{Not Fried} Fried Rice
19.5 is finally here! I am feeling extra nerves around this workout because I know how badly it is going to hurt!! With that said, I know my fueling has to be on point! This workout requires a lot of minutes to be worked at a high intensity- which means carbohydrate stores will be a hug factor. Also, this workout requires a lot of mental fight, which means immediate carbohydrates will be crucial. We don’t often think about the fuel our brains need, but trust me, your brain can make you quit a lot sooner than your body quits if it senses it isn’t fueled well.
Today I am fueling with fried rice for lunch. I will also consume an apple and RX Bar prior to the workout, and possibly a Fig Bar right before depending on my energy. All of these are carbohydrates that I know my body likes and utilizes well. As the workout gets closer, my carbohydrate intake switches to quicker carbs (fruit) vs slower carbs (brown rice).
This fried rice recipe is a fun way to get some carbohydrates in! And good luck to everyone competing this week!
{Not Fried} Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
10 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, grated
1 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
1 cup edamame, thawed
4 scallions, sliced
3 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 TBSP Sriracha
2 TBSP sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Ghee/avocado oil
1 1/2 lb shrimp
How to
Place rice in a saucepan with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and cook until water is absorbed.
Add 1 tsp Ghee/avocado oil to a saute pan at medium high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute until browned (4-6 minutes). Turn heat to low. Add carrots, ginger, edamame, and scallions.
Add vegetables to rice.
Whisk eggs together. Heat another saute pan with 1/2 tsp Ghee/avocado oil. Cook eggs without scrambling (like an omelet). Once cooked, let cool and then cut into bite sized chunks. Mix in with rice and vegetables.
Make sauce by combining soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame seeds and sesame oil. Add sauce to rice and mix.
Heat shrimp and serve with rice.
Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins
The 4th week of the CrossFit Open is upon us, and I wanted to find a carb heavy snack to eat before my workout! This one is a real winner!! Here are some highlights:
The sweet potatoes give this muffin carbs, but slower digesting carbs, so they are great to have at least an hour before your workout.
This is sweetened with a little bit of maple syrup- but mainly banana and applesauce- both of which have some fiber, so provide quick but lasting energy.
Oats and oat flour also are great sources of carbohydrates, but do have fiber and protein which make this muffin well balanced.
Seeds add fat and protein to this muffin, which again make it more balanced.
This muffin is great for workout fuel, but in order to best utilize it, I suggest eating it at least an hour before your workout. The fiber, protein and fat in the muffin will ramp up your glycogen stores and provide long lasting energy BUT these components can also be difficult to digest if eaten right before you raise your heart rate which can lead to digestion issues… not what you want as your are burpeeing over the bar :-)
Here is how to make them:
Sweet Potato Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I baked them in the oven earlier this week, so I could scoop and mash them for this recipe)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 TBSP vanilla extract
1 TBSP almond butter
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 TBSP maple syrup
3 TBSP unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup oat flour (take 1 1/4 cup oats and place them in the food processor until powdered)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
How to:
Preheat oven to 350F
Mix mashed sweet potato and mashed bananas together in a bowl. Add vanilla and almond butter and mix well.
Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well.
Then add almond milk, maple syrup and applesauce and mix to combine.
Add oats, oat flour, flax, chia and pumpkin seeds.
Mix until well combined.
Place muffin cups in your muffin tin and fill each about 2/3 full. This should make 24 muffins.
Place in oven for 30 minutes total, spinning if necessary.
Let cool and then wrap in plastic wrap or tin foil and store in refrigerator for 2 weeks for freezer for longer.
*I only had 1 muffin tin so made the rest into bars by placing them in an 8x8 greased pan and cooking them for a total of 35 minutes.
Healthy Peanut Soba Noodles
Well… the Crossfit Open season has begun! This will be my fifth year competing in it and I am very excited about it this year. In past years, I haven’t had specific goals for it and have ended it feeling extremely discouraged in my performance. This year, I have been working on some of the movements that have limited me in the past and my goal is to be able to do every movement in every workout. Seems simple, but it would be a huge deal for me!!
Part of success in these workouts is proper nutrition, so I will be posting some good recipes that will support good performance. This workout, 19.1, is 15 minutes long which can feel like a long time when you are pushing hard. Good carbohydrates are always beneficial in fueling exercise, but because of the length, they are even more crucial in this specific workout. However, you don’t need to “carbo-load” because after all, we are not doing a marathon here!
This recipe includes soba noodles which are SO easy! And full of whole grains. These complex carbs will serve you well in providing good energy for this workout. This is also a fun and easy option if you are just looking for a healthy meal, as these whole grain noodles are a great source of starch that will keep you feeling energized and full without a carb crash. Either way, try this meal because it is so quick and delicious!
Peanut Sesame Soba Noodles
Ingredients
Soba noodles
Shrimp, eggs, ground meat (any protein)
Shredded cabbage
Shredded carrots
Bell pepper, sliced
1/2-1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 1/2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
How to:
Make sauce by combining peanut butter, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Whisk until combined.
Chop cilantro and peppers.
Bring water to a boil. Cook soba noodles according to package (usually 8ish minutes). Then drain noodles.
Heat shrimp
Combine sauce with warm noodles. Then, mix in vegetables and shrimp.
Chocolate Mint Energy Bites
I am always looking for new snack ideas! I have been making energy bites a lot lately. I have also been wanting chocolate mint EVERYTHING, so decided to channel that craving into a fun snack!
When I make these energy bites, I make a couple swaps to the ingredients to decrease the added sugar and increase the protein- making them a more balanced snack. I generally sub out unsweetened applesauce for most of the honey. The consistency of the applesauce helps bind the ingredients- which is one of the purposes of the honey. I also generally add protein powder. Protein powder is tricky and usually I am not a huge fan, but I do tend to use it in snacks like this and smoothies. I don’t have a favorite kind, but I do look for brands that don’t have a lot of added ingredients. And for instances like this, getting a powder that doesn’t have a sweetener or flavor is good too. This time, I used Trader Joe’s Pea Powder.
I morphed this recipe from a recipe I already make for chocolate coconut pistachio energy bites, so you can totally take the basics of this recipe and make it your own too!
Chocolate Mint Energy Bites
Ingredients:
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup oats ground to make 1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup almond butter
2 TBSP honey
6 TBSP unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp mint extract
1/4 cup protein powder
How to:
Grind oats in a food processor until they become a flour like consistency. Place in a large bowl.
In the food processor, pulse almonds to chop into small-ish chunks (you can also hand chop)
Mix everything in a large bowl. I usually mix with my hands, because without fail, every time I don’t believe it is going to mix fully. Just keep mixing, and everything will eventually stick together.
Make into bite sized balls. I try to make 24 per batch.
Store in fridge for a couple days or freezer if you’ll have them around longer.
Pre-Race Fuel: Bloomsday!
Are you doing Bloomsday this year?! Good for you! I love Bloomsday because running or walking- 7.5 miles is a long distance, yet over 60,000+ people rise to the challenge and complete it. I also love it cause it means summer is coming :)
This Bloomsday, make sure you are fueled right! No matter what pace you are going at, having the right fuel will help you feel better during the race. Here are my suggestions:
Saturday Night: make sure your dinner includes some sort of carbohydrate, and limit fiber if you tend to get GI distress while exercising. Some good carbohydrate choices to choose are:
Sweet potatoes (avoid the skin)
Brown rice
Whole wheat bread
Pasta, orzo
Other grains: quinoa, millet, bulgur, etc.
Some easy meal ideas:
Stir fry: brown rice, chicken, vegetables (don't overdue the vegetables)
Sweet potatoes, eggs or ground turkey, guacamole, tomatoes, bell peppers
Turkey sandwich with fruits and vegetables on side
Sunday Morning: Carbohydrates should be a main focus, but do include a protein too. Limit fiber and avoid dairy. Good and easy ideas include:
Oatmeal + fruit + eggs, nut butter, or nuts (to add protein)
Whole wheat English muffin or toast with peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon
Sweet potato with eggs
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
During race: Make sure you are drinking water!!
After: refuel with a carbohydrate and protein soon after finish. I like chocolate milk :) Then, get a balanced meal as soon as possible. Drink water too!
Good luck this Bloomsday! Hopefully I will see you out there!!