Hi gang. Special guest post on the blog this week! I asked my sis, Mariele, to share her tips & tricks when it comes to a plant-based diet fitting in with an active lifestyle. We are sharing 4 Plant-based Protein Pre/Post Workout Snacks.
Mariele has always been the fitness queen in our family. When we lived together in Dallas back in the day, she would drag my ass to Equinox gym at 5:45am for spin classes. It was brutal but so worth it. Then I would force her to make me a hearty snack to replenish those burned cals. I am always getting ideas from her for new things to try in the kitchen.
Nowadays, we are all working and working OUT from home. Pre-pandemic, I would also religiously go to yoga and spin studios. All this time holed up in my apartment has made me really appreciate Instagram Live classes and home fitness apps. Even if you’re just easing back into movement after being a couch potato all summer, these recipes are fantastic to satisfy hunger in between main meal times.
So, let’s get into it. Want to get the most out of your workout? Enjoy these easy plant-based pre & post workout snacks. Mariele, over to you!
4 PLANT-BASED PROTEIN PRE/POST WORKOUT SNACKS
Hi everyone! Mariele here, Danielle’s plant-based sister ☺ You might have seen me pop up on Danielle’s Instagram TV Videos before sharing our fave vegan grocery brands and clean makeup. So today I’m going to share some of my favorite plant-based snacks that are perfect for pre and/or post workout.
They all require less than 5 ingredients and are super easy to make. I pretty much buy all of these items from Whole Foods or Amazon (let’s be honest, love the convenience of items being delivered straight to my door) so I went ahead and linked the specific brands I use in Amazon to make it easy for you to shop!
Health and fitness have played a vital role in my entire life, which has allowed me to gain a deep understanding on how important it is to fuel your body with the right foods before and after you exercise. Now I will say, I’m no expert on the subject, but I do exercise about 5-6x a week and previously majored in nutrition in school – so you could say I have plenty of life experience in this area. These protein packed, plant-based snacks have helped fuel my body during and after workouts to repair and also regrow my muscles.
1. 5 Ingredient Superfood Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 scoop of fitppl plant protein
- 1 TBS Raw Almond Butter
- 1 TBS Raw Coconut Butter
- ½ organic frozen banana (frozen is KEY, trust me!)
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Directions: Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender until smooth!
2. Stuffed Dates
Ingredients:
- Raw Cashew Butter
- Hemp seeds
- Organic Dates
- So I used to think dates were disgusting (to be honest, I still can’t stand the texture) BUT they are super high in antioxidants and potassium, which is great to help recover from high intensity workouts. They’re also easily digestible which is key before a long workout! I usually eat one an hour before I do any cardio workout to ensure my blood sugar levels don’t drop and cause fatigue. Okay enough about dates, they aren’t that exciting. LOL.
Directions: For protein and healthy fat, I just slice the date down the middle (long ways)and stuff the date with my favorite raw cashew butter. Then sprinkle some hemp seeds and you’re good to go! PS they taste even better when chilled in the fridge a little.
3. Almond Butter & Banana on Rice Cakes
Ingredients:
- Rice Cakes – I switch off between these Lundberg thin rice cakes & regular ones. I love this brand in particular because they are gluten free, vegan (obvi), & have no added ingredients other than brown rice and sea salt.
- 2 TBS Raw Almond Butter
- 1/2 organic banana
- Cinnamon
- Organic Honey
Directions: Spread raw almond butter evenly onto the rice cakes. Top with banana slices, ground cinnamon, & a little organic honey if you’re craving something a little sweet! Now honey isn’t technically vegan but personally I do like to use it as a natural sweetener since it is raw and minimally processed if at all.
I typically only eat this snack after a workout since bananas are high in the good kind of complex carbs we want after a workout to help restore the body’s level of “glycogen” aka energy storage. Danielle talks all about good vs bad carbs in this post.
4. Apple & Almond Butter
This has been one of my go-to pre workout snacks for years! It also makes a great on-the-go snack. The apple provides the tasty carbohydrates we want before a workout and the almond butter and hemp seeds give ya the perfect amount of protein and healthy fat!
Ingredients:
- Organic Apple
- Raw Walnut Butter
- Hemp Seeds
- Cacao Nibs
Directions: Cut apple into thin slices and spread raw walnut butter, about 1/2 a teaspoon each slice. Complete with a sprinkle of hemp seeds and cacao nibs. Both add a nice, crunchy flavor!
Ok, that’s a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed seeing a few of my favorite plant-based snacks. Be sure to tag @daniontheloose on Instagram if you test any of these recipes out. Looking for more plant-based recipes? Let us know in the comments below!
XO,
Mariele
Love these yummy options!! Will def be trying theM before my college workouts this week!