Yogurt Berry Parfait with Almonds

Recovery is when you reap the benefits of your training and racing and get stronger, and what you eat can play an important role in the process. Consuming the right foods helps can help you maximize your training gains, speed up the recovery process, and enhance subsequent performance. Best of all, many delicious foods fit the bill for optimal recovery fuel.

Carbohydrate-rich foods will help you replenish fuel stores, and protein is important to help enhance muscle repair processes. Although most people tend to consume enough total protein in a day, the way they distribute their protein intake isn’t optimal for muscle repair. Your body needs about 20 to 30 grams of protein at a time for muscle building processes: most people don’t consume this amount in the morning, but eat two to three times the amount they need at dinner (and more protein doesn’t build or repair more muscle). You can find out more about your protein needs in this article.

Here’s a simple recipe that is optimal for recovery, and versatile: it’s a terrific post-workout snack, easy breakfast, or even a dessert. When in season, use fresh berries, but frozen berries are an excellent choice as well. You can prepare this ahead of time so it’s waiting for you after a workout, or layer it in a small mason jar with a lid.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain – I use nonfat, but other varieties will work)
  • 1 cup mixed berries (thawed if from frozen)
  • Whole almonds (about 10)
  • 1/4 cup oats, granola, or whole grain cereal

Makes ONE Serving.

Directions

You can put this together a variety of ways. It looks great layered in a glass cup or bowl.

Variations

  • This parfait lends itself to endless variations. If this is for dessert and you want something more decadent, use a creamier vanilla yogurt or layer in a bit of maple syrup on top of the yogurt.
  • Any kind of nut will do. Toast them for maximum crunch and flavor.
  • If you don’t have berries on hand, this works well with just about any fruit.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • 350 calories
  • 29 g protein
  • 7 g fat
  • 0 mg cholesterol
  • 42 g carbohydrate
  • 6 g fiber
  • 120 mg sodium
  • 200 mg potassium
  • Iron: 12 % Daily Value
  • Calcium: 30 % Daily Value

 

This recipe is from sheilakealey.com.  Visit the site for more healthy recipes and sports nutrition articles.

Sheila Kealey is a health promotion consultant, writer, and athlete passionate about encouraging lifestyle habits that promote good health.  She has a Masters’ degree in Public Health and has collaborated on many research articles related to diet and health. Sheila cross country ski races with XC Ottawa, and also competes in triathlons and running races (5k’s are her favourite, but she has gone the distance once, running a 2:57 marathon).  Sheila loves developing healthy recipes, and coauthored the cookbook and nutrition guide Food For Thought: Healing Foods to Savor.  Sheila shares advice on nutrition, physical activity, sports science, and tasty nourishing foods on twitter and her website.