Fuelling On The Go

The vast range of products available for fuelling on the go can seem like an enigma of bars, shakes and powders. By learning about what your body needs and the best nutrients to include, you can make informed decisions on your meal replacement options.

When you live an active lifestyle, you need more calories and nutrients than required in a sedentary environment. Similarly, when you’re training to lose weight, you need a smart way to get all your essential nutrition without any empty calories.

Athletes and gym-goers need a variety of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals for optimum performance and overall health. However, you need the right quality and quantity of nutrients when fuelling on the go, or your body won’t be adequately replenished.

Healthy Meal Replacement

Meal replacement is a convenient and healthy way to boost your diet when fuelling on the go especially if you’re training hard or on a weight loss programme. You can use meal replacement bars, shakes and powders to substitute full meals while giving your body Meal replacement is a convenient and healthy way to boost your diet when fuelling on the go especially if you’re training hard or on a weight loss programme. You can use meal replacement bars, shakes and powders to substitute full meals while giving your body the complete range of nutrients for optimum health. Good quality meal replacement shakes like PhD Life COMPLETE provide you with all essential minerals and nutrients and include probiotics to support optimal functioning throughout the day. Life complete is a completely vegan product that is enriched with ashwagandha and matcha green tea extract to naturally keep you energised.

Look for shakes that give you comprehensive nutrition that includes:

• essential vitamins and minerals
• prebiotics and probiotics
• antioxidants like polyphenols
• adaptogens or other stress protectors
• digestive enzymes

MEAL REPLACEMENT BARS

Meal replacement bars are good protein sources and are easy to carry with you to make sure you’re fuelling on the go. Although they can be filling and nutritious, they lack adequate fibre. Many only contain a few grams, and adults are recommended to consume at least 30g fibre a day, equating to about 10g per meal. To ensure you are getting the right balance of nutrients, you should eat a fruit or vegetable alongside a meal replacement bar.

Choose meal replacement bars that each contain:

• less than 250 calories with no added sugar
• around 15g protein
• under 5g fat
• 5g fibre or more
• added vitamins and minerals

READY TO DRINK PROTEIN SHAKES

Protein shakes are the perfect modern meal in a convenient form for fuelling on the go. They are an easy way to fuel on the go without having to eat a full meal. Quality protein shakes are so nutritious they’re the ideal supplement to your diet, whether you’re looking for convenience or not.

Research indicates that consuming protein shakes either pre or post-workout is beneficial for muscle growth. You can also use protein shakes for weight loss if you use them in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. With plenty of choice, and dairy-free and gluten-free products available, protein shakes are a tasty, filling and nutritious on the go option to keep your protein high.

PROTEIN POWDERS

Popular for weight training and weight loss, protein powders provide the optimal nutrients for developing muscle and recovering from workouts. The most widely available types of protein powder are:

• Whey protein – derived from milk, whey protein is easily absorbed so it acts quickly to repair, maintain and build muscle
• Casein protein – also derived from milk, casein powder is absorbed slowly by your body, which is beneficial if you’re on a calorie-restricted weight loss diet
• Vegan protein – suitable if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, vegan protein is commonly obtained from peas, hemp or soy

Protein powders offer a more cost-effective solution to a high protein diet, that paired with the unlimited variants of types of protein and flavours leaves an option for everyone. Unlike ready to drink shakes protein powders tend to have a minimal amount of carbohydrate within them. Whilst on the go packing a shake and a banana for a well-rounded snack that hits all your macro and micronutrients in recommended.

PhD offers a diverse range of protein powders to best suit individual needs. The top 3 protein powders includes Diet whey our best-selling range which offers a low calorie protein shake in a variety of flavours from birthday cake to mint chocolate. If you are not a fan of Whey, the Diet range also offers a Diet Plant version providing a combination of Pea and Soy protein to offer maximum effectiveness. Diet whey is recommended for those looking to lose fat and maintain lean muscle.

If you’re someone who is looking for a great tasting protein, PhD Smart Protein is your go to protein. Available in 3 delicious flavours and a Smart Plant Protein range, this is our most versatile protein. You can drink, bake and consume this protein in a mousse form when mixed up with milk or water.

For those who are serious gym goers, who are looking to build your muscle mass, PhD Synergy is the protein powder for you! The suggestive serving provides a high protein count, mixed in with carbs to accelerate muscle recovery and creatine to really maximise muscle growth and repair.

The best way to take your powder on the go is to pop a serving into your shaker and when you’re ready to consume, fill the shaker with 2-300ml of water, shake and enjoy!

HEALTHY SNACKS

Snack foods are a good way of refuelling between meals, but it can be difficult to choose the right ones. Unhealthy snacks often look appealing but contain empty calories and little nutritional value. It’s important to know how to spot the healthy options that will satisfy your hunger and provide the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. What you would like to avoid when snacking on the go is high sugar snacks that will spike your blood sugar levels but not keep you satiated.

SNACKS FOR SUSTAINED ENERGY

Snacks containing whole grain carbs, protein and healthy fats will give you the slow-release fuel to keep you sustained:

• Oats – foods like porridge help you feel full and are a rich source of slow-release energy, protein and fibre PhD flapjack+ provides 19g of protein in addition to a healthy amount of carbs from oats to keep your energy sustained throughout the day.
• Yoghurt – natural Greek yoghurt replenishes your body with probiotics and protein
• Fruit – some fruits, like apples and bananas, moderate your blood sugar levels
  base for your favourite healthy topping
• Hummus – high in healthy fats, plant-based protein and fibre
• Peanut butter – packed with healthy fatty acids and vitamin E
• Nuts and seeds – high in healthy fatty acids and protein

SNACKS BEFORE OR DURING EXERCISE

Whatever the length or intensity of your workout, always maintain your hydration levels with regular sips of water. You should avoid snacking while doing a short workout, but in long high-intensity sessions, you need to refuel.

If you start to flag during a workout, carbs are your best friend contrary to snacks for sustained energy you will need fast digesting carbs that will provide instant energy. This will replenish your muscles, while glucose will keep your brain alert and focused. Aim to consume a snack 60-90 mins prior to your workout if you are working out at a high intensity for longer than 90 minutes you might want to consider packing a intra workout snack as well:

• Cereal Bars – fast digesting simple carbs to keep glycogen stores high.
• Rice cakes – simple carbs to keep you fuelled.
• Dried fruit – sultanas, raisins and prunes are high in glucose to feed your brain, and they help with inflammation and muscle repair.
• Fruit – bananas are great due to their carb and potassium content which supports your muscles.
• PhD BCAA Intra workout – used to prevent muscle breakdown during sessions and uses coconut water extract to hydrate throughout your workout.

At PhD, we understand that you want to be at your best every day while maintaining good health, feeling well-rested, and full of energy. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep up with everyday demands, from fuelling on the go, maintaining your training regime and getting good night’s sleep at the end of it all.

To help you achieve just this, we created the Life Range; a series of supplements designed to address all of the most integral parts of your mental and physical wellbeing. The Life Range ensures that you have all of your body’s needs met in one simple selection of supplements, allowing you to focus on doing your best each day. Shop the range here.

Written by Team PhD