5 Energy-Boosting Veggies to Add to Your Pro Cheer Diet

We all need to have more energy to fulfill our daily responsibilities. This energy need should even be higher for aspiring and current pro cheerleaders. Why? Because you have audition prep or squad activities to do on top of your full-time career and personal errands.

Yet, getting your daily calorie needs can be quite challenging especially with the wide availability of refined and processed foods. So what should you eat? Protein-rich foods may be great as your energy source, but you should also supplement them with vegetables for more energy. Especially the ones rich in complex carbohydrates. Let’s take a dive deeper into the topic.

The Best Vegetables Contain Complex Carbs

Complex carbohydrates refer to foods with molecules that form long complex chains. Unlike simple carbohydrates, they have more nutrients, are high in fiber, and digest more slowly. As a result of eating veggies with complex carbohydrates, your blood glucose levels slowly increase and you won't experience any crashes.

This gives you a long-lasting supply of energy for audition preparation, game day performances, and other squad-related activities while staying satiated. Simple carbohydrates are often found in foods that are sweet, refined, or processed. A few examples would be ice cream, white bread, chips, and soft drinks.

Eating simple carb foods gives you an energy boost but it would only last for a short while. This could make you get hungry easily as you experience an energy crash. You’ll then keep on eating to resupply your calories and gain unwanted weight in the long run. As much as possible, eat foods that have complex carbohydrates instead of those with simple carbs.

5 Examples of the Best Veggies with Complex Carbs

1. Potatoes

This tuber is one of the vegetables that contain vitamin C. In skin beauty, vitamin C is very important for the synthesis of collagen - a protein that keeps your skin supple and firm.

Did you know that a potato is 80% water and 20% solids? A meal with potatoes could help you stay hydrated even during hot weather!

Discover a healthy potato recipe here.

2. Yam

Another vegetable that helps you retain hydration is the yam. It is rich in potassium and manganese that regulates your bodily fluids and improves your brain and body coordination - very useful especially for dancing in the arena. Despite their similar appearance to sweet potatoes, yams aren’t really tubers. Rather, they are closely related to lilies and grasses in the botanical families.
Discover a healthy yam recipe here.

3. Carrots

Carrots are rich in carotenoids and anthocyanins - two antioxidants that significantly reduce risks of having cancer. They are also packed with calcium and vitamin K which strengthens your bones, muscles for the physical demands of pro cheerleading. Did you know that carrots back then were originally grown for medicinal purposes and not food?

Discover a healthy carrot recipe here.

4. Radish

After working out, you’ll need to eat food that helps you recover from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Radish should be included in your recovery meal. This root vegetable is high in folate which promotes red blood cell formation and healthy cell growth. It’s also high in riboflavin which improves the breakdown of macronutrients to be converted into calories.

Discover a healthy radish recipe here.

5. Okra

Okra may not be a delectable veggie to those who aren’t accustomed to it. But it has a high magnesium content. This mineral is essential for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body. A study also shows that magnesium boosts athletic performance. Aside from being eaten, this vegetable can be used as a natural skincare ingredient by applying it to your skin after boiled and mashed.

Discover a healthy okra recipe here.

Vegetables are truly the gift of nature. They can supply your body with protein, give you the energy you need, provide various health benefits, make you beautiful, and keep you fit. You should aim to eat meals that have vegetables in them.

Want more food topics with veggies in them? Check these ones out!

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