Hi foodies!
This past weekend, I competed in another kettlebell competition in San Marcos and got to meet some impressively strong men and women. I even met Brittany van Schravendijk, who has obtained an AKA National Record in 24kg (that’s over 50 pounds!) Biathlon and is the youngest American female Master of Sport. She’s seriously a bad ass- you can check out her website here.
Seeing all these amazing athletes really reminded me of the importance of nutrition. Working out is one thing, but what you put in your body can really make or break progress with your strength and endurance.
But good eating habits bleed into so many other aspects of your life as well. By eating healthy, nutritious meals, you have more energy during the day, you feel more alert at work or during your daily routine, and you ultimately look and feel better because your body is running on the best possible sources of energy.
With all that in mind, I decided to write a quick Meal Planning 101 post- some good tips on how to plan healthy, nutritious meals no matter what your day looks like!
Meal Planning 101- how to plan for success
Step 1: Evaluate what your goals are
Do you want to gain muscle? Lose weight? Eat more vegetables throughout the day? Take a moment to decide what good nutrition means to you, and what your main goal (or goals) are when it comes to nutrition.
My goal: I want to eat whole, unprocessed foods as often as I can, and I want to eat balanced meals that will help me fuel my workouts so I can improve my strength and endurance.
Step 2: Evaluate what an average day looks like for you
Are you constantly on the go during the day and need to stop and pick up food? Do you work in a office and have access to a refrigerator and microwave? Do you work from home and have access to a full kitchen? Knowing what your day looks like, where you’ll be, and what you have access to can help you determine what types of foods you’ll be able to bring or prepare. Maybe you don’t have the opportunity to prepare or cook much food, but you know of a few healthy grocery stores in the area that you could stop at to get a healthy pre-made salad or sandwich.
My day: I work in an office, and we have a refrigerator and microwave. I have to precook my food, but I can store it safely throughout the workday and heat it up as needed.
Step 3: Evaluate what kind of eater you are
Do you eat three large meals a day, or do you prefer to snack all day long? When do you have breaks in your day where you can eat, and how long are those breaks? How long do you have to go in between snacks or meals with your current schedule? Evaluating what your schedule can accommodate will help you determine the best kinds of foods and the right amounts to bring to make sure you are full and satisfied and not experiencing any energy crashes during the day.
My eating style: I like to have a larger breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I do have a snack at work and a preworkout snack at home. As I mentioned, I work in an office, so I have the ability to eat whenever I get hungry and heat up any meals I’ve prepared.
Step 4: Start meal planning!
Take all the information you have gathered from the above points and begin planning out your meals! You may have the opportunity to cook all your meals, or you may need to find some healthy places to stop throughout the week. Regardless of what your day looks like, knowing what you have available and what your hunger levels are will help immensely in making sure you are prepared for whatever your day brings.
Here’s an example of a typical day for me based off of my goals, my schedule, what I have access to for meal prep and storage, and how hungry I get throughout the day:
Breakfast (at home): egg white omelette with zucchini, spinach and avocado
Lunch (at work): chicken with a vegetable and sweet potato stir fry
Snack (at work): carrots and a 100 calorie snack pack of almonds and walnuts
Preworkout Snack (at home): piece of toast with a little butter or jam
Dinner (at home): chicken with grilled vegetables and quinoa
Check out the grilled chicken and vegetables I prepared last night for my lunch today!
What do you like to pack during the day to help keep you satisfied and full of energy? Take some photos of your meal planning and post them on Instagram! Tag @laurenslovelyrecipes and #laurenslovelyrecipes.
Enjoy!
xo, Lauren
@laurenslovelyrecipes
#laurenslovelyrecipes
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