WIN THE DAY: Ideas on foods that will help finish your macros at the end of the day

WIN THE DAY

Ideas on foods that will help finish your macros at the end of the day

A lot of people find it hard to finish off those macros at the end of the day in order to get those last couple grams of carbs, protein or fats in without totally throwing off one of the other numbers that is already maxed out. Below is a helpful list of foods based on different macro make-ups that will give you some ideas of the foods that I use frequently based on the numbers I need to fill in to hit my numbers. This is just a start and I will continue to update it as more ideas come to me-- feel free to leave other ideas of foods that you use in the comments sections, the more the merrier!! Let the games of 'Macro Tetris' begin!

Some of the foods in these groups might have small amount of other macros but I tried to come up with as many ideas as possible for each of the categories below. 

Carb Only
Fruit
     High: Bananas, apples, pineapple, berries, dried fruit (raisins)
Potatoes
Rice
Rice Cakes
Cereal
Canned pumpkin
Spaghetti Squash
Applesauce
Instant pudding mix
Candy (not highly recommended in large quantities but sometimes it's the only option)
Poptarts
Carrots
Non-fat Yogurt

Fat Only
Oil Based Salad Dressing
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil 
Shredded Coconut, unsweetened
Coconut Butter
Butter
Full fat Coconut milk
Macadamia nuts
Ghee

Protein Only
Egg whites
Protein powder
Sliced Deli Meat
Chicken breast
Gelatin powder
Shrimp
Canned tuna

Carb+Fat
Ice cream
Avocado

Protein+Carb
Non-fat Dairy products (cottage cheese, greek yogurt)
Veggies (snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower)
Beans
Quinoa
Lentils

Fat+Protein
Salmon
Cheese
Red Meat (steak, bison)
Whole Eggs

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CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PROTEIN RECOVERY SHAKE

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PROTEIN RECOVERY SHAKE

Because it's fall and everything in my life currently includes as much pumpkin as possible. This is also a good way to make sure your are maximizing recovery after workouts with protein and carbs to refuel until your next full meal. It's so yummy that it's the perfect reward for a great workout. 

Ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 cup canned pumpkin (as you can see in the picture I froze my pumpkin in an ice tray to make cubes, I use 3 cubes in my shake)

1 serving chocolate protein powder (should be about 25g of protein, depending on your brand it could be 1 or 2 scoops)

1 Tbsp nut butter

Ice (about 10-12 cubes)

Water or Milk of choice

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender. I have found that it works best when I add them in the in order of: Pumpkin, protein powder, nut butter, ice and then water. Blend to your desired consistency and enjoy!
*I also add my creatine in here to help with recovery

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

This is one of my go-to recipes that is simple and versatile. These are easy to make in big batches and can be eaten on the go and in all kinds of meals. Eat them on their own, with some cream cheese or almond butter, with some grilled chicken, or on top of a salad.. so many options! These are a great dense carb option that has no fat and minimal protein so if you are looking to fill out those carb numbers, here is your answer!

These are great post-workout, both easily digestible and very very yummy. Toss in a tupperware with some cinnamon and head to the gym! It tastes so good it's basically my reward for completing my training session and quite honestly I feel like I am missing out on my rest days when I don't have this little piece of heaven. It's also really easy to make a big batch of the potatoes at the beginning of the week so that you have enough to make a post-WOD snack all week long-- efficiency and no excuses :)

Ingredients:

3-4 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes (I used white sweet potatoes in the picture to the left)
coconut oil, in the liquid state*

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Oil a large baking sheet (preferably with edges, this will come in clutch when it comes time to stir the potatoes) with coconut oil. 
3. Toss the cubed potatoes on the pan and mix to coat them in the coconut oil -- add more oil if needed.
4. Bake for about 20-25 mins until the sweet potatoes are tender, I usually stir potatoes in the pan about halfway through just to help them cook more evenly.

*Cheater note: you can also use coconut oil spray (found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or online), it makes this whole process even easier!

EASY AND SAFE MICROWAVE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

EASY & SAFE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

(made in Microwave)

Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta but so many people are afraid (it's very scary to try and cut a raw spaghetti squash!), just don't know how to make it or think it takes too long. I have found this fool proof method that solves all of these problems :) It's fall and spaghetti squash is so 'IN' right now!

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

2 TBSP water

Directions:

1. Poke 8-10 evenly placed holes in the spaghetti squash with a fork and place the whole squash in a microwave safe dish

2. Microwave for 4 mins and let sit until cool enough to touch, this will soften the squash enough so that it is easier to cut (your fingers will thank you!)

3. Cut the spaghetti squash in half around the middle, remove the seeds with a fork or spoon and place back in dish with the middle facing down

4. Add 2 TBSP of water to the bottom of the dish and microwave for 5 mins

5. Check the squash after 5 mins is up and continue to microwave in 2 min sections until the shell is tender and the middle is cooked through.

Cooking time will vary based on the size of the squash and the power of your microwave

6. Once cooked, remove from microwave and turn the pieces over to cool

7. When it is cool enough to handle, remove the squash strands from the shell with a fork

Best way to eat it is with some ground up meat (chicken, turkey, beef, bison, etc) and your favorite spaghetti sauce -- quick and easy meal! Each squash should get you 3-4 servings and it holds well in the fridge for about 5 days.

SPIRALIZED RAW ZUCCHINI SALAD

*SPIRALIZED RAW ZUCCHINI SALAD*

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1/2 TBSP tsp ground pepper
1/2 TBSP dried thyme
1/2 TBSP dried oregano
1/2 TBSP dried basil
1 tsp chili powder
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP olive oil (I used my lemon infused one.. great call)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
ground sea salt to taste

4 zucchini, sprialized into noodles or 'zoodles' (After I spiralize them I usually do some chopping to break up any super long noodles that can be messy to eat in a public setting)

Process:
Add all of the Dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix well to combine. 
Spiralize your zucchini and put half of the 'zoodles' in a sealable tupperware container.
Add in the dressing, seal the tupperware and shake well to toss the ingredients.
Add in the rest of the 'zoodles', reseal and shake some more until the dressing is well distributed across the 'zoodles' 
Put in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before eating (not required but it's recommended)

I needed a change up from the cooked 'zoodles' and this was so much easier with a lot less to clean up.. win! It's light and refreshing for summertime and goes really well tossed over the top of a salad with any kind of protein.