Depending on your age, height, weight, body composition goal, medical history, fitness status, training regimen and diet your fuelling needs for optimal athletic performance could be above or below this Calorie goal of 2, Other weeks, she might exercise at a higher intensity times per week and this would be relatively the same meal plan.

Each meal plan day resembles a different time of working out in which the type of food before and after pre-workout and post-workout snacks and meals are accounted for. Pre-workout foods highlight carbohydrates to be utilized as energy. If it is an early morning workout, you want to choose simple carbohydrates, especially if you do not have much time to digest before beginning exercise.

Simple carbohydrates could be: graham crackers, low-fiber cereal, toast, english muffin, granola bar, pretzels or sports drink.

If you have more than 30 minutes before your workout, you can add some more fibrous carbohydrates, moderate protein and or moderate fat. This will help slow down digestion, before you exercise.

For example, the english muffin with peanut butter, apples and soy milk would be a meal I would want to digest for a couple hours before the mid morning exercise versus an english muffin and peanut butter perhaps I could exercise in the next 30 minutes. If I am awake and out the door running in under 5 minutes, I'm choosing graham crackers or a sports drink to absorb the carbs quickly to be utilized for energy right away.

You also want to think about the type of exercise, duration and intensity. If I am waking up and going on a five mile run, I might want some carbs to fuel this type of activity. If I am waking up and going to do a High Intensity Interval workout then I NEED to eat some carbohydrates before this type of activity because my body is burning carbohydrates at a faster rate.

Other times, you could be done working out at 3pm and need a high protein snack to start muscle protein synthesis and muscle recovery. If you are working out late at night, such as a club soccer game, a protein shake might be easy right before bed rather than a full on dinner. Make sure to have dinner before the game, but go easy on the fiber and fat as this takes longer to digest and can make you feel sluggish.

Day 5 is an example of a day of eating for nighttime exercise. Post-workout Lunch: Chickpea Wrap with Baby Carrots, Yogurt and Sunflower Seeds. Dinner: Turkey and Cheese Meatball Sub, Parmesan Broccoli. Breakfast: Chicken sausage and sweet potato hash. Lunch: Chicken pita with an orange, cheese and crackers.

Afternoon Snack: english muffin with cottage cheese, fruit and baby carrots. Dinner: High protein jerk chicken breast with quinoa, lime cucumber salad.

Breakfast: PB banana toast with blackberries. Lunch: Chicken, brown rice and salad with banana and PB. Dinner: Baked Chicken and veggies with spaghetti and honey roasted brussels sprouts.

Breakfast: Strawberry Maple Overnight Oats with Raspberries. Leftover Lunch: Chicken, Brown Rice, and Salad, banana with PB. Breakfast: Strawberry Sunbutter Toast, Orange. Pre-workout snack: ½ banana with 1 graham cracker sheet. Post workout snack: Protein Shake with Skim Milk.

Breakfast: Ham and Peppers Scramble with Apple, Tangerine. Dinner: Salmon, Couscous, and Tomato Salad, Asparagus and Sliced Almonds.

Dessert: Apple with pb, cinnamon and mini chocolate chips. Breakfast: Eggs and Turkey Sausage, Apple. Pre-workout: English Muffin with Strawberry Jelly.

Post workout Dinner: Simple Chicken Burger with Blueberries, Simple Brussels Sprouts. Quick and Easy Breakfast in under 5 minutes.

Slice apple and place on pb muffin and enjoy with a cup of milk. In a bowl, combine chickpeas, grapes, almonds, yogurt, curry powder, and chilli powder. Spread chickpea mixture on tortilla and roll up. Serve with baby carrots. meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake minutes.

Meanwhile, coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium. Add bell pepper and sauté minutes until tender. Add tomato. Place meatballs in bun and coat with sauce. Top with cheese. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and stir to coat with.

Baked Egg Cups — Whisk together 10 eggs in a bowl with a splash of milk. Set aside for now. Sauté a bell pepper, a small onion, and either another veggie or a breakfast meat of your choice in a pan with a bit of oil. Add to the bowl with the eggs, along with a cup of cheese, a pinch of salt, and a few shakes of pepper.

Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes at F, or until the eggs are set. These can be stored in the fridge for up to days and reheated in the microwave.

Breakfast Hash — A hash is easy to make, reheats well, and gives you flexibility based on what you have on hand.

One of my go-tos is sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, and ground turkey. Want a vegetarian option? Try this sweet potato, plantain, and brussels sprouts hash. Start with a base of either rice, quinoa, sorghum, or cauliflower rice.

Add in whatever protein source you prefer — chicken, steak, beans, ground turkey, etc. You can include some cheese, salsa, or sour cream in a separate container to top it with after reheating.

Greek Bowls — Similar to burrito bowls, these are flexible based on what you have on hand. Your base can be rice, quinoa, sorghum, pita bread, or mixed greens.

Add a protein like chicken or chickpeas. Then add in veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickled red onions my absolute favorite. You can add a small container for a topping like hummus or feta cheese. Quiche — This is easy to prep ahead of time and makes for a good breakfast, lunch or dinner.

To create a better-for-you version, use milk rather than cream in your base and add in lots of veggies. I personally love this green bean quiche for a fun way to sneak an unconventional veggie in there. Stir Fry — Sautee a bunch of different sliced vegetables with a protein of your choice.

Either make your own sauce or purchase a better-for-you premade one look for those that are lower in added sugar. Serve with rice or noodles. Meatballs — Meatballs make a great, versatile lunch. Make a large batch of baked turkey or beef meatballs quick tip — add in finely chopped mushrooms, which will help extend your meat and pack in some extra veggies.

Then experiment with different ways to serve them throughout the week to combat boredom. Then next day, serve them with rice and a curry sauce. The day after, douse in buffalo sauce for buffalo meatballs and serve with baked sweet potato fries. And the day after that, serve alongside over some quinoa and veggies topped with tzatziki.

Then add in a protein — get creative with chicken, steak, ground beef, ground turkey, black beans, chickpeas, or anything else you enjoy. Lastly, think of any other add-ins that would boost flavor and texture.

A few of my favorites include dried fruit, nuts, seeds, hemp hearts, and cheese. Stuffed Cabbage Rolls — These are great for meal prepping for the week or freezing for later weeks. You only need a handful of ingredients to make them.

Chicken Wraps — It sounds kind of boring, but there are so many things you can do with some cooked chicken breast and a wrap! Toss the chicken with a little buffalo sauce and add it to a wrap with greens, then serve alongside celery and carrots.

Or go Greek by mixing the chicken with greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and feta, and placing that in the wrap. Give it a Mediterranean flare by stuffing it with chickpeas, spinach, and feta, or go cozy comfort food by making BBQ ground beef stuffed sweet potatoes. You can even make a sweet lunch by stuffing your sweet potato with nut butter and raisins, like in this recipe.

Homemade Hot Pockets — If you enjoy cooking, these are a fun option to meal prep and place in the freezer for a quick lunch. I make a ham, cheese, and mushroom pocket with a homemade crust.

But you can also buy canned pizza crust and make these that way to save time! Try lemon , apple peanut butter , Hungarian cookie , chocolate cherry , pumpkin , peanut butter banana , or chocolate coffee. Trail mix — This maple glazed fall trail mix is a great blend of sweet and savory.

You can also try my beef jerky trail mix for a high protein option, or my popcorn trail mix for a high volume option. Of course, you can also make your own trail mix combinations depending on your flavor preferences and needs.

Press it in an 8×8 dish, pop it in the fridge for a few hours, then cut into 10 bars. Not only does meal prepping save time during the week, but it helps reduce decision fatigue and avoid giving in to cravings or decisions that will keep you from meeting your goal.

There are so many benefits of meal prep for athletes. Here are some of the most significant benefits of meal prepping for athletes. The benefits of meal prepping for athletes are plentiful, and the meals and snacks you create are entirely up to you and your goals.

Most athletes know that meal prepping will help propel them towards success. However, making the decision to start and actually getting started often require a bit of motivation. Here are some tips to make meal prep easier for athletes. Make sure you have a lunch box, Tupperware or glass storage containers , Mason jars , containers for dry goods, silverware and anything else you might need on the go.

Blenders, food processors, cookware, strainers, etc. The biggest drawback of meal prep for athletes is that it requires at least one significant block of time each week.

Picking one time that can be consistent each week — such as a few hours on the weekend, a Monday morning, just after you pick up groceries, or in the evening — will set you up for success. Stay consistent with your meal prep and prioritize this time each week.

Protecting an hour or two of time each week will pay off in the coming days as it saves time before each meal and snack.

Evaluate not only when time is available, but also when you usually feel energetic and motivated. A surefire way to waste time when meal prepping is to get started and have no idea what you plan to make. Set aside a few minutes to plan out your meals and snacks for the week a day or two before you are going to meal prep.

This will help streamline the process, reduce wasted time, improve your efficiency and ensure you stay on track with nutrition. If possible, make a grocery list when you plan out your meals and snacks for the week.

Whatever methodology works best for you, ensure you have a myriad of containers with lids that are big enough and preferably microwaveable. I prefer glass containers at home for microwaving as there are fewer concerns with chemicals leeching out compared to plastics , but some high quality plastic containers can be very convenient for on-the-go meals.

You also may want to stock up on gallon size zip top freezer bags. These are convenient for storing things like frozen breakfast sandwiches or protein pancakes.

Yes, it will feel like you need to allocate extra time to this when you start. Sundays usually work well as you have enough food to get through the work week and run out on the weekends when we generally have a bit more time. Decide what you want to make and how you want to make it.

Do you want full meals? Do you want to just prep proteins, starches and vegetables separately so you can pull them together? There are a ton of delicious ideas you can experiment with. You can also go simple by just thinking about pairing a protein, a starch, and one or two vegetables.

You can also think about preparing one protein and figuring out different ways of serving it — for example, grilled chicken could go into a burrito bowl, a greek bowl, and a wrap all in one week.

Sticking to your list will be a budget friendly way to shop and help prevent food waste by giving you the opportunity to buy just what you need.

Start by taking a look at all the recipes or general ideas you plan to make. Figure out what takes the longest to cook and can go into the oven at the same temperature.

Start by getting those things chopped, seasoned, and on baking sheets to go in the oven. You can load up the racks with different pans. Roasted vegetables, potatoes, and meats work very well for easy oven preparation.

Next, start working on anything that requires the stove top. Boil water for rice, sauté up chicken, or steam vegetables. For bulk items, dump into a container and store in the fridge. For individual meals, lay out containers across a counter and assemble in pieces.

When putting things together, many people prefer adding food to the container in horizontal rows versus items on top of one another. Some say it helps keep the best taste and texture as it sits in the fridge for a few days.

For anything fresh, such as salads, place a paper towel on top of greens and keep toppings such as nuts, seeds, berries, etc. Pop a top on each container and throw a piece of masking tape on the lid. Label each container with the name of the meal and the date.

Leftovers generally last in a home fridge for days, so having the date on there will help you easily see if the food is still fresh or not. Food in the freezer will stay safe for a very long time as far as food safety goes, but quality can deteriorate after a few months for some items.

And there you have it—some or all-you do you of your meals, prepared in advance, and ready for you to reheat and eat! Here are some of our favorites! Outside of snacks, you also want to make sure you have any fuel you need for during your workout on hand.

There you have it — everything you need to get started with meal prepping to support your athletic goals! Share: Do you do meal prep? Do you find it helpful? What are some of your favorite recipes to prep? I have been struggling to prep my meals that complement my workout routine.

Thank you for sharing, this is definitely going to help me be on track. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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menu icon. search icon. Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter. The Meal Prep Illusion Ever look at the rows of perfectly portioned meals on your favorite Instagram influencers page and feel envious?

Benefits When it comes to staying on track with your nutritional and fitness goals, there is no easier nor better way to keep your food consistent than doing some form of meal prep. Make sure you have enough food storage containers.

We make healthy and delicious meals and deliver them fresh throughout the Georgia area — no freezing, no shipping or mailing, all of your prepared meals are hand-delivered! Keep reading to learn more about the importance of having a 7 day meal plan that includes prepared meals as an athlete to reduce stress.

Meal prepping is cooking food in large quantities and portioning it for meals throughout the week, saving you time and making it easier to eat healthy. Meal planning is ensuring that you know what you will have for each meal throughout the week, which goes hand-in-hand with your meal prep — if you do meal prep, then you have a meal plan.

As an athlete, there are many benefits of meal prepping and sticking to a meal plan. For starters, having all of your meals ready to go for the week will save you time, allowing you to stick to your workout routines and other schedules better.

Tuna between two slices of bread is a classic! Your student-athletes will love how easy this one is to pack up and go. They can also swap the sprouts for any lettuce or tomatoes they have on hand.

Just four ingredients and 20 minutes makes this pasta night a success! This recipe packs 45g of carbs, 11g of fat, and 29g of protein, which makes it a full meal.

Your clients can even add extra veggies or top with cheese to make it their own. Adding a hearty side of berries to a classic breakfast, like an English muffin with peanut butter, will really help your clients stay fuller longer. The berries add an additional 3g of fiber per serving, along with antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Yogurt topped with granola is a very simple go-to for any student. And for good reason! One serving of Greek yogurt packs in 28g of protein. This wrap contains just four ingredients and is still packed full of flavor.

These pantry and fridge staples make this wrap high in vitamin A, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. Need even more ideas for your student-athletes? Check out our Student-Athlete Program and Plant-Based Student-Athlete Program.

Both come with a 7-day meal plan, grocery list, prep guide, recipes, and evidence. Back Meal Planning for Student Athletes?

It will differ depending on your training sessions, macronutrient goals, work load, life schedule, and more. If can accomplish this with 3 meals a day, then great. I typically encourage athletes to do 3 meals with at least 2 snacks in between. This will help you spread out your carbohydrate counts, which can be higher for endurance athletes especially while carb loading.

Remember that the key to performance nutrition success is having a meal strategy that is sustainable and accessible for you.

To learn more about a how to use a flexible eating style as an athlete, check out my post here. This is good for a few reasons:. A more practical example is making a double batch of food at dinner and then eating it for lunch or post-training the next day.

Some examples of this are,. Buy a rotisserie chicken and use it in different recipes during the week such as wraps, soups, salads, you name it.

This will save you extra time on both cooking and prep! One of the biggest issues I see with meal prep hacks online is that the ingredient lists for recipes are just way too long.

My advice? I typically tell my endurance athletes to choose recipes or meals with overlapping ingredients when making their grocery lists. Looking for extra help with your grocery list?

Check out my article on Five Foods to Choose From Center Aisles of the Supermarket. Easy things to make and pre-portion are:. Using one-pot and sheet pan meals during your meal prep and throughout the week can be a huge help for busy athletes.

It cuts down on both clean-up and preparation time since you are making it all in the same pot or pan. Sheet pan and one-pot meals are made exactly how they sound. Toss all of your ingredients I recommend at least one carb, protein, and veg source into the pot or sheet pan and then place on the stove or into the oven.

Quick and simple aka- no excuses! Level up your performance nutrition by trying out one or two of these meal planning tips for athletes to help keep you well-fueled and performing your best on race day.

The fueling guide bundle is your one-stop-shop for strategies to fueling before, during and after your workouts. How well do you know your fueling?

Answer these questions and let's see where your endurance nutrition knowledge is at! Race Day: Triathlon Nutrition Planner.

level up your nutrition game with these freebies. Planning what goes on your plate. Putting the right foods in your grocery cart. Don't let nutrition derail your race. improve Your performance through a simple and flexible eating style. the Blog. Search for:.

The Ultimate Guide to Meal Prepping for Athletes. Hi, I'm. Explore the Blog. Mix together olive oil, honey, mustard, and onion powder and set. Spread Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and roast for Toss roasted sprouts with the mustard mixture and serve. We will never share your email with anyone.

Dec 13 Written By Briana Bruinooge. Pre-Workout Pre-workout foods highlight carbohydrates to be utilized as energy. The 7-Day Meal Plan For Athletes.

DAY TWO: Early Afternoon exercise Breakfast: Chicken sausage and sweet potato hash Lunch: Chicken pita with an orange, cheese and crackers Exercise Afternoon Snack: english muffin with cottage cheese, fruit and baby carrots Dinner: High protein jerk chicken breast with quinoa, lime cucumber salad.

DAY THREE: Active Recovery Day Breakfast: PB banana toast with blackberries Snack 1: almonds and tangerines Lunch: Chicken, brown rice and salad with banana and PB Snack 2: apple with string cheese Dinner: Baked Chicken and veggies with spaghetti and honey roasted brussels sprouts.

Toast the English muffin. Spread peanut butter on toasted muffin 3. Snack 2: Popcorn, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and an orange Quick and Easy Snack in under 5 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups Air-Popped Popcorn 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries 1 orange DINNER: Turkey and Cheese Meatball sub with Parmesan Broccoli Prep dinner in under 10 minutes Ingredients: 4 ounces ground turkey 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 cooking spray ½ green bell pepper diced ½ cup tomato sauce ½ tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated 1 hotdog bun Directions: 1.

Preheat the oven to °F. Place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake minutes until fully cooked through. Add tomato sauce, lower heat and simmer for a few minutes. Parmesan Broccoli ingredients: ½ tablespoon olive oil 2 cups broccoli cut into florets 2 tablespoons water 1 clove garlic minced 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated Directions: 1.

Add broccoli and stir to coat with oil. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and Parmesan and cook another minute until broccoli is tender. Add onions and bell peppers to the skillet and cook 2 or until tender.

Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes to help brown sweet potatoes. Allow to cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary.

Lunch: Chicken pita with an orange, cheese and crackers Ingredients: 1 whole wheat pita halved 2 teaspoons mayonnaise 3 ounces rotisserie chicken 1 cup cucumber sliced 1 dash tabasco 1 orange Directions: 1.

Spread mayonnaise on the inside of the pita halves. Afternoon Snack: english muffin with cottage cheese, fruit and baby carrots Ingredients: 1 English muffin 2 teaspoons olive oil ½ cup no salt added cottage cheese ½ cup Pineapple sliced ½ cup strawberries sliced ½ cup carrot cut into sticks ½ cup water Directions: 1.

Brush cut sides of English muffin with olive oil and toast till golden brown. Dinner: High protein jerk chicken breast with quinoa, lime cucumber salad Ingredients: ½ cup quinoa 1 cup water 2 teaspoons olive oil 6 ounces chicken breast chopped 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning 1 red bell pepper sliced ¼ cup black beans drained and rinsed 1 clove garlic sliced ¼ jalapeño seeded and minced 1 green onion sliced 2 tablespoons orange juice Directions: 1.

Lower to simmer until quinoa is tender and has absorbed the water, minutes. Toss chicken with jerk seasoning and add to the skillet. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink and cooked through, minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Once hot, add bell peppers, black beans, garlic, jalapeño, and green onion. Stir in chicken and orange juice. Heat for 30 seconds. Serve over quinoa. Day THREE Ingredients and Directions for a 7-day meal plan for athletes Breakfast: PB banana toast with blackberries Ingredients: 2 slices white bread toasted 2 tablespoons peanut butter ½ banana sliced 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon honey 1 cup blackberries Directions: 1.

Toast the bread. Top with sliced banana and drizzle of honey. Add some blackberries on top of the bread and enjoy the rest on the side 4. Serve with a glass of milk.

Snack 1: almonds and tangerines Ingredients: almonds 2 tangerines Directions: 1. Peel tangerines and serve with almonds.

Lunch: Chicken, brown rice and salad with banana and PB Ingredients: 1 cup instant brown rice 1 cup water 2 cups rotisserie chicken chopped 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved 2 cups cucumber chopped 2 tablespoons dried cranberries 2 tablespoons Italian dressing 1 banana 2 tbsp peanut butter Directions for salad: 1.

Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Add cooked rice, chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dried cranberries to a bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Enjoy with a side of banana with peanut butter Snack 2: apple with string cheese Dinner: Baked Chicken and veggies with spaghetti and honey roasted brussel sprouts Ingredients: 4 ounces chicken breast 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 pinch paprika 1 ½ cups zucchini sliced ½ cup Baby Portabella Mushrooms halved 2 ¾ ounces spaghetti Directions: 1.

Drizzle with half the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika. Rub the seasonings all over. This simplifies your meal prep and prevents tastebud fatigue. TrueSport®, a movement powered by the experience and values of the U. Anti-Doping Agency, champions the positive values and life lessons learned through youth sport.

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This content was reproduced in partnership with TrueSport. Any content copied or reproduced without TrueSport and the U. To learn more or request permission to reproduce content, click here. Planning is part of meal prep Carve out time once a week to plan out meals for the coming week, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks—the busier your schedule is, the more important this step becomes!