Simple Food Recipes for Athletes Who Want to Lose Weight
Athletes are always looking for quick, healthy and tasty recipes to lose a few pounds. These videos will help them do that. They are packed with nutrition and taste great!
Kale Chips
[youtube video=”P3IK9YmdZ8o” /]Kale chips are a great swap for potato chips, and they only have 3 ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 1 head kale, washed and dried thoroughly
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with foil and cooking spray.
- Take the stems off the kale and dry it thoroughly.
- Put extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cayenne pepper (or turmeric) in a large bowl.
- Mix the kale into the bowl with the oil and spices.
- Bake until crispy, but not burned (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
[youtube video=”p3GJfHKt6ZI” /]Roasted red pepper hummus is a great snack for dipping veggies or putting on a sandwich, and if you use a blender, it’s super easy to make.
Ingredients:
- ¼ – ½ cup water (if using whole peppers) – not needed if using liquid from jar peppers
- 4 whole red bell peppers, roasted, or 1 16-ounce jar of roasted red peppers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, or 1 whole lemon
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
- 2 15-ounce cans of chick peas/garbanzo beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor in the order listed.
- Turn on slowly and gradually increase the speed of the blender or food processor.
- Blend for one minute, adding water if needed to keep mixture flowing freely.
- Chill for 30 to 60 minutes prior to serving if desired.
- Serve with fresh veggies, whole grain pita chips or whole grain tortilla chips.
Trail Mix
[youtube video=”ZqKapHokjgI” /]Trail mix is an awesome snack for athletes to carry with them. It provides heart healthy fats, vitamins and minerals from the fruit, and sweetness from the chocolate chips. Yum!
Indgredients:
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup cashews
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup at least 70% cocoa chocolate chips
- ¼ cup tart dried cherries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Directions:
- Mix well in an airtight container and serve.
Pasta Salad
[youtube video=”5Nev8TzGLBk” /]Pasta salad is a great lunch for athletes on the day of competition, because it provides complex carbohydrates for long-lasting energy, healthy fats from the black olives, and good anti-inflammatory properties from the extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups chilled 100% whole grain pasta, cooked
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes cut in small pieces
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup thinly sliced kalamata olives
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients and chill prior to serving for best results.
Green Smoothie
[youtube video=”-ajiyGMaylA” /]The green smoothie is one of my “faves.” It is so fun, and super yummy! It provides vitamins and minerals from the fruit, beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) from the mango and vitamin A, K and folate from the spinach. It is so tasty!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup green grapes
- ½ green apple
- 1 ripe banana (the riper the better)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed
- ½ cup fresh or frozen pineapple
- ½ cup fresh or frozen mango
- 1 cup ice or water (to desired consistency or as needed)
Directions:
- Cut off stem and inner core of apple and discard.
- Place water and other liquid-based ingredients in bottom of blender.
- Place rest of items in blender, with ice on the top.
- Turn the blender on slowly and gradually increase the speed.
- Blend at least 2 minutes or to desired consistency.
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Simple Food Recipes for Athletes Who Want to Lose Weight
Athletes are always looking for quick, healthy and tasty recipes to lose a few pounds. These videos will help them do that. They are packed with nutrition and taste great!
Kale Chips
[youtube video=”P3IK9YmdZ8o” /]Kale chips are a great swap for potato chips, and they only have 3 ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 1 head kale, washed and dried thoroughly
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with foil and cooking spray.
- Take the stems off the kale and dry it thoroughly.
- Put extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cayenne pepper (or turmeric) in a large bowl.
- Mix the kale into the bowl with the oil and spices.
- Bake until crispy, but not burned (approximately 10-15 minutes).
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
[youtube video=”p3GJfHKt6ZI” /]Roasted red pepper hummus is a great snack for dipping veggies or putting on a sandwich, and if you use a blender, it’s super easy to make.
Ingredients:
- ¼ – ½ cup water (if using whole peppers) – not needed if using liquid from jar peppers
- 4 whole red bell peppers, roasted, or 1 16-ounce jar of roasted red peppers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, or 1 whole lemon
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
- 2 15-ounce cans of chick peas/garbanzo beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor in the order listed.
- Turn on slowly and gradually increase the speed of the blender or food processor.
- Blend for one minute, adding water if needed to keep mixture flowing freely.
- Chill for 30 to 60 minutes prior to serving if desired.
- Serve with fresh veggies, whole grain pita chips or whole grain tortilla chips.
Trail Mix
[youtube video=”ZqKapHokjgI” /]Trail mix is an awesome snack for athletes to carry with them. It provides heart healthy fats, vitamins and minerals from the fruit, and sweetness from the chocolate chips. Yum!
Indgredients:
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup cashews
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup at least 70% cocoa chocolate chips
- ¼ cup tart dried cherries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Directions:
- Mix well in an airtight container and serve.
Pasta Salad
[youtube video=”5Nev8TzGLBk” /]Pasta salad is a great lunch for athletes on the day of competition, because it provides complex carbohydrates for long-lasting energy, healthy fats from the black olives, and good anti-inflammatory properties from the extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups chilled 100% whole grain pasta, cooked
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes cut in small pieces
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup thinly sliced kalamata olives
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients and chill prior to serving for best results.
Green Smoothie
[youtube video=”-ajiyGMaylA” /]The green smoothie is one of my “faves.” It is so fun, and super yummy! It provides vitamins and minerals from the fruit, beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) from the mango and vitamin A, K and folate from the spinach. It is so tasty!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup green grapes
- ½ green apple
- 1 ripe banana (the riper the better)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed
- ½ cup fresh or frozen pineapple
- ½ cup fresh or frozen mango
- 1 cup ice or water (to desired consistency or as needed)
Directions:
- Cut off stem and inner core of apple and discard.
- Place water and other liquid-based ingredients in bottom of blender.
- Place rest of items in blender, with ice on the top.
- Turn the blender on slowly and gradually increase the speed.
- Blend at least 2 minutes or to desired consistency.