Healthy Pudding Recipes & Frozen Dinner Options

MYTH VS. FACT

Myth: “I am an athlete. I can eat fast food for every meal and it won’t hurt me because I burn TONS of calories.”

Fact: Yes, you are right…As an athlete you are a metabolic machine, but you want to provide your body with food and nutrients that fuel it for performance. So eat more whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats (peanut butter, nuts, flaxseed, seeds, olive oil, avocado, fish) on a normal basis and save the fast food meals for 1-2 times/week on a non-practice day.

Sports Nutrition 101

Is this year looking busier than ever? If so, be prepared with quick, healthy options. Go frozen!

Frozen food healthy? Really?! In a perfect world we would all prepare a fresh, nutrient-rich breakfast, eat healthy snacks of fruit & vegetables throughout the day and eat dinner at home every night. However, reality says that most athletes are on the go, skip breakfast and grab fast food for dinner. So how do we bridge the gap between healthy and reality? One option is going with healthy frozen foods. This day and age the grocery store provides all sorts of healthy frozen foods from breakfast to dinner. Now is fresh always better? Yes! But when fresh isn’t an option, let’s look at some healthy alternatives…

Nope…it’s not a toaster strudel frozen pastry breakfast!
• Kashi Honey Oat or Blueberry Waffles are made with 7 whole grains
• Aunt Jemima’s Whole Grain Pancakes provide 3 gm of fiber & 7 gm of protein
• Jimmy Dean’s D-Light Turkey Sausage/Egg White/Cheese Breakfast sandwich only has 7gm of fat and NO trans fat
• South Beach’s Southwestern Style Breakfast Wrap has 6 gm of fiber & less than 200 calories
• Amy’s Organic Steel Cut Oats Hot Cereal 5 gm of fiber & 6 gm of protein

You guessed it…not pepperoni pizza minis for lunch!
• South Beach’s Chicken & Vegetable Individual Pizza has whole grain crust & 10 gm of fiber
• Turkey/Broccoli/Cheese Whole Grain Lean Pocket has 10 gm of protein & less than 400 mg of sodium
• Lean Cuisine Meals are made with whole grains & no preservatives. They make meals, sandwiches, pizzas and more.
• Kashi’s frozen meals are made with 7 whole grains & have less than 350 calories per meal
• Frozen vegetables now come in single serving containers & can steam in the bag

Definitely not a hot wings & dip for dinner!
• Kashi’s Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza can feed 3 people at 300 calories per serving
• Green Giant offers 100% Natural Valley Fresh Steamers in a variety of vegetable combinations
• Voila!’s Be Well Chicken Teriyaki & Vegetables has 4 gm of fiber & 17 gm of protein per cup
• Amy’s Organic offers a Light in Sodium Vegetable Lasagna individual entrée
• Pilgrim’s Pride has an EatHealthyStayWell boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast that can be used for sandwiches, wraps, stir-fry or even for healthy quesadillas

Ways to add extra calories for athletes try to gain weight or increase energy intake…
• Add Pepperidge Farms Whole Grain Garlic Toast…each slice contains 150 calories, 14 gm of
carbohydrate & 4 gm of protein
• Add a Pepperidge Farms Garlic Breadstick…each contains 160 calories & 25 gm of carbohydrate
• Add Amy’s Organic Stuffed Pasta Shells Bowl to a meal…it provides 310 calories, 19 gm of protein & 400 mg of calcium which is 1/3 of an athlete’s daily needs
• Add Amy’s Organic Tortilla Casserole & Black Bean Bowl…it provides almost 400 calories, 7 gm of fiber and would be a great side item for an athlete
• Top off dinner with a large Smucker’s Uncrustable Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich…already pre-made and packed individually, each sandwich provides 320 calories, 13 gm of healthy fat and 10 gm of protein

Though in a hurry, athletes need nutrient-rich food. In addition, they need to consume a decent amount of sodium to replace what was sweated out during practice. Frozen food is typically higher in sodium than fresh food and thus can be a good choice for athletes. Teaching them how to choose healthy frozen food choices are a great way to fill the gap when mom and dad are not around to cook or when the athlete comes home between practices. These food options are quick and easy for the athlete to prepare on his/her own.

Healthy Bites…Recipe of the Month

“Power Protein Pudding”…Need a sweet night time snack that is tasty and protein-rich? Try these puddings!

Most athletes need a snack after dinner. Between school, athletics class, and practices they are burning lots of energy! The goal is to fuel the body often so it has energy to perform optimally and nutrients for repair and recovery. When the body sleeps it goes into “repair & rebuild mode”. This means that it begins to mend small tears in muscles and repair any damage that was done during the day. Thus a night time snack is a great place to add some calories and some protein. If the body has the right “ingredients” it is able to repair and build muscle adequately thus enhancing the athlete’s recovery.

Let’s breakdown “The Power Protein Pudding” ingredients…  When making desserts healthy and nutrient rich, the goal is to use quality ingredients. In the case of the protein puddings we will be using whey protein which is a milk protein, high in the amino acid leucine and thus a great component for muscle repair. We will also use milk which is nature’s recovery fluid. It has carbohydrate, protein, is 90% water and is full of vitamins & minerals essential for athletes like potassium and B vitamins. (Protein pudding recipes derived from the book, Eating For Life.)

“Berries-n-Cream” Protein Pudding Recipe
• 1 cup cold skim milk
• 6 oz Dannon Light-n-Fit vanilla yogurt
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 package (4-serving size) fat-free, sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup berries
• 1 cup Light Cool Whip
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk and yogurt until smooth. Stir in whey protein powder. Add
pudding mix and whisk until well blended (about 2 minutes). Spoon a portion of pudding mixture into four dessert bowls. Chill in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Top with berries and a dollop of Cool Whip. Enjoy!!!
Nutrition Facts per Serving (4 servings per recipe):
Calories: 150, Carbohydrate: 24 gm, Fiber: 1 gm, Protein: 9 gm, Fat: 2.5 gm, Cholesterol: 20 mg

“Chocolate Mousse” Protein Pudding Recipe
• 1 cup cold skim milk
• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 2 Tbs. fat-free, sugar-free chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3⁄4 cup Light Cool Whip
• Pour milk in blender with whey protein powder and blend on medium speed for 15 seconds. Add pudding
mix and blend on high until thick and creamy (about 45 seconds). Pour chocolate mixture into medium mixing bowl and gently fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into two dessert bowls and chill in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!!!
Nutrition Facts per Serving (2 servings per recipe):
Calories: 178, Carbohydrate: 20 gm, Fiber: 0.5 gm, Protein: 16 gm, Fat: 4 gm, Cholesterol: 38 mg

“Butterscotch Bliss” Protein Pudding Recipe
• 1 cup cold skim milk
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 Tbs. fat-free, sugar-free butterscotch instant pudding mix
• 2/3 cup Light Cool Whip
• Pour milk in blender with whey protein powder and blend on medium speed for 15 seconds. Add pudding mix and blend on high until thick and creamy (about 45 seconds). Line two dessert bowls with Cool Whip and fill the center with pudding. Chill in refrigerator at least 20 minutes. Enjoy!!!
Nutrition Facts per Serving (2 servings per recipe):
Calories: 163, Carbohydrate: 18 gm, Fiber: 0 gm, Protein: 15.5 gm, Fat: 3.5 gm, Cholesterol: 38 mg
–Amy Goodson

Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a registered dietitian for Ben Hogan Sports Medicine and serves as the sports dietitian for the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, FC Soccer Dallas, Jim McClean Golf School, Texas Christian University Athletics, and University of Texas at Arlington Athletics. In addition, she is an adjunct professor and dietetic intern preceptor for Texas Woman’s University, Texas Christian University and t