I’m not a crazy fan of post-workout carbs like some people. As a fitness model, I’m already big enough in terms of muscle development, and I do well on proteins, veggies, and quality fats, but I do like to make sure I am taking in some grains in my off-season so that I have something to pull from my diet when I need to lose that last 2% bodyfat for a show or a shoot. Instead of wolfing down 50 – 70 post-workout grams of carbs, I aim for a more modest 20-30 grams. The Organic Granola I picked up here at the local Cheudraui was a pretty good mix, just a hint of sweetness from agave, but mostly the flavor of the quinoa, amaranth, and coconut flakes shone through. I decided to beef it up by toasting off some nuts and seeds, (macadamia, peanuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and almonds, with a touch of sea salt, vanilla and coconut oil) and mixing it all together. I looove adding nuts back into my diet more than anything else…they are a fantastic source of good fats, often high in selenium, Vitamins A, E, the B Vitamins, and even add a bit of protein as well. Consuming just a few nuts every day has been shown time-and-again to greatly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, and can have a very positive impact on blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and the ratio of LDL to HDL. Though the nutrition profile of each nut can vary considerably, don’t be afraid to add in a few of your favorite nuts to salads and other meals to help with your fat-loss goals.
What you’ll need…
2 tsp coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch or two of sea salt
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup almonds
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
Get the oil warming in a non-stick saucepan, sprinkle in the salt, vanilla and add the nuts, (minus the chia seeds), stirring often to toast evenly. The pepitas will give a satisfying “pop” when they’re ready. Remove the nuts from the pan, add the chia seeds, and use as a stand alone mixture to top your cottage cheese, yogurt and salads, or mix into your favorite whole grain granola mix as i did here.
Here is a picture of my granola pre-nuttiness! It was still pretty good, but the improved version kicks it to the curb both in terms of taste and in terms of nutritional value!
xoxo
Michelle
