Eating for Strength: The Protein Window

1. Eating for Strength: The Protein Window

2. Protein • Essential for the maintenance, growth, and repair of all body cells • Good sources: Lean meats, fish, poultry, cottage cheese, yogurt, skim milk, beans, nuts, peanut butter, soy foods (tofu, tempeh, soymilk)

3. Post Exercise Protein • To maximize muscle building after a strength workout: • Consume a mixture of protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes • The timing of this protein snack is critical to increase muscle mass • Always bring a high protein snack with you, or stored in your locker after workouts

4. Best Choices • Chocolate milk (can add additional serving of protein powder) • Peanut butter sandwich • Turkey and cheese sandwich • Protein bar or shake • Hard boiled egg and 2 slices of toast

5. Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day!!

6. Eat breakfast! • Eating breakfast has been proven to improve concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, and mood. • People who eat breakfast tend to weigh less and have healthier diet than people who chronically skip breakfast.

7. Why? • Skipping breakfast can slow down your metabolism by as much as 20% and sets your body up to hold onto fat you eat later in the day • Breakfast is a great time to eat nutritionally dense foods such as whole grains cereals, fruits, eggs, and dairy. • Not eating breakfast can cause you to binge on unhealthy foods for the rest of the day

8. Quick and Easy Breakfasts • Cereal with sliced bananas and yogurt • Muffins and yogurt topped with berries • Peanut butter on whole wheat toast topped with raisins and glass of milk • Instant oatmeal made with milk and topped with fruit • Breakfast smoothie (milk, fruit, and bran) • Lean ham or deli meat on a toasted English muffin, vegetable juice • Low fat yogurt with granola and mixed fruit • Egg whites on whole wheat toast with fresh fruit • Cereal bar, milk and apple

9. Avoid...... • Watch out for high fat, high calorie breakfast foods such as biscuits, sausage, bacon, omelets loaded with cheese and meat, donuts, pastries and oversized muffins and bagels.