Batch cooking is a life saver.
If you are an athlete, you know the feeling post-workout when you are hungry and two thoughts come to mind: You think about what you should eat to refuel and nourish your body and then you think about the time it will take to prepare the meal, cook the meal and eventually eat the meal.
We all know that a bowl of cereal can be "made" in less than 5 minutes but so can leftovers - heated in the microwave.
Healthy eating takes effort but when you are an athlete, you have to be dedicated to nourishing your body. The added stress from training makes the body more vulnerable to sickness, injury and fatigue. Food is your medicine and your fuel.
Although you may feel like the extra time in your life that could be devoted to meal prep is taken up by training, sorry - your excuse is invalid... you still have to make the time to cook.
Every now and then the stars will align and you jump with joy that you have the free time to cook a home cooked meal or two. But of course, you need the energy and desire to use your time wisely for meal prep.
I recommend to spend 1-2 days a week to cook a few meals OR prep foods that may need a little more work so that when it comes to meal time, you see it not only as healthy time but a very easy process. You may find that at first you are spending 4 hours on meal prep but guess what, if you can spend 1 less hour a day during your busiest 4 days during the week, wouldn't you feel happy that you took the time (when you had the time) to devote several hours to meal prepping?
The nice thing about batch cooking is that you don't always have to be a slave to the kitchen. Use your oven, microwave, crock pot and stove top to prepare several items at once. Making food options ahead of time (like proteins, grains, chopping produce) is a life-saver.
When you are tired from working all day, after waking up at 4:30am for your morning workout and then sitting in traffic for an hour and maybe squeezing in an evening workout (or other extracurricular with friends/family), you will find it incredibly easy to whip together a meal when you have all the food options ready and all you have to do is heat or combine.
If you are an athlete, you know the feeling post-workout when you are hungry and two thoughts come to mind: You think about what you should eat to refuel and nourish your body and then you think about the time it will take to prepare the meal, cook the meal and eventually eat the meal.
We all know that a bowl of cereal can be "made" in less than 5 minutes but so can leftovers - heated in the microwave.
Healthy eating takes effort but when you are an athlete, you have to be dedicated to nourishing your body. The added stress from training makes the body more vulnerable to sickness, injury and fatigue. Food is your medicine and your fuel.
Although you may feel like the extra time in your life that could be devoted to meal prep is taken up by training, sorry - your excuse is invalid... you still have to make the time to cook.
Every now and then the stars will align and you jump with joy that you have the free time to cook a home cooked meal or two. But of course, you need the energy and desire to use your time wisely for meal prep.
I recommend to spend 1-2 days a week to cook a few meals OR prep foods that may need a little more work so that when it comes to meal time, you see it not only as healthy time but a very easy process. You may find that at first you are spending 4 hours on meal prep but guess what, if you can spend 1 less hour a day during your busiest 4 days during the week, wouldn't you feel happy that you took the time (when you had the time) to devote several hours to meal prepping?
The nice thing about batch cooking is that you don't always have to be a slave to the kitchen. Use your oven, microwave, crock pot and stove top to prepare several items at once. Making food options ahead of time (like proteins, grains, chopping produce) is a life-saver.
When you are tired from working all day, after waking up at 4:30am for your morning workout and then sitting in traffic for an hour and maybe squeezing in an evening workout (or other extracurricular with friends/family), you will find it incredibly easy to whip together a meal when you have all the food options ready and all you have to do is heat or combine.
To help you stay consistent with your wholesome diet, here is a simple dish that was prepared with the use of my wok that will help you boost your veggie intake for the next few days.
Broccoli Slaw Tahini stir fry
1 bag broccoli slaw
1 bag broccoli and cauliflower (steamed first)
1 small red bell pepper chopped
1 small purple onion shopped
1 large container pre washed mushrooms
1 package tempeh chopped
1 can chickpeas
2 tbsp tahini paste
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1. Mix all ingredients together in wok and cook on low-medium heat for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Store 1-2 cup servings in containers for easy meal prep.
(You can substitute your choice of animal protein for the tempeh)
(You can substitute your choice of animal protein for the tempeh)
Batch cooking ideas:
Bean and lentil dishes
Rice and whole grain dishes
Potato and veggie dishes
Quiche and egg dishes
Casseroles
Lasagna
Stuffed peppers
Stew and soup
Root veggie dishes
Meat loaf or vegetarian loaf
Easy meal prep foods to have at home:
Chopped/fresh fruit
Chopped/fresh veggies
Cooked raw beans/lentils
Frozen veggies
Cooked grains
10-minute cooking grains
Deli meat/cooked meat
Cooked tofu/tempeh
Large container yogurt and cottage cheese
Hard boiled eggs
Tuna fish
Overnight oats
Bean and lentil dishes
Rice and whole grain dishes
Potato and veggie dishes
Quiche and egg dishes
Casseroles
Lasagna
Stuffed peppers
Stew and soup
Root veggie dishes
Meat loaf or vegetarian loaf
Easy meal prep foods to have at home:
Chopped/fresh fruit
Chopped/fresh veggies
Cooked raw beans/lentils
Frozen veggies
Cooked grains
10-minute cooking grains
Deli meat/cooked meat
Cooked tofu/tempeh
Large container yogurt and cottage cheese
Hard boiled eggs
Tuna fish
Overnight oats