Fuel up with fruit!

6:48 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Happy National Nutrition Month! For the month of March I'll be part of a blog roll focused on delicious healthy eating.

Tuesday morning the alarm rang early. I had to be out of bed, awake, dressed, with bike gear all loaded in the car for a 7:30am meet up at O2Endurance for a "power test". That's basically a 20min time trial with your road bike locked in a trainer, power meter plugged in to a computer and a room of sweaty, hard working riders doing their best to go as far and as fast as they can. Ouch.

With little time to do much in the morning, I needed a fast and effective snack to "power" up my workout. When I'm in a hurry I reach for fresh fruit and a giant cup of coffee.

Fruit is a natural energy boosting food. It's so easy to grab a piece on your way out the door. Here are a few on my favorites and why.

1. APPLES - That thick skin makes them a great snack to go. Toss in your gym bag or purse for an easy snack anytime. Apples have a good amount of fruit sugar that give you a burst of energy when you need it, but not so much that your blood sugar bolts too high. Antioxidant rich and high in fiber, apples can also help keep you full between meals and make weigh loss efforts easier.

2. MELON - Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, melons are a super healthy food. Melons can help strengthen our immune systems and ease digestion. I love having a few juicy slices in the morning or as an afternoon snack.

3. BANANA - Another easy to take with you snack since they come in their own wrapper. Potassium and Folate are just two super minerals found in this yummy fruit. I like to slice them up on toast with a little nut butter, mix in smoothies or mash in greek yogurt.  Bananas are high in fruit sugar and make for a good start to the day or to power through an afternoon workout.

4. GRAPEFRUIT - Tart, tangy and just enough sweet makes the grapefruit lovely all on its own or squeezed into juice. Low cal and loaded with vitamin C links eating grapefruits with better health. Toss some slices in salads or peel and tote to work in a baggie for a refreshing treat.

5. CHERRIES - So good! An antioxidant power house cherries are cancer fighters and can help reduce inflammation in body. Grab a handful on your way out the door just remember to toss the pits!

Check out the eatright website to read more!