The longer our runs are, the more important our nutritional needs. Tara DelloIacono of Tara Dell Tells, goes over what’s important and what we should plan for in this week’s episode. She’s a Nutritional Strategist and Registered Dietitian who has worked with some of the top ultra-runners as well as numerous other endurance professional athletes.
Below are the recipes we talked about on the show.
RECIPES:
TARA’S ENERGY BARS
We closed the day experimenting with nutritious ingredients in the kitchen to make four varieties of one-of-kind energy snacks! While each group made it their own, here was the basic premise of the recipe.
Base Layer Ingredients:
¼ cup chopped flaxseeds
1 cups dates or figs chopped
1 cup steel-cut oats (could substitute with rolled oats or quinoa)
1/4 cup whey protein powder
1 cup raw almond, peanut, or sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw honey or ½ cup date paste
Optional Additions for added flavor and nutrition ( get creative
1/8 cup unsalted shelled sunflower seeds
1/8 cup chopped almonds
1/8 cup dried tart cherries or roughly chopped dried apricots
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ milk or dark chocolate chips
1/8 cup chia seeds
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Line an 8″ square baking pan with plastic wrap. Coat the inside with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine base ingredients and blend. Then add optional inclusions and blend. Process ingredients for about 1 minute, or until pieces are well blended and the mixture starts to move around the blade in one mass. Press batter into the pan and press vigorously to compact, or roll into balls. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into 16 bars. Leave refrigerated until ready to eat. Makes 16 bars.
CHIA SEED GU
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/3 cup water or fruit juice
1 tablespoon honey or rice syrup
1/8th teaspoon salt
Optional: cocoa powder
Stir the water with the seeds in a mixing bowl. Allow to sit 2-3 minutes. It should be the consistency of pudding. If too thick, add a little more water, if too thin, add a few more seeds. Add the rest of the ingredients and place in snack size ziplock baggies. Can also use reuseable ones you buy online. You can also find little jewelry baggies online.
Makes about 8-10 servings
You can try different flavors or add instant coffee flakes, there are many possibilities!