Before a tough and intense workout, taking the right nutrition is of utmost importance. Women Fitness brings to you the most recommended, yet easy to make meals to have just before you enter the gym.
1. Cashew Protein Coffee Latte & Cashew Latte Bowl
Ingredients
For the Cashew Vegan Protein Coffee
- 1 scoop Pea Protein Smooth Coffee
- 2 cups ice
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1tsp instant coffee
- 200g soft tofu
- 1/2 tbsp Monk fruit natural sweetener (feel free to use any other sweetener)
- 1/2 cup pre-soaked cashews
- 1 tbsp vegan yoghurt
- 1 cup cashew milk
For the Cashew Creamy Bowl
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 200g soft tofu
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- 1/2 tbsp Monk fruit natural sweetener (feel free to use any other sweetener)
- 1 tbsp vegan yoghurt
- 1\3 cup cashew milk
Directions
For the Cashew Vegan Protein Latte
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender, then mix until thick and creamy.
- Pour into a glass.
- Sprinkle with raw cacao and add the soaked cashew cream on the top. Enjoy!
For the Cashew Creamy Bowl
- Add soft tofu into a bowl, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
- Using a hand blender, blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a bowl, and add raw cacao powder and cashew butter for toppings. Enjoy!
2. Banana Blueberry Explosion Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas (the darker, the better)
- 6 eggs or 1.25 cups of egg whites
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 6 scoops of protein powder
- 0.25 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbs of All Spice or Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice or 1 tbs of Cinnamon with 1 tbs Nutmeg
Directions
- Mix in a big bowl.
- Spray a non-stick muffin tray and fill each cup 3/4 full with the batter. Top with EXACTLY five blueberries in a star pattern (trust me, this is optimal so each bit gets a blueberry blast). Or if that’s too fancy you can just mix 1 cup of blueberries into the batter. You can also play around with other berries. I’ve used chopped strawberries and blackberries too. But blueberries remain my fave.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 28-30 minutes.
- Let cool and place in a container in the fridge for the week. They will last all week. If you need them last longer, they also freeze nicely, Make sure to eat them so you get a blueberry with each amazing bite.
3. 3-Ingredient Oat Bars
By Alicia Edge
Ingredients
Essentials:
- 3 overripe bananas, mashed
- 1 1/2 cup oats
- 5 tbsp peanut butter
Optional toppings:
- Mixed nuts or seeds
- Dried Fruit
- Coconut Flakes
- Berries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 320°F and grease a small, rectangular baking tray witha small amount of butter or coconut oil.
- Combine bananas, oats and peanut butter in abowl and stir until well combined.
- Stir through your choice of optional extrasgently (~1cup total)
- Spread the oat mixture evenly in the over dish,forming a layer about 1-2 cm thick. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 210°Fand continue cooking for another 10 minutes
- Divide bars into portions and store in fridgeuntil nice and firm!
4. Peach Pineapple Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz bag frozen peaches
- 1 can sliced pineapples (in water or natural juice)
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Directions
- Using only half of the bag of frozen peaches and 5 slices of pineapple, place in blender.
- Add protein powder and almond milk.
- Start blending at medium speed, increasing speed after about 1 minute to make sure all chunks are blended.
- Pour into glasses and enjoy!
5. Honey Mustard Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 1lb 13oz can of garbanzo beans (large can)
- 1/4c honey
- 1/4c spicy brown mustard
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 3-5 drops lemon juice
Directions
- Open garbanzo beans and rinse in colander.
- Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth and no chunks or beans are left.
- Spoon into your serving bowl and enjoy with your favorite dipping food!
6. Pumpkin Seed Energy Bars with Cherry Topping
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup oat flour (or oats blended to fine ground)
- 2 scoops of Sneakz Protein Powder (Your flavor choice- we used Strawbery)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dates (If tough to bite soak in 1/2 cup liquid for 30 minutes)
- 4 Tbsp chia seeds
- 3 tbsp of coconut shreds (for optional topping)
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/2 cup of nut-milk (we used almond milk)
Cherry Topping
- 8oz Organic Tart Cherry Juice (optional for drizzle topping)
- 1 cup coconut sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Begin by mixing dry ingredients together and adding wet ingredients (nut butter and sweetener). Thoroughly mix until the ingredients become dough-like
- Cover your 13-inch baking pan with a layer of wax paper and press dough into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes followed by refrigeration for 30 min to 1 hour.
- Remove from refrigerator and cut into square bars.
Cherry Topping
- Add equal parts tart cherry juice and coconut sugar in a pot on low to medium heat for 20-30 min. A syrup consistency should be achieved during the cooldown of the liquid mixture.
- Coat the energy bars with the cherry topping as desired!
7. Simple Superfood Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans, raw
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup (1 scoop) Sneakz Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups oats, quick or old-fashioned
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried fruit (recommend dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, bananas, and/or apricots.
Directions
- Add pecans to food processor. Pulse until a fine pulp.
- Add melted coconut oil, honey, Sneakz protein powder, vanilla extract, and salt to pecans in the food processor. Turn food processor on until a large ball forms from mixture.
- Add oats, hemp hearts, and pumpkin seeds to food processor. Turn on until well-combined and mixture is evenly moistened.
- Lastly add mixture of dried fruits to food processor. Pulse until fruit is lightly chopped and evenly dispersed in mixture.
- Spread out large piece of parchment paper over a 7×11 baking dish. Transfer contents of food processor to pan lined with parchment paper. Firmly pack mixture into pan until evenly distributed. Place pan in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or long enough for coconut oil to harden. Slice bars to preferred size, making small cubes for smaller kids (and hands). Cover bars and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Enjoy!
8. Oats and Quinoa Cereal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1 large apple
- 2 large pears
- Almond milk
Directions
- Combine the oats, quinoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and water in a large saucepan.
- Bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats and quinoa are tender.
- Serve warm topped with chopped apple and pear, walnuts, pe- cans and almond milk.
- Add maple syrup or honey for added sweetness.
9. Cast-Iron Smoked Salmon Hash
By Rima Kleiner
Ingredients
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lb. large red potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 8-10 oz. smoked salmon, flaked with a fork (save a little for garnish, if desired)
- 1 tsp. capers
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. chives, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, onions and bell peppers to pan, stirring to coat with oil. Cook until potatoes are tender and browned (about 15-20 minutes), stirring every 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a small bowl, combine yogurt, salmon, capers, mustard, lemon juice and chives. Add to cooked potato mixture and combine. Let sit for 5 minutes, then garnish with salmon, if desired.
10. Mexican Hot Chocolate Superfood Raw Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 12 dates, pits removed (Tip: if your dates are not sticky, soak them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes)
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Toppings: pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries
Directions
- Add all ingredients (except toppings) to a food processor.
- Blend for 1-2 minutes, until a dough forms. Hint: if you can pinch the dough together between your fingers, the dough is ready. If the dough does not stick together, add 1 teaspoon warm water and blend for 30 seconds.
- Pinch off 2-3 tablespoons of dough at a time, and press dough into each muffin cup in a silicone muffin mold (or into a lined muffin tin). Repeat with remaining dough.
- Press toppings onto each brownie. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm.
- Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
11. Chewy Trail Mix Bars
Ingredients
- 10 dates
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter (drippy, natural)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cup oats
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup goji berries
Directions
- Line a medium baking dish (7×11) with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add dates to a bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 60 seconds. Dates should be gooey and sticky. Remove the pits and add dates to a food processor.
- Blend dates on high until a sticky paste forms. Add peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon. Blend on high until a dough ball forms.
- In a large bowl, add oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and goji berries. Stir to evenly distribute ingredients.
- Using your hands, take the date and peanut butter dough ball and add it to the dry ingredients. Knead dry ingredients into the date and peanut butter dough until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Press dough firmly into the parchment-lined backing dish. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- To cut, first remove the entire trail mix slab by lifting the parchment paper out of the baking dish.
- Slice into 10 bars. Enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
12. Energy Boosting Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold water
- 5 Swiss Chard leaves
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon matcha
- 2 dates, pits removed
- 2 handfuls ice
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high for 45-60 seconds.
- Enjoy immediately!
13. Banana Strawberry Brekkie Mug
By Wendy Hodge
Ingredients
- 1 banana, mashed
- 3 chopped strawberries
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup oats
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- good shake cinnamon
Toppings
- 1 large dollop almond butter
- 1-2 dessert spoons Greek yoghurt
Directions
- In a large mug, mash the banana, add the egg and whisk well with a fork.
- Add the oats, chopped strawberries, vanilla & cinnamon and mix together.
- Cook in the microwave on full power for 2 minutes. If it’s still a bit gooey in the middle, cook for another 30 seconds.
- Remove from the microwave when cooked, make a small well in the centre and add the almond butter.
- You can eat straight from the mug, or transfer to a bowl and top with some Greek yoghurt as well.
14. No Bake Chocolate Energy Bars
By Wendy Hodge
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond meal
- ½ cup flax seed
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 3 tbsp of natural peanut butter
- 16 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp Goji berries
- 2 tbsp boiling water
Directions
- Line a slice tin with baking paper.
- Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor, except the boiling water, until well combined and the mixture forms crumbs. Make sure the dates and oats are finely processed.
- Slowly add the boiling water until the mixture clumps together; you may need a little bit more than the 2 tablespoons, I find I do if my measuring isn’t spot on!
- Pour the mixture into the slice tin and press it down firmly and evenly.
- Allow it to set in the freezer for an hour or two before cutting into bars.
15. Fruity Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
- 2 bananas
- 3 dark sweet cherries (frozen)
- 1 cup of frozen fruit (strawberries, mangoes, it’s up to you!)
- 1/2 cup of pineapple
- 1 1/2 cups of juice (any kind)
- (Optional) 1 teaspoon of honey or applesauce
Directions
Blend all of the ingredients until well-mixed. Pour and enjoy!