Healthy Snack Ideas for When You're on the Move
This article is sponsored by Vejo.
Life is busy when you’re training like a beast. How can you get the calories you need to build muscle and support energy while also getting the nutrients to recover quickly and stay healthy? The right snacks are crucial.
What’s the right snack? That depends on what you’re up to. If you’re engaged in an exercise session lasting longer than one hour, choosing a carbohydrate-containing snack can provide a fuel source that helps maintain blood glucose and delay fatigue, which can improve performance. Typical sources of carbohydrates include bars, quick-digesting fruits (like bananas), and Vejo fruit blends like Tart Berry or Piña Greens. It’s best to avoid high-fat snacks during training since it could cause digestive distress.
After exercise, if you’re not able to have a proper meal, aim to consume a snack with both protein and carbohydrates to capitalize on the "60-minute window of opportunity." Your muscle cells are like sponges after a workout, and will soak up nutrients to promote protein synthesis. The key is adding quick-digesting carbohydrates to your post-workout meal or snack. The carbohydrates will be preferentially utilized to drive muscle growth.
Some Post-Workout Snack Ideas
- Hard-boiled egg and/or two slices of turkey with half a banana
- 2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter with a small apple
- Vejo Earthbar Vanilla blend
If you’re training heavily and have a long break between meals, choosing a high-calorie, high-protein snack will help you meet your energy needs throughout the day while also preventing blood sugar crashes.
High-Calorie Snacks
- Dried Fruit
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Nuts and Nut Butters
- Olives
High-Protein Snacks
- Sliced Turkey
- Cottage Cheese
- Greek Yogurt
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Whole Milk
Do your best to mix and match a high-calorie option with a high-protein option. You want both kinds of food in each snack to make it complete!
Going for long stretches without a snack or meal is known to cause muscle breakdown, not to mention increased fatigue and decreased mental focus. These swings can be avoided by supplying energy more frequently. With the right snacks to supplement your meals, you can improve your body composition, mental acuity, and overall nutrient intake.
Makenna Barris, MSN, RDN, is the Director of Vejo+.