Table For One, Please!

Buckle up for a hard-and-fast breakdown on carbs!

I’m no dietitian, but from what I understand about what you should eat before working out, you need lots of carbs– and not just any carbs, but a mix of complex (usually starchy things like bread, rice, and potatoes) and simple carbs (fruits!). It’s pretty easy to achieve this, though! Protein is also necessary. Simple toast with peanut butter and bananas will provide you with a good amount of both. Yogurt and granola, or yogurt based smoothies with oatmeal are another good option– I used to make peanut butter smoothies before going for a climb. Keep in mind that for most workouts, you really don’t need much: one slice of toast or a small, 6-8oz smoothie will generally do you quite well. Save the bigger meals for long hikes!

However, you’ll find that most guides on eating healthy tell you to avoid carbs, and for good reason. Carbs and sugar go hand in hand, and sugar is terrible for you. There’s also the problem of “wheat belly,” which is that pouch of fat on the stomach that the average person can’t get rid of no matter how hard they try– it has to do with how the body processes wheat (wheat beers also contribute to this– and beer bellies!). So it seems that it’s a vicious cycle, right? Eat carbs to work out, work out because you eat carbs?

Kind of. There is such a thing as a “good” carb, though– whole wheat bread vs refined white bread is an obvious example. Nuts have tons of good carbs AND good fats (”Wait, there’s good fat??” I hear some people say. It’s true: the fat that comes from beans, nuts, yogurt, etc, is actually good for you– in fact, it’s necessary for you to be healthy as your body can only take in vitamins A, D, and E through fat! Just be careful with saturated fats). So when you’re eating good carbs and also working out, you can be confident that you’re making good choices for yourself. You just need to be aware of how many “refined” carbs you’re eating, because too many of those cause your blood sugar levels to spike, which then actually triggers the “eat more” signal in your brain when it drops again– even if you don’t actually need to eat.

So, the brown rice and broccoli you mentioned are good carbs. Others include quinoa, sweet potatoes, bananas, oats, legumes, nuts, and seeds. When it comes to protein, people always talk about chicken because it has much less saturated fat than beef or pork. But don’t forget about turkey and fish, or vegetable proteins if you avoid meat altogether! These have the same benefit.

And, as always, everything in moderation. Every meat has its own list of pros and cons. Beef and pork certainly won’t kill you if you eat them a few times a week, just don’t be eating a prime rib every night (well, unless you’re eating one, single, solitary rib. That’s probably okay*). So, finally, here is a list of recipes that avoid the “chicken, rice, and broccoli” diet:

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls (GF and Vegan)

Lemon Garlic Pork Tenderloin (tenderloin has a relatively low fat content compared to other cuts of pig)

15 under-30-minute salmon recipes from iFoodReal

Shrimp and Vegetable Summer Rolls (easy to make without shrimp for a vegetarian option)

Channel your inner Scarlet Witch with Chicken Paprikash

Beef Tenderloin and Pickled Onions (Again, a less fatty tenderloin, plus beef and pickled onions are so great together. Pickled onions are so easy, too! Just slice up a red onion and add it to a jar with vinegar, a little sugar, and some seasonings and you’ve got an easy topping for your veggie bowls and sandwiches.)

What? Even dessert? You bet! Caramel Pudding

And last of all, please keep in mind that every person is different, and what works for others may not work for you for a variety of reasons. If in doubt about what you can eat, always talk to your doctor. I can’t answer this question in a way that’s perfect for everyone, but if anyone would like recipes good for their specific diet needs, I’m always here to help!

Hi! One of the most important things to remember about fried rice is that you need to start with dry, cooked rice.

“But wait!” you might say. “Aren’t those two mutually exclusive?”

What I mean is, most people will tell you that you have to start with cold rice. But it’s actually not the temperature that makes the difference here, it’s how dry the rice has gotten! Here’s the TL;DR of how I do rice for fried rice, with a more involved version below:

TL;DR version: cook the rice in boiling chicken broth nearly 1:1, with a little extra liquid, for 17-20 minutes. When it’s done, spread it out on a cookie sheet and leave it in the fridge overnight. THEN fry it.

Patience talks too much version:

1. I cook it nearly 1:1 with boiling water, with just a little more water than rice. Like around a quarter of a cup extra for 1 cup of rice, though it’s not an exact science for me.

2. Rice goes into the pot uncooked with some oil and chicken bouillon (or veggie, or beef… whatever you prefer! Also add spices if you want! It technically makes the rice into a pilaf, but it improves the flavor 100000%) over high heat for a couple minutes until the grains start to turn opaque.

3. Then add the water. If you have an electric kettle, it’s SUPER helpful to boil the water before adding it, though adding it cold is just fine. Bring the water to a boil in that case, switch heat to low, and cover! Another good practice, if you have space, is to actually turn a different burner to low and move the pot to that one, instead of using the same burner. That helps keep the rice from burning!

4. Set timer for 17 minutes. If you’re me, you’ll be cooking something else at the same time and forget to actually take it off the burner at 17 minutes, so it’ll end up being more like 20… but that’s actually good for our purposes in this case! A little extra time like that makes the rice more dry but doesn’t overcook it.

5. Now, once the pot is off the burner, leave the lid on for another minute or two. Then use a fork to fluff.

6. Now grab a cookie sheet.

7. Trust me. Cookie sheet. Spread your hot, tasty, steamy rice out over it. Stick it in the fridge.

8. NOW LEAVE IT ALONE. All night is preferable.

Come morning, your rice will be super dry and ready for frying! Throw it in the pan with your seasonings and other ingredients, and I HIGHLY recommend adding a little Worcestershire sauce and/or fish sauce, which will help the savor on top of the extra flavor from the chicken broth.

And, if you’re really adventurous like I was last week… cover your rice frying pan with a quarter inch of oil and heat until smoking. Get a second pan out for your veggies/eggs/other ingredients, but add your cold, dry rice to the smoking oil and fry it in that for a couple minutes. Take it out with a slotted spatula and transfer it to a plate covered with paper towels (to soak up the oil) and you’ll have the tastiest pseudo-deep-fried rice ever. I was amazed.