Have you ever been in this situation: You come home after a long day with lots of mileage and hard efforts put in at the gym, only to find out that you haven't prepared a meal to help you regain your strength. Even after a great work out, many people wind up choosing to the unhealthy option and getting pizza or drive-thru. In contrast, professional and experienced exercisers rely on having ingredients ready to go ahead of time so they can turn around nutritious dishes in just minutes. Meal prepping doesn’t have to be a long and labor-intensive process. Stick to these guidelines from the pros, and you’ll be eating like them in no time. Here is our guide for the ultimate athlete meal prep ideas!
For Marathon Runners
Whether you are a professional athlete or an aspiring a runner, you are expending so much energy in training that you are always in energy-conserve mode. Having an efficient meal-prep strategy becomes even more critical. To avoid turning to convenient but less healthy dishes in a time crunch, it is important to keep your kitchen well stocked and full with the essentials. Keep your pantry stocked with things such as rice, lentils, and complex grains in bulk; use prewashed and chopped vegetables to save time; and always keep a few fillets of fresh-caught and wild Alaskan salmon, cod, and halibut in the freezer. Keep it mostly natural, and eliminate the processed stuff.
Recipe Idea For Runners
Zucchini Turmeric Salmon Cakes
Serves: 6 Patties | From Bucket List Kitchen
Gather Together :
- 1 cup zucchini noodles, About 1 Medium Zucchini
- Two 5-oz Cans of Salmon
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
- 3/4 teaspoon of Turmeric
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- ¾ Cup of Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Directions :
- Using a spiralizer, zoodle one zucchini.
- In a medium bowl, mix zucchini, salmon, eggs, spices and panko.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
- Form salmon patties (I used ¼ cup measurement size) and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until browned
For Endurance Training
For endurance training, there are a ton of options to look at for meal prep ideas! But today, we are taking inspiration from Julianna Buhring, an ultra-endurance cyclist. When she meal preps, she creates dishes heavy on fish or lean meats, that are always accompanied with heaping amounts of vegetables (they comprise almost 75 percent of her diet.) She loves adding zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers to her lunchtime salads, omelets, or meals. Her meal prep ideas also take a ton of inspiration from the ketogenic diet, so Buhring also eats a fair amount of healthy fats like those found in cheese, eggs, avocado, olive oil, and nuts.
Recipe Idea For Endurance Trainers
Caprese Salad with Avocado
Serves: 1 Serving | Can Easily Be Doubled
Gather Together :
- 3 Tomatoes
- 1 8-ounce Container of Mini Mozzarella Balls
- Olive Oil
- 1 Avocado
- Thyme and Oregano, to taste
Directions :
- Slice tomatoes and mozzarella and combine in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil.
- Next, slice avocado and add to the bowl.
- Add more olive oil if desired and season with spices like thyme or oregano.
Overall Rules For Meal Prepping
When it comes to meal prepping, it isn't about being fancy or going out of the ordinary to ensure you get the essential nutrients and vitamins you need. Keep it simple. As a general rule of thumb, stick to just two different food combos at first. For example: Try a set of meals containing chicken, broccoli, and pasta, and a set containing turkey, rice, and spinach. Keep breakfast simple and prep separate jars of overnight protein oats so they're ready to eat first thing in the morning. Try a simple recipe with quick oats, protein powder, and an unsweetened nut milk.
Also do not be afraid to spice things up a bit! Some people think meal-prep equals piles of flavorless meat, veggies, and grains - not true! If you were whipping up this meal to eat immediately, you wouldn't serve everything plain, right? Get experimental. Add spices. Try sprinkling some dried spices into your grains, marinating your meat, and grilling your veggies!
There are limitless possibilities when it comes to meal prep for athletes! We hope these inspire you to get crafty!
Share with us your favorite meal prep recipes by tagging us on Instagram @itouchwearables and Facebook @itouchwearables. Also, be sure to check out our new articles published daily and the latest styles on iTouchWearables.com!
-Patrick
