Blog

More often than not, the hardest part about starting to go to the gym again is just going!

Whether you’re a first-time gym goer or just starting to get back into a fitness routine, it can definitely feel intimidating stepping foot into a gym. Read on for our favorite beginner workout tips that will help kick off your healthy lifestyle.

5 Beginner Workout Tips

Don’t know where to start at the gym? Don’t worry - you’re not alone! Follow these beginner workout tips to feel a little less intimidated during your workout and have an effective exercise session:

1. Set realistic goals

When you start going to the gym, you can’t expect to spend hours every day working out. It’s best to begin to ease your body into a fitness routine by setting realistic goals based on your health and abilities. For instance, starting with 3, 30-minute workouts a week is a great way to get your body moving without overtraining (which can set your fitness goals back by a lot).

2. Find workouts you like

Working out should be enjoyable! With so many different kinds of workouts available (aerobic, cardio, weight training, etc.), there’s sure to be something that you genuinely like to do. Finding workouts that you enjoy may require some trial and error, but it’s ultimately what helps you create a workout routine you will keep up with in the long term.

3. Be consistent

For beginners and experts alike, the consistency of your workouts is far more important than the intensity of them. Consistent workouts help to avoid burnout and allow you to ease into more difficult or strenuous workouts over time depending on what your body can handle.

4. Incorporate warm-ups and cool-downs

It’s equally essential to warm your body up before a workout and help it cool down after. This often means a combination of stretches and pre- and post-workout snacks. The former helps ensure you don’t overwork your muscles and can help prevent sprains and sores, while snacks can help fuel your workout and make sure your body is building muscle (more on that next).

5. Optimize your nutrition

Finally, we can’t overlook the importance of healthy nutrition for gym newbies. A balanced diet with enough protein, carbs, and nutrients is vital for fueling your muscles before you exercise and helping them recover after.

Fuel For Fire: Healthy Workout Snacks

Sticking to healthy habits is easier when you start small. Fuel for Fire offers a variety of delicious and healthy, on-the-go, portable smoothie pouches, perfect for gym-goers of all experience levels.

Our delicious smoothies are packed with protein, offering both animal-derived as well as vegan, plant-based options, that are ideal for any diet and fueling your workouts. Fuel For Fire makes a delicious and filling pre-workout or post-workout snack!

Browse our selection of smoothies online to find your favorite flavor or use our store locator to find our products near you.

Sugar is often talked about in a negative way. And while much of the focus of these conversations surrounds the added sugars found in sweets and processed foods, what about sugar in fruit?

We’re here to separate fact from fiction and tell you everything you need to know about sugar in fruit so you can make healthy nutrition choices for your body.

Common Sugar Myths

Let’s start by debunking some of the common myths surrounding sugar:

You should avoid fruit if you’re trying to lose weight

Some popular diets (namely the keto diet) say to avoid fruit because it naturally contains sugar. However, this is a misconception. While fruit does contain fructose, it’s difficult to overindulge in this amount of sugar when eating a whole fruit. 

Fruits are also loaded with fiber, water, and have significant chewing resistance, meaning they take a while to eat and digest, making them a healthy snack to help with weight loss.

Sugar in fruit is the same as other sweeteners

When it comes to sugar, there are four main kinds: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and lactose. And they’re all different. It’s best to prioritize natural sugar (fructose) and avoid high amounts of the rest, especially sucrose which is otherwise known as table sugar.

It’s also important to avoid eating foods loaded with added sugars. If you’re curious about how much added sugar is in your favorite snack, make sure to look under the “Total Sugars” and/or “Added Sugars” on the nutrition label.

Fruit contains too much sugar

No. When compared to processed foods, whole fruits contain a minimal amount of sugar.

Fruit Facts

Now onto some of the sugar facts that are true:

Fruit is more filling than other snacks

There’s a reason you feel more full after eating an apple than your favorite bag of chips. Whole fruit is incredibly filling, partly because it takes a while to digest and allows the fructose to hit your liver slowly. 

Whole fruits are best

True. Whole fruits offer the most health benefits because processed fruit (like dehydrated fruit and fruit snacks) and fruit juices often contain added sugars to enhance the flavor. Whole fruit makes a healthy snack, especially when paired with other nutritious foods like nut butter or greens.

There are few calories in fruit

Yes, most fruits are low in calories and high in other nutrients and fiber. Grapefruits, apples, and stone fruit (peaches and plums) are especially good for you!

Fuel For Fire Protein Smoothies

Fuel For Fire pre-packaged protein smoothies have the right amount of fruit, vegetables, proteins, and fat that taste amazing and are easy to eat while on the go. And the best part? These tasty snacks contain no added sugar and are naturally sweetened by the fructose from real fruit used in our recipe. Now, you can have a convenient, tasty, and healthy snack to help with your health journey!

Look through our wide selection of naturally-sweetened protein smoothies online or use our store locator to find your favorite flavors near you.

When you work out, it’s just as important to fuel your body after your workout as it is to before. The right post-workout snacks can improve your body’s recovery time, effectively helping you build muscles and feel less sore so you can safely hit the gym again.

Now you’re likely wondering what to eat after a workout. We have you covered. Here are a few post-workout snacks to enjoy after you exercise!

Hard-Boiled Eggs

You will see a theme among these snacks: they are all high in protein. Eating protein after your workout not only helps your muscles heal, it also prevents the loss of lean mass. Essentially, post-workout snacks that have a lot of protein can help you look and feel your best after you exercise.

Eggs are a great source of protein and contain six grams of it! If you don’t like hard-boiled eggs, you can also make an omelet after your workout.

Whey Protein Drink

You may have heard of or seen whey protein. It’s one of the primary proteins found in dairy products and is typically sold in the form of powder. Whey protein provides a great number of essential amino acids that support the work of proteins in your body. In its powder form, you can add whey protein to liquids (like a drink) or even applesauce.

Grilled Chicken

Chicken is another protein-packed food that makes the perfect post-workout snack. The key to getting the most nutrients from chicken is in how you prepare it. Avoid frying or even baking chicken with bread crumbs. Simply grilling it with some seasoning makes it a delicious snack you can eat on its own or add to a salad, wrap, or burrito bowl.

Other Post-Workout Snacks

Of course, there are just a handful of the snacks that are good to eat after a workout. Here are a few others to consider depending on your personal taste and time:

• Salmon
• Sweet potato (baked)
• Tuna
• Oatmeal
• Almonds or any other nuts
• Cottage cheese
• Hummus
• Peanut butter or nut butter
• Whole grain toast or crackers
• String cheese
• Quinoa
• Greek yogurt

And, of course, you can’t go wrong with enjoying fruits and veggies after your workout as well. The only foods you should avoid are full-fat dairy products or highly processed snacks.

Fuel For Fire Protein Smoothie

Want to skip preparing a snack or meal? Fuel For Fire protein smoothies are packed with the nutrients that can help your body recover after a workout. Our pre-packaged protein smoothies have the right amount of fruit, vegetables, proteins, and fat that make for a delicious, filling, and easy-to-eat snack you can enjoy after a workout.

Look through our wide selection of post-workout smoothies online or use our store locator to find your favorite flavors near you.

Do you have a sweet tooth that can only be satisfied by sugary treats? You’re definitely not alone. And while milkshakes, cookies, and candy make a sweet treat on occasion, they aren’t known for being healthy or something you should indulge in too often.

Luckily, there are some sugar-free alternatives for these sweet treats. Here are some of our favorite sugar-free and low sugar snacks along with some tips for ensuring you’re choosing healthy snacks without added sugars.

4 Sugar-Free Snack Alternatives

Here are some snacks you can swap for sugary treats that will still satisfy your sweet tooth.

1. Love milkshakes, fruity smoothies, and bubble tea? Try a protein smoothie! Though not all smoothies are created equal, Fuel For Fire takes pride in making portable smoothies with no added sugar. Each original flavor has 10-12g protein and is sweetened with real fruit, nothing artificial.

2. Crave cookies? Whether you want a gooey baked cookie or are wanting to eat the dough by the spoonful (we won’t tell anyone), look for anything labeled keto. Keto cookie dough and snacks have no added sugar.

3. Dream of chocolate? Making the switch to dark chocolate can be better for your overall health. It contains beneficial antioxidants and minerals, and while it’s not sugar-free, it contains less sugar than milk and white chocolate.

4. Want a bowl of your favorite ice cream? Ice cream is the perfect summer treat, but a sugar-free alternative is sorbet. Look for low-sugar options at the grocery store or better yet, make your own at home with some fruits and dairy you have on hand. Fuel For Fire protein smoothies also taste delicious when chilled before eating and make a refreshing snack.

While these aren’t the only low-sugar snacks you can swap for your usual treat, they are some of the easiest to keep in your pantry so you can easily grab and enjoy them on the go.

How to Read a Nutrition Label

The key to finding sugar-free snacks is understanding how to read a nutrition label. Unfortunately, many snacks that label themselves as healthy or having low sugar have additives snuck in.

The FDA breaks down what you need to know about sugars on the nutrition label into two sections: Total Sugars and Added Sugars. The former are sugars naturally present in many nutritious foods and beverages, such as fruit. The latter, however, is sugars that are added during the processing of food and are considered unhealthy when consumed in excess.

When reading the nutrition label for your snacks, you should pay attention to both sugar contents. And when you’re looking for low-sugar snacks, make sure to avoid those with lots of Added Sugar that will be disclosed on the nutrition label.

Fuel For Fire Low-Sugar Smoothies

Fuel For Fire pre-packaged protein smoothies are always made with real fruit as the first ingredient. Our original flavors only have anywhere between 8-16 grams of Total Sugars and no added sugar ever. Look through our wide selection of protein smoothies online or use our store locator to find your favorite flavors near you.

It’s back-to-school season, and that means it’s time for shopping, planning, and revamping your kid’s lunchbox ideas.

While we love a classic PB&J as much as the next person, there are also plenty of school-friendly snacks that are sure to put a smile on your kid’s face while giving them all the energy they need to get through the day.

Here are some of the best kid-friendly snacks you can add to your child’s lunchbox this school year.

Creative Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies are the ultimate school-friendly snacks. They pair with everything from sandwiches and wraps to crackers and grains. However, we all know how difficult it can be to ensure your kid eats them. Try cutting fresh fruit and veggies into fun shapes throughout the week to inspire your child to eat them.

And while you can’t go wrong with bananas and strawberries, try to branch out and have your child involved in the food shopping process to pick out new healthy fruits and veggies to try at school.

Breakfast Snacks

Breakfast for lunch is a special treat. Get inspired by your kid’s favorite morning snacks to add them to their lunchbox. Consider adding bagel chips with a cream cheese dip or french toast fingers with a bit of maple syrup. These snacks inspired by breakfast are a great way to surprise your child and switch up the typical savory lunch routine.

Fun Dips

Who doesn’t love dip? Creative sauces and dips are a great way to add a snack packed with protein and encourage kids to eat their fruits and veggies. Hummus is a go-to, but other dips your kid may enjoy snacking on include guacamole, bean dip, or even an olive oil spread. Cream cheese, as we already mentioned, can also make a great base.

If you enjoy meal prepping your kid’s lunch for the week, have them get involved in brainstorming a kind of dip they can make and eat for lunch.

Smoothie Pouches

The best snacks for kids are tasty, nutritious, and easy to eat (without making a major mess). Smoothie packs for kids happen to be all three!

Fuel For Fire smoothie pouches for kids are the perfect snack for school or even an after-school program or sports practice. With the right amount of fruit, veggies, and proteins, these smoothies taste great and will give your kid the nutrients they need during or after the school day. And best yet, they’re super easy to eat and no clean-up or utensils are needed! 

While not entirely allergen-free, these smoothies are safe for kids with peanut allergies.

Look through our wide selection of smoothie pouches for kids online or use our store locator to find your child’s favorite flavor near you.