Along with using P4’s pre and post workout supplements, a clean and varied whole-foods diet is necessary to promote maximum recovery gains. Next time you’re scheduling your meals, considering including these tasty and nutritious elements to your dish …
#1. Roasted Cauliflower
This cruciferous vegetable tends to be overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli, but should make a regular appearance in your diet. Why? Because the nutritional composition is remarkable: 1 cup of roasted cauliflower contains a mere 25 calories, 0 grams of fat, 3 grams fiber, and 2 grams protein. Plus, it’s loaded with Vitamin C (enough to provide 77% of the recommended daily value) and is a good source of vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, choline (B vitamin), niacin, phytonutrients, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.
Cauliflower also contains antioxidants that support detoxing in the body; for example, it has glucosinolates, which activates detoxification enzymes.
What’s more, this fabulous vegetable is versatile. You can consume it raw, add it to soups or salads, or use it as an ingredient while you cook. If you are trying to avoid starchy carbohydrates you can find cauliflower recipes to make pizza crust, substitute for rice, make breadsticks or bread, tator/cauliflower tots, ‘au gratin’.
Quinoa Lives Up To The Superfood Hype
#2. BrusselKale
These two superfoods, Brussels sprouts and kale, are both part of the cabbage family. And after 15 years of traditional crop breeding, this new non-genetically modified vegetable is now appearing in supermarkets nationwide. It looks like a tiny cabbage with green frilly leaves and streaks of purple, and it tastes sweet and nutty —subtler than a Brussels sprout or kale. Health benefits include ample amounts of fiber, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6. Additionally, it also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin K, B complex, potassium, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It comes in a bag pre-washed and ready to use.
There are also plenty of ways to consume BrusselKale: raw, steamed stir-fried, boiled or blanched.
Hard Boiled Eggs: The Perfect Protein Snack!
#3. Freekeh
What the freek!?!?! Pronounced freak-uh, this ancient grain found in the Middle East has been around for 2,000 years. The story goes that a field of green wheat was set on fire during a skirmish. The local villagers thought the crop was destroyed, but when they rubbed away the charred outer coating, the inner grain was still edible.
The word “freekeh” means “to rub” in Arabic, and it has a subtle smoky, nutty flavor. It is a wheat product and does contain a small amount of gluten, so it is not appropriate for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. It is versatile and a flavorful change to rice and quinoa, and it ranks low on the glycemic index.
You’ll find 130 calories in ¼ cup (dry), along with 8 grams protein, 4 grams dietary fiber and 26 grams carbohydrate. It’s high in iron and good source of zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, vitamin B6, lutein, and manganese.
Lastly, it can serve as a probiotic, or a nutrient that’s able to fuel growth of healthy (good) bacteria in the GI tract. Try freekeh as your new quick and easy go-to grain using it as a side dish, incorporated into salads, in place of rice or barley in soups and stews; cook it in almond milk for an alternative to your morning oatmeal.
At Proven4 we believe that proper nutrition, a strict training regimen, and our NSF Certified for Sport workout supplements —Pre Game Formula, Energy Formula, and Recovery Push Formula — can help you achieve optimal results in the gym and on the field.
