Our bodies deserves the best nutrition we can give them. These foods and recipes will help you achieve that.

What is energy food?

It is food that not only provides the calories to fuel your body but also contains the nutrients to energize your body and help you reach peak potential.

Fish—Arctic Char

Health benefits: contains omega-3 fatty acids, essential fats that are beneficial for the heart and brain. They can help prevent and treat mood disorders and depression, reduce arthritic pain, and may prevent Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Enjoy this fish as well as other fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring three times per week. Enjoy grilled and topped with a fruit salsa or chutney, in a burger or wrap, or simply with lemon.

Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent and treat mood disorders and depression.

Arctic Char and Kale Frittata

1 Tbsp       olive oil
300 g         cooked Arctic char
8                eggs
6                boiled nugget potatoes
2 leaves    kale steamed and chopped
1/4 cup      skim milk
3                plum tomatoes finely chopped
3                green onions finely chopped
1/2 cup      grated Asiago cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Steam kale and chop into one-centimetre-square pieces, boil potatoes and bake Arctic char (all these foods could be leftovers from a previous dinner).
3. Whisk eggs and milk, stir in pieces of cooked fish, tomato, and kale.
4. Lightly oil glass Pyrex dish.
5. Thinly slice cooked potatoes and lay flat in one layer on the pie plate.
6. Pour egg mixture over potatoes.
7. Top with grated asiago cheese.
8. Season to taste.
9. Bake for twenty-five minutes or until eggs are cooked throughout and the centre doesn’t jiggle when moved.

Blackberries

Health benefits: contains the antioxidants vitamin C and anthocyanidins as well as fibre. These antioxidants prevent the oxidation of cholesterol (which makes cholesterol sticky and forms fatty streaks in blood vessels), prevent free radical damage to cells caused by extreme exercise, pollution, sun exposure, and aging. Enjoy topped on whole-grain cereal or in your favourite salads, muffins, or yogurt.

Blackberry, Apple, and Pear Crumble with Walnuts and Ginger Snaps

1 cup         blackberries (frozen or fresh)
4                apples (Spartans)
3                pears
3 Tbsps     whole wheat flour
3 Tbsps     brown sugar

Topping:
1 cup         ginger snaps, crumbled
1 cup         chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp       grapeseed oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peal, core, and slice into two-centimetre-thick slices all the apples and pears.
3. Toss apples, pears, and blackberries with flour and brown sugar.
4. Rub oil all over the inside of a nine-inch glass Pyrex dish.
5. Pour fruit mixture into dish.
6. Combine crumbled ginger snaps and chopped walnuts and sprinkle over fruit.
7. Bake for thirty-five to forty minutes until bubbling.
8. Let cool five minutes before serving.

Green Vegetables—Gai Lan

Health benefits: gai lan is Chinese broccoli and is loaded with vitamins C, A, K, folate, and fibre. It also contains the powerful anti-cancer phytonutrients sulforaphane and the indoles. Sulforaphane compounds have also been found to boost liver and skin cell’s detoxifying abilities. Enjoy in stir-fries, salads, quiches, soups, or as a side dish.

Ginger Sesame Soy Gai Lan

1 bunch         gai lan
4 cloves        garlic, minced
2 tsp              fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp           soy sauce
1 tsp              sesame oil
1 Tbsp           rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp           toasted sesame seeds (black and white)

1. Saut garlic and ginger in sesame oil thirty seconds.
2. Add all other ingredients.
3. Saute gai lan one minute to combine and cover and steam two minutes.

Orange Vegetables—Pumpkin

Health benefits: pumpkin contains some vitamin A (beta carotene), C, iron, and phosphorus and is an excellent source of potassium. As with the vitamin A in carrots, the vitamin A in pumpkin is good for vision. Vitamin A also plays a roll in the maintenance of healthy skin, teeth, skeletal tissue, and mucous membranes. Enjoy mashed pumpkin as a side dish, pumpkin soup, roasted with other root vegetables, in a curry, or blended into muffins. Consider adding squash as a food for recovery after exercise, as it is a great source of carbohydrates to help replenish glycogen stores but also provides potassium for replacing electrolytes.

Pumpkin Muffins

2                       eggs
3/4 cup             sugar
28-ounce can   pumpkin
1/3 cup             canola oil
3 tsp                 vanilla
1 1/2 cups        whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups        whole rolled oats
1 tsp                 salt
1 tsp                 baking soda
1 tsp                 baking powder
1 1/2 tsp           cinnamon
1 tsp                 pumpkin spice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla.
3. In separate bowl combine flour, rolled oats, salt, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.
4. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, blend until just mixed.
5. Add one cup raisins or nuts.
6. Bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes.

Whole Grains—Quinoa

Health benefits: quinoa is one of the highest protein grains. It is rich in nutrients such as selenium, magnesium, and fibre. Enjoy as a side dish cooked with currants, cold as a salad, or in a casserole.

Quinoa Lasagne

2 cups              quinoa, rinsed
4 cups              water
1                       medium yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp              olive oil
3 cloves           garlic, minced
28-ounce can  crushed tomatoes
2                       red peppers, roasted and chopped
1 can                brown lentils
1 Tbsp              oregano
8 cups              pre-washed baby spinach
1 cup                low-fat cottage cheese
Grated low-fat cheese to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onion until translucent; add garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes longer. Add crushed tomatoes, lentils, and oregano. Cover and simmer for twenty to thirty minutes.
3. Combine quinoa and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for about fifteen minutes or until water evaporates and quinoa unravels.
4. While sauce is simmering, steam the spinach, drain well, and chop. Add cottage cheese and mix well.
5. Press cooked quinoa firmly into lasagna dish. Cover quinoa with tomato sauce, top evenly with roasted peppers and spinach mixture. Sprinkle with low-fat cheese and bake covered for about fifteen minutes, or until cheese melts.
(recipe provided by personal trainer Tracy Harrison, owner of FemFit in Vancouver, British Columbia)

Starchy Vegetables—Yams

Health benefits: yams are high in potassium, vitamin C, fibre, and vitamin B6. This tuber is low on the glycemic index scale, meaning it is turned into sugar in the body slower, which assists in more sustainable energy production and weight control. Enjoy mashed or baked, adding cumin and garlic for flavour.

Yam and Roasted Cashew Soup

500g (1 lb)     yams, pealed and sliced
4 cups           vegetable stock
2 Tbsps         olive oil
1 tsp              red chilies
1 Tbsp           chopped ginger
1 Tbsp           chopped garlic
3                    medium carrots, sliced
1                    large onion, sliced
1/4 cup          flour
3 Tbsps         soy sauce
1 tin (6 oz)     light coconut milk
Few sprigs    coriander (cilantro) plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper
1 cup             cashew nuts

1. In a large pot, boil yams in vegetable stock fifteen minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large fry pan and add chilies, ginger, garlic, carrots, onion and saute until soft.
3. Mix in flour with a wooden spoon.
4. Pour in the stock and yams.
5. Blend all in a food processor until smooth.
6. Return to large pot and simmer fifteen minutes, adding half the soy sauce, all the coconut milk.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, pour soy sauce over cashew nuts, toss to cover, and bake ten minutes, turning several times to brown evenly.
8. Add the few sprigs of coriander and seasoning to the soup.
9. Serve the soup and garnish with coriander leaves and cashews.

Legumes—Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Health benefits: chickpeas are a good source of protein, iron, and folate. They are also a good source of soluble fibre known to help reduce bad cholesterol. As a vegetarian source of protein, they are an excellent alternative to meat.

Breakfast Cookies with Garbanzo Beans

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup         dark brown sugar
1/4 cup         olive oil
1                   egg
2 tsp             vanilla
1 can            chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup            quinoa flour
1/2 cup         whole wheat flour
1/2 cup         oat bran
2 Tbsps        ground flax
1 tsp             cinnamon
1 tsp             baking soda
1/4 cup         dried cranberries
1/4 cup         dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup         slivered almonds or chopped walnuts

Quinoa is rich in nutrients such as selenium, magnesium, and fibre.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor pulse wet ingredients until almost smooth.
3. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix with your hands until mixture becomes dough-like.
5. Spoon onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for twelve minutes, or until golden.
6. Remove from heat and place on cooling rack.
*If you can’t find quinoa flour, use one cup whole wheat flour and half-cup rolled oats.
(recipe provided by personal trainer Tracy Harrison, owner of FemFit in Vancouver, British Columbia)

Probiotics

Health benefits: probiotics contain live bacteria that, when consumed, will survive the transit through the gut to the large intestine where they provide a benefit to the host. Different bacteria provide different benefits. Most help to restore the gut’s natural bacterial flora by crowding out pathogenic bacteria. Some will also help improve the mucosal lining of the GI tract and improve our immune system. Others may help prevent and treat diarrhea. Enjoy probiotic cheese, yogurt, milk, and drinks as part of your daily regime.

Raspberry Recovery Smoothie (serves one)

1             Dan active probiotic drink (raspberry)
1/2          banana
1/2 cup   frozen raspberries
1/4 tsp    orange zest (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender and serve.

Nuts—Almonds

Health benefits: this “nut” is technically the seed of a fruit. It is high in vitamin E, magnesium, and flavanoids (powerful antioxidants). Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats known to be heart healthy. They also contain calcium, which is essential for good bone health, metabolism, muscle contraction, and blood pressure. Enjoy a handful with a piece of fruit or as a spread on your toast.

Almond Butter Energy Bar

1 cup         crunchy almond butter
1 cup         brown rice syrup
1 cup         liquid honey
4 Tbsps     molasses
2 tsp          vanilla
1 cup         chopped dried apricots
1 cup         dried blueberries (or currants)
1 cup         sliced almonds
1/2 cup      sesame seeds
1/2 cup      flax seeds
1/2 cup      sunflower seeds
5 cups       raisin bran cereal
2.5 cups    quick rolled oats

1. In a large saucepan, over low heat, cook almond butter, rice syrup, molasses, honey, and vanilla until blended.
2. Add apricots, blueberries, almonds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds, and mix well.
3. Add cereal and oats; mix well.
4. Pour mixture into two nine-inch-square baking pans, lightly greased. Press down with clean damp hands to compact evenly.
5. Let stand for thirty minutes, until firm, then cut into squares.
6. Freeze half the batch for next month.

Psyllium

Health benefits: psyllium contains soluble fibre known to lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, not to mention prevent and treat constipation. It can also help manage diabetes by slowing the rise of blood sugar levels. Enjoy breads with added psyllium, All-Bran Buds, or Guardian cereals and psyllium husk powders added to pasta sauce or casseroles.

Granola with Bran Buds

5 cups           rolled oats                       
1 cup             sesame seeds                   
1 cup             wheat germ
1 cup             instant powdered milk
1/2 cup          brown sugar
1/2 cup          vegetable canola oil
1/2 cup          honey
1 cup             All-Bran Buds
1 cup             chopped almonds   
1 cup             coconut
1 cup             mixture of flaxseeds, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 cups     mixture of chopped dried apricots, blueberries, cherries
Raisins, currants, and cranberries

1. Mix dry ingredients except bran buds, nuts, coconut, and fruit.
2. Combine and warm vegetable oil and honey.
3. Mix oil and honey with dry ingredients.
4. Spread on two or three cookie sheets.
5. Bake on low oven (275 degrees Fahrenheit) about thirty minutes, stirring frequently until slightly browned.
6. Add nuts, coconut and fruit during last ten minutes.
7. Store in fridge.

About the Author

Diana Steele of Vancouver, British Columbia, is the owner of Eating for Energy, providing nutrition counselling and seminars to businesses, schools, and sports teams.

Share:
 
•   
•   
•   
•