If you regularly hit the weights room, running track or spin bike, you’ll know it’s important to refuel within 60 minutes. That’s not so easy if you’re at the gym and away from your kitchen. That’s where portable snacks, like these muffins, come in handy. Portable snacks packed full of muscle loving goodness.
Dairy has long been shown to aid muscle recovery. Whether it’s a whey protein shake or chocolate milk, it’s the darling of sports nutrition. But you don't have to drink your post workout dairy. Cheese contains the same high-quality protein, which will help repair your worn out muscles. But cheese also contains beneficial bacteria. These break down the lactose in milk during the fermentation process, making cheese much easier to digest. The probiotics in cheese may also explain why it can help to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of diabetes1.
The other essential for muscle recovery, of course, is protein. The eggs, especially the whites, and the protein powder plus the cheese add up to 10g of protein per muffin.
So next time you throw your towel in your gym bag, make sure you add a couple of these.
P.S. Include a banana for added carbohydrate if you’ve really sweated your socks off.
Ros’s Tip: If you’re dairy intolerant, remove the cheddar and replace with 15g of nutritional yeast for a dairy free alternative. Or try sheep’s milk manchego or goat’s milk cheddar if you can tolerate these.
What you need
- 115g courgettes
- 30g cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 whole eggs
- 225g egg whites (approx. yield from 4 large eggs)
- 55g unflavoured pea protein powder
- 30g plain flour (wheat-based or gluten free)
- a pinch of salt and pepper
Makes 10 muffins
Method
Set the oven to 150°C and line a muffin tray with 10 cases.
Coarsely grate the courgette and cheese into a bowl. Add the oregano and stir to combine.
Place the whole eggs, egg white, protein powder and plain flour in a food processor. Blend together until smooth. Pour into the bowl containing the courgettes and cheese. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything together to ensure the courgette is evenly distributed through the batter.
Divide the mixture between 10 muffin cases. Each case will take about 1-2 tablespoons.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The muffins are ready when puffed up and golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Ros Bates created 'A Manner of Eating' to provide recipes and resources for those with food intolerances. She is also Head of Nutrition at Healthy Start Holidays.
- Visioli F, Strata A. Milk, Dairy Products, and Their Functional Effects in Humans: A Narrative Review of Recent Evidence. Advances in Nutrition. 2014;5(2):131-143
