During the summer months you could have spared some time to fit in all your workouts, prepare, plan and eat 6-to-8 meals a day with little to no hazels. But now that you are back to school/college, you may face difficulty in adapting to a new diet plan, which would accommodate your hours (4-6 hrs daily). All you need to do is, prepare a diet plan which would satisfy the calorie requirements in three daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) along with brunch and supper. By now, you might be curious enough to know the best four muscle building snacks.
Here we go!!!
Contents
1. Cheese and Whole Grain Crackers
Quick and easy to take with you is lower-fat cheese and whole-grain crackers. When you choose the lower fat varieties of cheese, it is a good protein source. Calcium boost will work double time to make sure you’re able to workout to full intensity. The whole grain crackers will also provide a good source of carbohydrates to round out the snack. If you wish you may as well opt for cheese with pieces of a whole grain tortilla, pita, or with a sliced apple. Usually cheese can last in your bag at least 4-to-5 hours without refrigeration, which makes it a fairly easy snack to carry with you during the school day.
2. Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Another snack that will fill you up and really boost your calorie intake for the day is peanut butter protein bars. These you will have to prepare by yourself. It can easily be made in 10-to-15 minutes over the weekend and will last for the entire week to come. Whether you’re new to working out or are a seasoned pro, a quality protein powder is a necessity! To prepare them, combine:
- 1 cup of natural peanut butter along with any finer cereal (rice crispies, puffed wheat, corn flakes or raw oats)
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- Enough honey or maple syrup to help it bind together.
- Mix it once, press it into a pan and then place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour until set.
- Cut into snack-sized bars and wrap in tin foil or saran wrap to store.
3. Canned Tuna in a Whole Wheat Pita
Canned tuna with a pop-top lid is a perfect stash for your school backpack. You can carry it with you all day. When hunger strikes, you just have to reach for it, pop the lid and spoon it into a whole wheat pita. You can find small snack-sized tins of canned tuna that come pre-flavored. This eliminates the need to add any extra high-calorie dressing or condiments. Just be sure to read the nutritional label and choose a brand without any extra sugars. A tomato-basil flavor or lemon-dill works perfectly. The whole wheat pita supplies the slow digesting carbohydrates to give your brain energy to stay focused in your afternoon classes. The tuna supplies your muscles with the amino acids required to rebuild musculature from your exertion in gym class. To get some healthy fats into this snack, add a small amount of sliced avocado to the pita or eat a few nuts on the side.
4. Homemade Granola
Finally, the last snack you can prepare and take with you is homemade granola. Just like trail mix, this is a nice option since you prepare it yourself so you know exactly what goes in it. This student-friendly recipe ups the granola’s protein quotient! To prepare your own granola
- Start by preheating the oven to 325° F
- Next place parchment paper over two large baking sheets and then set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of rolled oats 1 cup vanilla protein powder 3/4 cup oat bran or wheat germ 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts 1 teaspoon of salt 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Combine and set aside.
- Over low heat in a saucepan and stir together 1/8 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup of honey 1/2 cup of olive oil 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.
- Once it reaches a low boil, pour over the dry ingredients and then stir until well coated.
- Spread this final mixture over the baking sheets and then place in your oven until crispy, about 20 minutes, stirring at halftime.
- Once finished, let cool before breaking apart and storing.
The above are the easiest and most comfortable snacks to prepare and have in between your busy school/college day. Go for it, for you have to have a great body with strong heart and well built muscles.
These might help you too:
1. Whey Protein – Complete Guide to Whey Protein Supplementation
Comments are off this post!