Pantry Essentials for an Active Lifestyle
Fueling an active lifestyle includes proper hydration along with nutrients for energy and recovery. Stock up on these pantry essentials to smash your fitness goals
While we should include a variety of fruits and vegetables in our meal pattern, these top picks are great for hydration and easy fueling.
- Fruits and vegetables with high water content can support our hydration status. Examples include melons, berries, cucumber, and celery.
- Fiber is important for digestion, supporting our gut microbes, and reducing risk of chronic disease. We should include high fiber foods with meals and throughout the day. However, fiber slows digestion and can cause discomfort if eaten immediately before a workout. When you’re reaching for a quick snack within 2 hours of exercising, choose low-fiber, easily digestible fruits such as melon and bananas.
Protein is essential to muscle recovery, but is often fused with high amounts of fat as part of the food matrix. Buying individual portions of chicken breast or salmon makes portion control easy. These are lean options, low in saturated fat. Salmon further provides omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation and may help reduce muscle soreness and swelling.
- When it comes to hydration, choose water first. Average fluid needs range from 2-3 liters, or 60-100 fl oz, daily.
- Sports drinks provide sugar and sodium, which are not often necessary for moderate exercise. When activity lasts longer than an hour and causes excessive sweating, fluid, fuel, and electrolyte replenishment from a sports drink can help with recovery–especially for competitive athletes.
- Beyond hydration, fluids can also be a convenient source of energy. Rather than reaching for an energy drink, which might have excessive caffeine and sugar, try coffee instead. 1 cup of coffee provides a natural and moderate dose of caffeine, along with powerful antioxidants that support overall health.
Convenient sources of fruit–such as unsweetened applesauce or fruit bars–are great to have on hand for pre-workout fuel. For morning workouts, these snacks help to top off your fuel stores after a night’s sleep. Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice, supply both carbohydrates and fiber, which is best after exercise as part of your recovery meal.
Protein can come from a variety of sources beyond the meat department, such as from nuts and beans.
- Peanut butter is a great item to have on hand because it can be used in many dishes, including smoothies, overnight oats, sandwiches, wraps, dips, sauces, and dressings.
- Beans are being used innovatively to create high-fiber, high-protein meat alternatives, noodles, and snacks.
- Similar to salmon, tuna is another lean source of protein that offers a dose of omega-3 rich fatty acids.
Find more recovery options in the freeze and chill department. Frozen edamame makes a high-protein, high-fiber snack. In addition to protein, nonfat milk and soy milk also provide calcium to support bone health.
An active lifestyle calls for continuous replenishment of fluids, fuel, and recovery nutrients. Timing of certain foods, such as low-fiber carbohydrate snacks before exercise and high protein-carbohydrate combinations after exercise, can help optimize exercise performance and muscle recovery. By stocking up on the right foods at home, you’re more likely to stay on track in achieving your health and fitness goals.