On top of that, the proteins found in milk (whey protein, see my other post) are most readily absorbed by your muscles to recover and repair even faster than other proteins. Wow, we have a winner.
Other great ideas coming from the dairy depot is cheese, yogurt, eggs, and orange juice (not dairy, but in the section). Cheese is basically concentrated milk. Some cheeses are pretty high in fat so watch out, but if you are getting hungry on the road, I say grab some cheese sticks and munch: high protein and calcium. Yogurt is great for the upset stomach due to the active cultures (otherwise known as happy bacteria that loves helping your gut work), plus it usually comes in convenient little serving sizes. Win-win. Eggs I've already talked about before, I love em. Just check out my other post. And finally orange juice. If you have lactose intolerance, orange juice can be a great replacement. Go for the ones fortified with calcium and vitamin D. You won't get as much protein from it, but still have the same effect at replenishing electrolytes. For all of these items, try your best to go unprocessed as possible, this makes everything in the food more easily digested.
Stock that cart!
- Eggs or egg substitute
- Low fat milk, chocolate milk, soy milk, etc.
- 100% OJ with added calcium/vit D
- Mozzarella cheese sticks
- Cheddar slices, shredded low fat cheese, cottage cheese, other real cheeses
- Single serve yogurt, larger quantity for smoothies if you are able to make them
On a final note! Cramming tons and tons of dairy into every meal can upset the stomach due to lactose overload. Keep it simple. For example: to absorb the same amount of calcium in milk, you need to eat 3 cups of broccoli or 8 cups of pinto beans, or 6 cups sesame seeds, aaaaand you get the idea. Dairy products work great in their small portions. Using too much can also lead to high amounts of saturated fats, which is why I opted for the low fat cheeses and milks. Just watch what you are eating! But you already do that right? Why else would you be reading my blog? :)
Next week we resume with dried foods! Might be a long one.
No comments:
Post a Comment