Vegetarian Chili That Any Runner Will Love

Earlier this month I featured a recipe for Turkey Macaroni. Gabby (one of RunnerDude's Blog's readers) emailed me with her tweaked vegetarian chili recipe that also uses macaroni. It's really simple and easy to make with a crock pot. Her teenage brother who shuns vegetarian dishes because "they're bland and never filling" absolutely loves this and is full after one bowl! Gabby says it's in the beans. She admits the list of ingredients is long, but she says the final product is worth it. The dish will feed an entire family with plenty of leftovers. It tastes better the next day and is full of protein and carbs, perfect to eat after a long run or hard track workout.

Gabby's Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients: • 2 cans (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups (roughly 2 cans) reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 cloves of minced garlic (I use a tbsp of garlic powder)

• 1 tbsp (or whole) minced jalapeno, fresh or from a can
• 1 packet of chili seasoning (also works with a packet of taco or burrito seasoning, had to improvise a couple of times when I ran out of chili seasoning and it comes out great!)
• 2 tbsp of Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp of ground cumin
• 4 to 5 dashes of hot sauce (optional)
• half a pound of macaroni pasta (or 1/3 cup of couscous)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a slow cooker combine all ingredients except pasta. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours. 10 minutes before severing add the macaroni pasta. Cook pasta until desired texture. Just before serving top off with cheese and cilantro. Makes a lot.

Gabby's training for the Nike Women's Marathon (October, 2009) and raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! I'm sure she'd love your support. Check out her fundraising website for more details on the event and how you can make a donation. You can also visit her blog for the latest training update!

Sooner Than Later Is Better

Research shows that post-workout eating is critical to a rebuilding muscle and the sooner you do it the better. When you exercise you're actually tearing muscle and depleting your glycogen stores. These stores need to be replenished as soon as possible. A good rule-of-thumb is to eat a ratio of 4:1 carbohydrates and protein (i.e., 4grams of carbs to every 1gram of protein) within 15-30 minutes of finishing your run. It's also important to rehydrate after your run. You can combine the rehydration with the carbs by drinking a sports drink. Accelerade—a 3-in-1 sports drink that provides the liquid, carbs, and protein—is great to drink during and after your run.
What kinds of foods are good for post-run eating? A lot!
• a glass of chocolate milk
• dried fruit and/or nuts (raw, unsalted)
• bagel with peanut butter or Nutella
• English muffin with cheese, peanut butter, or Nutella

• rice or popcorn cake with peanut butter or Nutella

• egg sandwich or eggs and toast

• turkey sandwich

• smoothie made with fruit, Greek yogurt, and milk (for recipe, see archived 1/13 posting "Smooth Move")

• cottage cheese with fruit

• sports bar (be sure it's not loaded with extra sugar and fat)

For more post-run food options, click on any of the pictures above to view a video clip from sports dietition and Runner's World nutrition consultant, Leslie Bonci.