Energy Recipes for Riders

Here are some ideas you can put together once a week for snacks, plus meals to bring to work, the gym or the barn to increase your energy from the inside. For more tips on increasing your barn energy, click here.

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Simple smoothie (see recipe below)
• Greek yogurt parfait (see recipe below)
• Banana with milk or cup of yogurt

Lunch on the go

• Chicken & hummus lettuce wrap
• Sweet potato smoothie(see recipe below)

Snacks

• • Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts,

cashews, pistachios)

• Banana with nut butter
• Spicy roasted chickpeas (see recipe below)
• Hard-boiled egg
• Cheese and whole-grain crackers
• Old-school “ants on a log”: peanut butter on celery with raisins. New school: almond butter with dried, reduced-sugar cranberries or cashew butter with dried cherries.

Recipes

Chicken & Hummus Lettuce Wrap

1. Spread hummus on a large lettuce leaf
2. Top with 2 slices deli turkey
3. 1/2 cup chopped chicken breast
4. Add shredded carrots and thin cucumber slices (plus any other veggies you’d like)
5. Can add avocado slices for extra flavor and healthy fat
6. Roll up and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Smoothie

• 1/2 medium baked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 banana (or 1/2 cup berries)
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 3 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

1. Rinse & drain chickpeas
2. Season with olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper in a small bowl
3. Spread out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes

Simple Smoothie

• 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup fresh fruit
• 1 Tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)

Blend and enjoy!

No-bake energy bites

• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted & chopped
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
• Zest & juice from a medium lemon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional

1. Put dates, nuts and seeds in food processor and pulse several times to chop
2. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla and process until mixture comes together
3. Form into balls and store in fridge or freezer (makes 14)

From The Lean Green Bean Blog (www.theleangreenbean.com)