Ingredients:

• 2 eggs (optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
• ⅔ cup orzo
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup chopped baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese 
• Fresh dill 

Instructions:

1. Start by cooking the soft-boiled eggs (if you are using them). Bring a pot of water to simmer over medium heat. Lower the eggs in and cook for 6 1/2 minutes. Move the eggs to an ice bath to cool and peel.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper stirring frequently, until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the orzo to the skillet and toss the butter mixture to coat all the orzo. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach is slightly wilted. Divide into bowls and add the feta and dill and place the eggs on top.

The post Indulge Your Carb Craving With This Lemon Spinach Orzo Recipe appeared first on yourdailysportfix.com.

Breakfast

Start by eating quality carbs at breakfast. Carbs replenish your body after workouts and they help you prepare for workouts later in the day. A well-rounded breakfast should include carbs, protein, and fat. Great options for breakfast include oatmeal with fruits and nut butter or a whole-grain bagel with egg and avocado.

Beans

Bean are full of protein and complex carbs. They’re great in soups, salads, pasta, tacos, and chillies.

Pasta and Bread

Pasta and bread are often seen as unhealthy carbs, but they actually are complex carbs that give you energy. Choose whole-grain versions that have more fiber, protein, and micronutrients than white ones. When having pasta or bread, pair them with protein, fat, and veggies.

Potatoes

Potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbs and they’re high in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. Use them as pizza crusts, in soups or salads, or pair them with eggs.

Fruit

While fruit contains sugar, it’s a carb packed with vitamins and minerals. Snack on fruits with yogurts, nuts, or cheese.

The post What’s the Healthiest Way to Increase Carbs? appeared first on yourdailysportfix.com.

Simple Carbs

Simple carbs are known as sugar and they’re made up of up to two sugar building blocks connected in a chain. The building blocks can be glucose, fructose, or galactose. They’re broken down easily and digested and absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. Some foods that are high in simple carbohydrates include sweeteners (table sugar, syrup, and honey), candy, jellies, and refined flour. Fruits, vegetables, and beans also have simple carbs in addition to vitamins and minerals.

Complex Carbs

Complex carbs are starch or fiber and they’re made from three or more sugars connected in a chain. Complex carbs often contain fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They take a longer time to break down resulting in a more gradual insulin response and they’ll keep you feeling full longer. Bread, pasta, rice, beans, whole grains, and vegetables are all high in complex carbs.

How to Choose the Right Carbs

In general, it’s best to choose carbs from nutrient-dense sources and to eat more complex carbs than simple carbs. It’s recommended to eat vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, 100% whole-grain breads, and brown rice. When consuming complex carbs, try and eat fewer ones from refined sources because the nutrients are removed from them. In regards to simple carbs, eat them in moderation as they are considered “empty calories” because they are high in calories and contain every few micronutrients. Fruits and milk are an exception to the rule as they have lots of vitamins and minerals.

The post What’s the Deal With Carbs? appeared first on yourdailysportfix.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs (optional)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
• ⅔ cup orzo
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup chopped baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese 
• Fresh dill 

Instructions:

1. Start by cooking the soft-boiled eggs (if you are using them). Bring a pot of water to simmer over medium heat. Lower the eggs in and cook for 6 1/2 minutes. Move the eggs to an ice bath to cool and peel.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper stirring frequently, until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the orzo to the skillet and toss the butter mixture to coat all the orzo. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach is slightly wilted. Divide into bowls and add the feta and dill and place the eggs on top.

The post Indulge Your Carb Craving With This Lemon Spinach Orzo Recipe appeared first on yourdailysportfix.com.

Breakfast

Start by eating quality carbs at breakfast. Carbs replenish your body after workouts and they help you prepare for workouts later in the day. A well-rounded breakfast should include carbs, protein, and fat. Great options for breakfast include oatmeal with fruits and nut butter or a whole-grain bagel with egg and avocado.

Beans

Bean are full of protein and complex carbs. They’re great in soups, salads, pasta, tacos, and chillies.

Pasta and Bread

Pasta and bread are often seen as unhealthy carbs, but they actually are complex carbs that give you energy. Choose whole-grain versions that have more fiber, protein, and micronutrients than white ones. When having pasta or bread, pair them with protein, fat, and veggies.

Potatoes

Potatoes are an excellent source of complex carbs and they’re high in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. Use them as pizza crusts, in soups or salads, or pair them with eggs.

Fruit

While fruit contains sugar, it’s a carb packed with vitamins and minerals. Snack on fruits with yogurts, nuts, or cheese.

The post What’s the Healthiest Way to Increase Carbs? appeared first on yourdailysportfix.com.

Simple Carbs

Simple carbs are known as sugar and they’re made up of up to two sugar building blocks connected in a chain. The building blocks can be glucose, fructose, or galactose. They’re broken down easily and digested and absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. Some foods that are high in simple carbohydrates include sweeteners (table sugar, syrup, and honey), candy, jellies, and refined flour. Fruits, vegetables, and beans also have simple carbs in addition to vitamins and minerals.

Complex Carbs

Complex carbs are starch or fiber and they’re made from three or more sugars connected in a chain. Complex carbs often contain fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They take a longer time to break down resulting in a more gradual insulin response and they’ll keep you feeling full longer. Bread, pasta, rice, beans, whole grains, and vegetables are all high in complex carbs.

How to Choose the Right Carbs

In general, it’s best to choose carbs from nutrient-dense sources and to eat more complex carbs than simple carbs. It’s recommended to eat vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, 100% whole-grain breads, and brown rice. When consuming complex carbs, try and eat fewer ones from refined sources because the nutrients are removed from them. In regards to simple carbs, eat them in moderation as they are considered “empty calories” because they are high in calories and contain every few micronutrients. Fruits and milk are an exception to the rule as they have lots of vitamins and minerals.

The post What’s the Deal With Carbs? appeared first on yourdailysportfix.com.