Cook with Kathleen
Pre-workout recipe: Easy Bake French Toast Casserole
Everyone loves French Toast, right? It is a great source of carbohydrates that are necessary for the energy to propel you forward in a workout or race. Providing your body with all the carbohydrate it needs will prevent the loss of muscle protein during the fasting state that occurs during exercise.
This recipe has an even higher carbohydrate:protein ratio than the recommended 4:1 for pre competition meals. The simple carbohydrates in the white French bread enter the energy pathway rapidly fueling your exercise right from the beginning. The topping you sprinkle on before baking makes a syrup upon heating; so you don’t need to use any additional syrup!
This is a great recipe to make the night before. The bread sits in the egg batter covered in the refrigerator. Then the next day, add the topping and bake! A perfect dish for pre-exercise. Refrigerate and cover any leftovers; then heat up in the oven at 400° for about 5-7 minutes until it reaches your desired level of crispiness. These leftovers will last for a week when covered in the frig.
NOTE: Do not microwave leftovers. They will become rubbery upon heating.
Post workout modification: Use whole wheat bread and replace a couple of the eggs with egg whites and you can convert the pre exercise 4:1 carbohydrate:protein to the post exercise 3:1. It’s all good!
Easy Bake French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
1 loaf French bread
6 eggs
2 C nonfat milk
¾ C half-n-half
½ C sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
For Topping
½ C packed brown sugar
¼ C all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp margarine
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut bread into cubes or tear into small pieces.
3. Place in a 9×13 inch-baking pan that has been sprayed with PAM.
4. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, half-n-half, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over bread in pan.
5. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.
6. Cut butter into small pieces and place over flour mixture.
7. With a fork blend butter into mixture. Sprinkle over bread.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake for additional 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for additional 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
| Carbs | 82g |
| Protein | 17g |
| Fats | 18g |
| Calories/1 cup | 546kcal |
| Approx. cost/serving | $1.40 |
Dr. Kathleen Deegan is currently the Sports Nutrition Consultant for the 21 teams at Sacramento State University and the Fueling Specialist for the Sacramento Running Association and the California International Marathon. Prior to working for CSUS, Dr. Deegan worked for the NFL as a Team Nutritionist.
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