Most of us are watching what our favorite Olympians are doing and often emulating their styles, following their training regimens and attempting some of their moves with varying levels of success. One thing everyone can do like an Olympian is snack!

Here are some of the times and reasons Olympians snack and what they found are the best things to snack on for each:

Endurance fuel – flapjacks

If you are looking to fuel an intensive training session, a good option is a homemade flapjack. Flapjacks are made with oats which are a fantastic source of slow-release carbohydrates. What’s the advantage of making your flapjacks at home? You KNOW what has gone into them – so you don’t get all the additives and extra sugar.

Before workout – mini-meals

If you’re doing some strength training – really working on your muscles – a mini-meal is great. Rice and chicken, a bagel with salmon or ham. Pretty simple and can often be made from leftovers. Simple yet enough to fuel an afternoon session. Mini-meals have everything needed for a workout, including some carbohydrates for energy and a little bit of protein for muscles.

Recovery – a pint of milk

A pint of milk makes a really good recovery snack. It has 15-20g of protein, 20-30g of carbs, and it is fluid. It’s nature’s recovery drink.

The three nutrients provided in milk are the most important ones for recovery.

• Protein helps the muscles to regenerate, increases muscle protein synthesis, and helps your body to adapt to training.
• Carbohydrates replenish the energy you used in training.
• Fluids are essential to replace what you lost in sweat.

Building muscle – beef jerky

This great source of protein – which is crucial for developing muscle – will last through some pretty intensive workouts. What’s even better is that it can be taken anywhere. The non-marinated versions are better because the sauces cause the sugar content to go up. Avoid anything with barbecue sauce or honey. PLAIN is the way to go.

Crushing hunger – baked eggs

This is really a mini-omelette, convenient because they can be made in batches. Load up a muffin tin with your omelette mix, add veggies like onion or pepper or some ham. Bake for 15 minutes and – voila! – you have portable omelettes. These little jewels keep athletes feeling full and provide some protein for muscles.

Beating mid-afternoon slumps – almonds

A bag of nuts – even a mix of almonds, with a few walnuts and cashews – keeps athletes energized during the afternoon. Nothing salty or coated in other bad stuff, but simple plain nuts will keep athletes’ blood sugar stable. Limit consumption of nuts since their fat content is pretty high. No need to have more than a handful.

Before bed – cherries and Greek yogurt

Consuming slow-release proteins prior to bedtime can help stimulate muscle protein synthesis while athletes sleep. Greek yogurt is a great source of quality slow-release protein. More and more choices are available in local supermarkets so this snack is no longer difficult to find. Add a few cherries (proven to be a natural sleep aid) may help the athlete fall asleep more quickly.

Source: English Institute of Sports