How to Meal Prep as a Footballer:
I am sure if you are reading this article you already know how to eat “healthily and cleanly…”
But for some reason, you are having trouble consistently executing on eating according to your goals.
And as we both know, the only way to actually hit your goals is to be consistent with your training & nutrition!
Without consistency, you will never get the true results that you want.
Sometimes it’s hard to choose healthy foods when you are very busy and always on the run.
“I want to eat cleanly, but I never have time to cook a proper meal for myself because I am always running place to place….”
Does this sound like you?
Personally, it has sounded like me before…
That’s why I decided to dive nose-deep into the concept of meal prepping.
Meal prepping is a new-age term that has been popularized by fitness enthusiasts world-wide.
The definition of meal-prepping need not be explained because it is as simple as it sounds.
All you are doing is preparing your meals in advance to make eating according to your goals easier, more convenient and more accessible.
Besides those benefits, you will also save a lot of money and save a lot of time.
Whether you are a professional athlete or a student-athlete; you are most likely running from training to training and/or from training to class, and sometimes it may be hard to “keep on track with your nutrition.”
Meal Prep will help you stay on track with your diet, so you don’t have to grab “convenience/packaged foods” and it will allow you to eat cleanly to help you perform better, feel better, look better and recover better.
Instead of thinking of preparing your food as a hassle, you should look at it as a vital part of your training, just like you look at getting into the gym, onto the field for extra reps, and hopefully getting proper sleep 😉
Why Invest Time in Meal Prep/Batch Cooking?
1. It saves time, money, and is much more nutritious than eating out.
2. If you are craving something, or a certain food, you can just take out your “meal-prepped food”, and whip up a “real food” meal in minutes, rather than reaching for a convenience food (which is most likely going to be very processed, and not good for you).
3. This should be looked at as a KEY PART OF THE PROGRAM if you want to MAXIMIZE YOUR GENETIC POTENTIAL!
How to Do It:
-In the beginning of your Meal Prepping Journey, the most important thing is to keep things simple and basic and not overthink things.
-As with any new habit, you need to take things step by step and not rush into things by getting “super fancy.”
-There is no need to overwhelm yourself with new recipes and new foods. It is best to start with recipes you already know and cook your foods in the simplest way possible.
-They key to this is variety and not becoming bored!
1. Pick 2 Days During the Week to Cook:
-You don’t want to leave the food in the refrigerator for more than 3-4 days, otherwise it can develop bacteria on it, which I’m sure your gut won’t be a fan of..
-Generally, people will pick a Sunday and then a weekday at night where they are freer.
-As always, it is different for everybody, but I am a big fan of Sunday and Wednesday.
2. Pick the Meals that You are Going to Make:
-You will pick your “favorite” proteins, fats, carbohydrates and what makes you feel best.
Here are a Couple of Potential Options for You to Think About:
Carbohydrates:
1. Sweet Potato
2. Baked Potato
3. Brown Rice/White Rice
4. Quinoa
5. Oats
6. Fruit
7. Vegetables
Proteins:
1. Chicken
2. Beef
3. Fish
4. Eggs
5. Tempeh/Tofu
6. Legumes (Lentils, Chickpeas, etc.)
7. High Quality Protein Powder
8. Cottage Cheese/Greek Yogurt
Fats:
1. Avocado
2. Nuts
3. Olives/Olive Oil
4. Coconut Oil
5. Eggs
6. Flax/Chia Seeds
7. Fatty Fish (Salmon, Sardines)
8. 100% Nut Butters
3. Use the Right Containers to Store the Food
-This is the FOUNDATION of your meal prep:
-Store your proteins in one container.
-Store your carbohydrates in one container.
-Store your fats in another container.
The Kitchen Process:
- Set yourself a time of 1-3 hours, throw on your favorite tunes, maybe a glass of vino ;), and get to cookin’.
- Start off Simple. Cook 1-3 protein sources depending on your preference.
-These are the most important because they will generally take the longest to cook.
- Use the Oven Wisely:
-You can cook everything in here if you’re smart about it and you plan wisely.
- Use a Crockpot:
-You can toss a lot of ingredients in here and make a couple portions of some healthy comfort food!
- If you have neither, a skillet will do you just fine:
-As with everything in life, we have to learn to adapt to what we have, right?
If you want to see how I meal prep, take a look at this video, and as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!