Nutrition ·

5 Easy Make-Ahead Meals Perfect for your Exercise Routine

Whether you eat before or after a workout session, it’s important to fuel the body with meals that will give us nourishment and strength. We often have little to no motivation to grab a bite after an intense workout at home - even with our easy and fun to use ab equipment!  Besides, why leave home if you don't have to? To help you out, this post will give you 5 easy make-ahead meals perfect for your exercise routine.

  • One-Pot Jambalaya

    • This is a great choice when you need something rich in protein. We recommend eating this after a workout because the high protein content will help repair and rebuild your muscle. You want it to go exactly where you need to if you’re going to get those toned abs!  This delicious recipe is made with chicken, sausage, and shrimp. You’ll also love the spice! Expect 8 servings at 1.5 cups each: 


    Ingredients: 

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 cup brown rice
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 3 stalks of celery, chopped
    • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
    • 1.5 pounds chopped boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • 12 ounces of sausage, sliced
    • 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
    • 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • ½ pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
    • 1.5 cups chicken broth
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
    • Salt to taste

    Directions:

    1. Heat a large pot over medium heat
    2. Add olive oil and swirl to coat. 
    3. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and brown rice in that order.
    4. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring until vegetables have softened 
    5. Add the chopped chicken and sausage and continue sautéing for 3 minutes until the chicken is slightly browned
    6. Add the chicken broth, white wine, diced tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, and dried thyme
    7. Stir for a few seconds then bring the pot to a full boil
    8. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the rice is soft
    9. Add the peeled raw shrimp and fresh parsley and cook for 5 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through
    10. Allow the jambalaya to sit for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving
    11. Add salt as desired and serve.

    Nutrition per serving: 

    • 331 calories
    • 13g total fat, 104mg cholesterol, 952mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate, 3g dietary fiber, 3g sugar, 28g protein

  • Taco Casserole

    •

    This taco casserole recipe is a super easy way to make taco night quick and easy. Plus, clean-up is also quick and painless because you only need one pot to make it. You can quickly clean the pot right after! It has the benefits of a protein-rich diet, making it the perfect post-workout meal. This recipe makes 8 servings at 1 cup each.

    Ingredients: 

    • 2 pounds of ground turkey
    • 15-ounce can of corn, drained and rinsed
    • 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1.5 cups salsa
    • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
    • ½ large onion 
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF.
    2. In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, diced onion, and salsa. 
    3. Season the mixture with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.
    4. Place the mixture into a large casserole dish. 
    5. Pour on the cans of black beans and corn.
    6. Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes. 
    7. Use a large spoon to remove any grease that comes to the top. Sprinkle on the cheese, then put it back in the oven for 30 more minutes
    8. Serve with hard shell tacos

    Nutrition per serving: 

    • 316 calories
    • 12g total fat, 94mg cholesterol, 734mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate, 6g dietary fiber, 5g sugar, 28g protein

  • Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

    •

    Pasta is a super easy meal that you can make in a single pot. It is also an easy-to-digest carbohydrate, which makes it a great source of fuel in your workouts. This recipe is super budget-friendly, with diced tomatoes and spinach being the only other two major ingredients. However, you can add your own twist to it by experimenting with different vegetables. 

    Get out of your usual go-to meals by being more creative and healthier at home. For example, you can use fresh grape tomatoes and herbs instead of diced tomatoes and macaroni instead of spaghetti. You can also add boneless chicken thighs or ground beef to make the meal heartier. The following recipe will make 4 servings of 2 cups of the pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon of cheese:

    Ingredients:

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 cup onion, chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 14.5 ounces unsalted diced tomatoes, canned and undrained
    • 1.5 cups chicken stock, unsalted
    • ½ tsp oregano, dried
    • 8 ounces whole grain spaghetti
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 10 ounces spinach
    • 1-ounce grated Parmesan cheese

    Directions:

    1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat
    2. Add oil and swirl to coat. 
    3. Add onion and garlic, and sauté till onions turn brown
    4. Add tomatoes, stock, oregano, and pasta in that order. 
    5. Stir to submerge the pasta completely, then bring it to a boil. Stir once more and cover, then reduce heat to medium-low. 
    6. Cook for 7 minutes and uncover. Stir in the salt. 
    7. Add spinach slowly, stirring until the leaves wilt. 
    8. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. 
    9. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve. 

    Nutrition per serving: 

    • 334 calories
    • 7g total fat, 6mg cholesterol, 540mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate, 10g dietary fiber, 7g sugar, 14g protein

  • Pea and Bacon Pasta

    •

    This recipe keeps things simple. All you have to do is simmer your pasta shells (or whole grain pasta for that extra fiber) with the peas and rendered bacon bits in one pot. Anyone can make it! This recipe makes 6 servings.

    Ingredients: 

    • 4 ounces of thin-cut bacon
    • ½ cup chopped onion
    • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 3 cups chicken broth
    • 1 ¼ cups milk
    • 1 cup frozen peas
    • 12-oz box mini pasta shells
    • ½ cup ricotta cheese 
    • 1 ½ ounce grated Parmesan cheese
    • fresh parsley chopped 
    • ¼ teaspoon salt 
    • Ground black pepper to taste

    Directions:

    1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat
    2. Cook the bacon until brown and crispy. Remove and set aside
    3. Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook them in bacon fat for about 3 minutes until fully softened 
    4. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the pot. Scrape away any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then stir in 1 more cup of broth.
    5. Add milk, peas, pasta, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir
    6. Bring everything to a boil. 
    7. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the pasta cook until done in about 10 minutes. 
    8. While the pasta cooks, add the remaining cup of broth until the sauce is thick and creamy
    9. Once the pasta is done, take off the heat and stir in ricotta cheese and grated Parmesan. 
    10. Crumble the bacon and stir it into the dish along with chopped parsley
    11. Serve

    Nutrition per serving:

    • 363 calories
    • 10g total fat, 32mg cholesterol, 624mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate, 9g dietary fiber, 5g sugar, 17g protein

  • Chicken and chickpeas

    •

    This is yet another protein-rich easy make-ahead meal that will go perfectly with your exercise routine. This is a great choice if you want to tone your abs! Braise the chicken thighs with the veggies, and you can also add some hot sauce to the mix to give it a little kick. This recipe makes 6 servings.

    Ingredients: 

    • 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons canola oil
    • 1 white onion, diced
    • 2 15-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
    • 2 15-ounce cans of garbanzo beans
    • 2 cups of kale
    • 1 tablespoon Tabasco
    • ½ cup water
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Directions:

    1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. 
    2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a pot
    3. Cook half of the chicken for 7 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Remove from pot and set aside. 
    4. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the other half of the chicken. Remove from pot and set aside. 
    5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion to the pot. 
    6. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes tender. 
    7. Add the tomatoes with juice, the garbanzo beans, kale, Tabasco, and water
    8. Stir, making sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot. 
    9. Nestle the chicken thighs with their juices in the tomato mixture.
    10. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes. 
    11. Serve with rice or noodles.

    Nutrition per serving: 

    • 488 calories
    • 18g total fat, 95mg cholesterol, 225mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate, 14g dietary fiber, 12g sugar, 40g protein

    Final Thoughts

    Meal planning may be a lot of work when you are doing it, but it saves you a lot of time in the long run. All you have to do is set aside some time to prep these meals, for example, you can choose to do it once or twice a week. You can then divide all the food into multiple servings and store them in the fridge. Just be sure not to leave them in there too long, we all know how off-putting it can be to make meals when something smells nasty every time you open the fridge! When this happens, there are tips to get rid of the fridge’s bad odors.  

    If done right, it is also a great way to eat healthier, which is extremely important when exercising. As you work out and stay fit this holiday season, we hope that these five easy make-ahead recipes will inspire you enough to try your hand at meal prepping!

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