Most athletes know the importance of a post-workout snack. It’s finding portable snacks for after practice that can be a challenge. Especially ones that provide the right balance of nutrients recommended for recovery. A sandwich, chocolate milk or a balanced smoothie can do the trick, but a trail mix -made right- is easy and doesn’t require refrigeration.
So, what do I mean by made right? After exhaustive exercise, muscles benefit from both carbohydrates and protein. Carbohydrates are the most important to include as part of your recovery meal because they are the fuel used by working muscles. The carbohydrate-rich foods you eat are used to replenish the glycogen stores that were depleated during exercise. That way, the protein from your meal can be used to build and repair muscles tissue.
Traditional trail mix recipes do not provide the balance of nutrients recommended for recovery. They usually have plenty of carbohydrates but tend to be too high in dietary fat and low in protein to be considered a great post-workout snack. That’s why I created this trail mix recipe with roasted soybeans. Soybeans and products made with soy are among the only plant-based proteins that provide all of the essential amino acids. Soy beans add a “complete” or high-quality protein to the trail mix while keeping the dietary fat at an acceptable amount.
This trail mix recipe provides the ratio of carbohydrate to protein recommended for recovery, while keeping the dietary fat content in balance. It also meets my other criteria- it’s easy to make, portable and it tastes great. Put a serving in a to-go container and take it with you. That way, you have what you need to re-fuel your muscles after practice, until you can get to your next meal.