Category Archives: Meal Prep

Easy High Protein Recipes

Clean Eating, Diet, Meal Prep

Hey everyone!

 

With summer rolling around, I thought I would share with you all a few fairly easy high protein foods that I like to cook when I meal prep.

 

  1. Spicy Salsa Chicken- Dense in protein, low in fat, and is a good mix up if you are tired of eating plain grilled chicken.

Ingredients- 1-2 cans/glasses of salsa. 1 Franks hot sauce, salt and pepper. 1 package of chicken breast

  1. Get a crock pot and throw in the pack of raw chicken breast.
  2. Season it as you would like while it is in crock pot.
  3. Dump all the salsa into the crock pot and ensure all the chicken is covered.
  4. Add as much Franks hot sauce as you would like
  5. Cook on low heat for 8 hours

 

 

 

  1. Grass Fed Steak- Everyone loves a good steak. High in protein but moderately high in fat.

Ingredients- Grass Fed Steak, Goya Adobo Seasoning, Olive Oil

  1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Season steak on both sides with adobo seasoning and tenderize by beating the steak
  3. Heat up Olive oil on pan on high
  4. Once pan has heated with the olive oil, place steaks on pan for 30-45s on each side. This is done to get a nice pan sear on each side of the steak
  5. After each side of all steaks are seared, throw them onto a baking sheet and cook for 6-8 minutes in the oven. Check to see if your steak is done by using a thermometer or by cutting into it. May need to throw steaks back in if they are too rare for your liking!

 

  1. Ground Turkey and Grass Fed Beef Burgers- High in protein but moderately high in fat. Can substitute for all ground turkey instead of ground beef to lower fat content.

Ingredients- 2 lbs of 93-7 Ground Turkey (or leaner), 1 lb of 80-20 ground beef, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, Olive oil

  1. Combine ground beef and ground turkey together in a bowl. Mix together for a few minutes to get a solid mixture of the two meats.
  2. Add 3 T of Worcestershire sauce along with desired amount of salt and pepper to the ground turkey and ground beef. Mix well again.
  3. Preheat olive oil in pan on medium-high
  4. Make 12 patties with the 3 lbs of raw meat by rolling meat into balls and forming them to make a burger size. I use a pampered chef burger press.
  5. Once pan is hot, throw the patties onto the pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side on medium high heat. The trick is to only flip the burger ONCE.
  6. Now you have fairly high protein burger patties. Feel free to add bread or lettuce as a bun and whatever condiments you would like!

 

If you end up using any of these small recipes then please let me know! I think they are all pretty tasty but the Salsa Hot Chicken is probably the easiest to make!

 

-Zain

Meal Prepping When You Are Busy or Feeling Lazy

Clean Eating, Meal Prep, Nutrition

Everyone has those days or weekends where we do not feel like meal prepping, whether it be constraint in time, money, or motivation. However, having adequate nutrition after training hard is crucial to make new gains or to lose pounds. So today, I will write about how to plan out super simple prepped meals so you can reach your goals in the gym.

 

First meal is a crock pot chuck roast. The ingredients you need are: chuck roast, obviously, I like to get it from Aldi as they have the cheapest option. 1 table spoon of olive oil for searing, salt and pepper – season roast with a fair amount of salt, otherwise it can taste a little flat. 1 yellow onion, cut into strands, 1 whole peeled garlic – be sure to use fresh garlic for the best flavor here. 1 can of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce for seasoning, 2-3 Yellow/gold potatoes 2 big carrots, and corn starch if you want a thick gravy like broth.

 

Sear both sides of the chuck roast on a big pan by heating up the 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a pan. After searing the chuck, pat it dry with paper towel and set it aside, use that same pan to sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Now put all the goodies in the crock pot, the layer goes: beef-onion & garlic-potatoes-carrots. Set that bad boy aside for 8-9 hours on slow cook option, and now you have yourself a protein rich meal ready to go the next day.

 

Second meal is called “I don’t want to cook at all chicken and rice combo,” which is my go to meals when I don’t want to cook, at all. You need a rice cooker and Kirkland brand canned chicken from Costco, or their famous $5 rotisserie chicken. Literally just cook the rice (please wash them, it’s the honorable way), put your chicken on it, and top it off with some bagged spinach or sauce. Is that the most college kid like meal ever? Yes, but it is healthier than a cup of instant noodles.

 

Thanks for reading my blog, perhaps one day I’ll bring some crock pot roast for everyone to try!

 

Hanson

!A Comer Con Dahveed!

Diet, Life Health, Meal Prep

One of my biggest pet peeves in the fitness industry is the notion that your diet has to consist of rice and bland chicken. Why do so many people think that you have to subject yourself to this torture of eating bland and boring food? Today, I am going to give you some tips on how to introduce more sazón and excitement into your diet.

 

To start the journey of adding more flavor into your meal preps and meal plans, you have to start by trying to mix up your classics. Let’s say you always have chicken and rice; mix it up by cooking the chicken differently. Whether it is a change of seasoning, cooking method, adding different vegetables, or even the cut of the meat; small changes can actually make you look forward to eating your meal, instead of just eating it for sustenance.

 

Next, I would try investing in a simple cookbook and start playing with the recipes. You don’t immediately have to start changing the recipes of the book, but making small changes can change not only how you feel about your food, but your confidence in the kitchen. Follow the recipes and try them, then see how you can improve them to fit your diet plan. It is really fun to find a new recipe and give it your own twist! For example, I recently got a cookbook called “That Sounds So Good” by Carla Lalli Music. There is a recipe for a greens, beans, and sausage soup but I decided to give it my own spin by making it into a stew by adding extra protein and different seasonings. Let me tell you, that stew was “soooo good”. Not only did it have all the required macro and micro nutrients my body needed but I had turned it into something that was my own. Practicing turning recipes you know into something you love can really empower yourself in the kitchen.

 

Lastly, I would recommend trying new foods. I know that trying different kinds of food can be intimidating, especially if they are foods from other countries and different cultures from your own. You don’t have to go out to a Venezuelan restaurant and try mondongo or go to a Nigerian restaurant and eat fufu; start small, with lighter flavors. I always like to introduce people to Venezuelan food by having them try an arepa because it is easy to understand and replicate. Plus they are a very good source carbohydrates for a good pre lift meal.

 

I really hope you found these tips useful, and hopefully they will make your meals a little more exciting and a little more you – buen provecho!

 

Dahveed

Curt’s Meet Prep Nutrition

Life Health, Meal Prep, Nutrition, Training

I’m currently 10 weeks out from my next Powerlifting competition. During this time, I always adjust my diet to fit my goals and needs for strength, hypertrophy, and recovery. Below is a sample of my day to day nutrition intake for the last few months leading into a competition. This is still very similar to what I consume even outside of competition prep, just with slightly increased protein and carbs. Keep in mind, this is what I’ve found to work best for me and my body. When I consume food, it is simply to nourish my body for performance, and rarely for actual enjoyment, which is why it is very simple and routine. I don’t always enjoy this, however, it’s just one less variable that I have to worry about as I’m focused on being the best athlete that I can be. 

 

Breakfast:

24 ounces of water

4 whole eggs

Diced potatoes

2 pieces sourdough bread

Greek yogurt

10 ounces of black coffee

 

Lunch:

24 ounces of water

Crockpot chicken breast:

Chicken breast with salsa

White rice

Black beans

Peppers

 

Pre workout snack:

24 ounces of water

Cream of rice

2 splenda packets

Drizzle of honey

 

Intra workout:

Granite intra workout w/ BCAAs, EAAs, Cluster Dextrin, and Electrolytes

Post workout shake:

4 ounces of milk

8 ounces of water

2 scoops of Whey protein

1/2 cup of oats

1 banana

Handful of strawberries

 

Dinner (Monday & Wednesday):

24 ounces of water

Taco bowls

Ground beef

Hard shells

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomatoes

1 Avocado

Shredded cheese

Taco sauce

 

Dinner (Tuesday & Thursday):

24 ounces of water

Salmon

Rice

Zucchini & squash 

 

Dinner (Friday):

24 ounces of water

New York Strip or Fillet

Roasted potatoes

Asparagus 

 

Dinner (Weekends):

24 ounces of water

Occasional beer, wine, or cocktail depending on occasion

Leftovers or a fun restaurant date

Night time snack:

12 ounces of water

Greek yogurt with Granola

 

Curt

Meal of the Week; Breakfast of Champions

Life Health, Meal Prep, Nutrition

Years ago I used to write for elitefts, I was lucky enough to be a columnist for a decade or so with them. For the younger or newer people reading this elitefts was the go to for all things strength. Dave Tate had assembled some of the top coaches, lifters, and scientists to write about training. On a few occasions we did programs or articles together. One article was entitled, “Breakfast of Champions.” I am going to borrow that name for today’s blog. The article was just a pic and description of what each of us ate for breakfast. Today I will do something similar, and hope you start your day off with a healthy and nutritious breakfast.

 

My diet tends to be solid at the bookends of the day. When I am at work I fall apart due to all of you bringing me treats (don’t stop please). I am at the point in my life where I don’t worry too much about my diet, as long as it isn’t terrible. For breakfast I pretty much stick to the same outline with small variations daily. It is important to have some variation to your food no matter how healthy. Without going too deep into science you must vary your food or even the healthiest of foods can become unhealthy.

Eggs are key. I don’t eat much meat so I need to keep my protein up. From there veggies are a huge part of breakfast. One mistake I see often is people wait to eat their veggies. Get them in early, today is radishes, tomatoes (fake veggies), peppers (more fake ones), garlic, and tons of mushrooms. Add eggs and a little cheese, this is the perfect main course. For the sides I go with fruit and a Dave’s bagel (Tenzing calls them Popeye bagels). Add some water, freshly ground coffee and there it is.

 

When people hear what I eat daily the response is often, I don’t have time to do that. My entire set up takes 15 minutes. So find 15 minutes to get your day started right and you won’t be disappointed.

 

Go EAT BIG!

 

 

Peanut Butter Pie

Meal Prep, Nutrition, , , , ,

Today let’s indulge in some delicious food. While scrolling da ‘gram yesterday I saw my guy Ryan Nosak posted a recipe. In Ryan’s words, “I usually don’t make many of the high protein or so called “healthier” desserts because let’s face it, usually they are never close to the real thing.” Well I can promise you (Tenzing too) that this dessert is great!

 

Here is the recipe.

 

Filling

 

1 & 1/4 cups peanut butter (unfortunately it must be peanut butter with sugar for mixing purposes).

1 & 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt.

1/2 cup raw honey.

1/4 cup almond milk (you have options here depending on your calorie requirements).

 

Crust

 

Make your own out of graham crackers or just save time and use store bought.

 

Now putting it all together.

 

  1.  Add all ingredients and mix in bowl.
  2. Freeze crust for 4 hours.
  3. Add filling to crust and freeze for another 4 hours.
  4. Add toppings of your choice (be careful with too much sugar here just be smart).

 

Now enjoy this dessert and give Ryan Nosak a follow for other great options.

 

 

 

I Love Eggs and You Should Too

Clean Eating, Diet, Fitness, Life Health, Meal Prep, Nutrition, , , , ,

Hang around lifters, (the humans not the bad nickname for your shoes) long enough and the topic of protein will come up. The rule of thumb that most of you have probably already heard is eat one gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. For me I float around 200 lbs so around 200 grams of protein a day is a good goal. There is some debate about this number yet we can use it as a starting point. From there the quality of protein matters. If you do not understand amino acids that’s OK here is how you can think of it. For this blog we are going to just use numbers to represent different amino acids(AA). Let’s say AA your body can produce AA’s 1-5 but not 6-10. AA’s 6-10 must one supplied through diet. That is what makes a protein a “complete protein.”

 

Your goal for protein intake can include some non complete protein, yet getting complete proteins is very important for recovery. Another rule of thumb (no this is not a fact yet a decent rule of thumb) is animal proteins are generally complete. This is why being a vegetarian is so hard. Often times you will have to supplement with AA’s that you miss in your diet.

 

Onto the egg. Here are some fun facts about eggs.

 

  1. Eggs are a complete protein
  2. The yolk has as much protein as the white.
  3. They are one of the few foods high in Vitamin D.
  4. The are delicious and easy to prepare.
  5. This is the big one. The egg has a cheat sheet inside of it to tell you how awesome it really is. That cheat sheet is the yoke. A yellow yoke=BAD egg. A dark gold or almost brown yoke=Gainz. Without delving into hens diets too much a darker yolk means that the animal had a healthier diet and more than likely a better life. Run an experiment for yourself. Go to a local grocery store by the cheapest eggs you can look at the the yolk, cook it and taste it. Now go to a farmers market or east end food co-op, do the same thing. See and taste the difference for yourself.

 

Clearly point #5 was the one I really wanted to write about. The yolk tells you most of what you need to know. Now I am aware that people will say “Hamer, those eggs are expensive.” I do understand yet let’s look at the bigger picture. If you are willing to spend 4-6 dollars on your fancy coffee yet not 4-6 dollars on your eggs then you made your decision as to what’s important. I love the fancy coffee too and I also know the fancy eggs are more important. So skip the mocha, soy, chai, skinny, latte, with the sugar free, sugar infused vanilla and a pump of hazelnut and buy some real eggs.

 

Eat real food.

 

Hamer

 

Staying On Track During the Holidays

Clean Eating, Fitness, Meal Prep, Nutrition

It’s that time of the year. The holidays are here and the new year is upon us. You’ve worked hard to get to this point and want to make sure that you stay on track during the holidays and into the new year. Although getting to this point has been a bit different than past years, the same rules still apply.

 

1) Take the time to sit and reflect back on the past 365 days and all of the things that have gotten you to this point. This includes the good, as well as the bad. Each decision that we’ve made and experience that we have encountered has placed us here, exactly where we are supposed to be. What we choose to do with it going forward is up to us.

 

2) Think about how you will approach the upcoming 365 days. What will you do to continue upon the path that you are on, or how will you make the adjustments for some things that you would like to change? If you have you achieved your goals, then great. Keep doing it! If not, then that’s okay. We don’t always get to check them off the first time around. Going forward, set small goals and put together a mental outline of what you want this next trip around the sun to look like for you, and then take the steps necessary to make it happen. 

 

3) Don’t stress about working out or not working out. If you want to continue to exercise and stay active over the next few weeks, that’s great! Keep it rolling and keep that momentum driving forward. If training isn’t appealing to you at this time and you feel as though you need a mental and physical break, then by all means, take it. You’ve been building and conditioning your body for days, months, and years. It is not going to get erased in just a few weeks.

 

4) Be open minded with your diet. Just as with training, if you have been consistent with your nutrition, then a couple weeks of eating Christmas food will not ruin the progress that you’ve made over the last year. Enjoy a good meal with loved ones, have some cookies, and drink a glass of your favorite beverage (milk included). It’s okay to be a kid again.

 

5) Find alternative forms of activity. Whether you choose to partake in exercise or not, do something that may be outside of your normal routine. Take a day to explore some new land, pick up a new sport, or play outside with friends and family. One of the best things you can do is go for a morning walk to collect your thoughts and reflect. Maybe even do some bodyweight squats and pushups along the way. Who knows, you may even stumble upon something new that sparks your interest going forward.

 

6) Most importantly, enjoy time with others, or even just yourself. Remember what this time of the year means to you. Regardless of what’s going on in the world, this does not change. Tell the people in your life that you love them, look out for each other, be grateful for the things and those people in your life, and remember that each day is a blessing.

Nutrition Debunking Series

Clean Eating, Diet, Fitness, Life Health, Meal Prep, Nutrition, , , ,

TODAY’S TOPIC: BEING CONSISTENT AT HIGHER CALORIES.

 

Well guys, looks like I’m making a thing out of this for however long I can find things that need debunking in regards to nutrition (which could be for a while with the number of things that bother me endlessly about society). I’ve mentioned this before but there is an immense amount of misinformation out there, companies will profit off of this misinformation leaving consumers feeling underfed and eventually unhappy in their skin.

 

In my first “Nutrition Debunking (Part One)” I spoke about a caloric intake in which only a child should be eating, 1200 calories is not a sustainable intake for anyone above the age of 8, so why are companies profiting off of a diet that such a caloric intake is being advertised? I’ll tell you why, because everyone loves a quick fix until they realize this is a quick approach to a long-term issue.

 

When potential clients come to me underfed its truly no surprise, this problem is so common that I have come to almost expect it before the first conversation. Society has ingrained in us that we need to cut calories to lose weight, while that may be true, just jumping into a caloric deficit is not the correct path (especially if the individual is already underfed). The truth is that we need to be more consistent in our eating at a higher caloric intake, such as eating at maintenance. 

 

Maintenance is the baseline amount of calories our body needs per day to function properly.

 

Working towards eating at maintenance is a perfect starting point for people who are ready to take their nutrition to the next level. Now the process in which to get to your baseline can be a month-long process, especially if the client is underfed. Consistency takes time and it can certainly be challenging for most people but our bodies love consistency, it wants to be fed properly and be fed with nutrient-dense foods. 

 

To put it into perspective for you, the average American is probably eating well Monday – Thursday but when the weekend rolls around our nutrition takes a backseat and we find ourselves ordering takeout Friday – Saturday, enjoying a few drinks then spending Sunday recovering and probably consuming less than 1,000 calories or well above what we need to curb that hangover. We could also find that some people are under-eating one week, and the next week they hit their caloric intake perfect, then overeat the following week. Our body absolutely cannot figure out what we are doing and this is when we see process full-on stop.

 

So, before you decide to “slim-down” or hop on a brand new diet, why not see what happens if you become more consistent at eating more food. Make it a 2-week goal, if the 2 weeks felt good then make it to a whole month. A lot of body composition progress can be seen with eating a higher amount of calories for 6 months or more if the individual was well underfed previously and was able to be consistent in their eating habits. Consistency also doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, in my experience following the 80% rule is a great starting point. The 80% rule means hitting your daily intake 80% of the time while also letting yourself be flexible and not feeling stressed out because nutrition should never cause you stress.

 

The mentality of going from being underfed to eating more food can we hard, it can be a huge change for some. We attach a lot of our feelings to food and with that being said, sometimes these feelings can damage the relationship we have with ourselves. Once we start to understand that food is fuel not only will you have a better relationship with yourself but you will find that your mentality is shifting, building that trust between food and the relationship you have with yourself.

Nutrition Debunking (Part Two)

Clean Eating, Meal Prep, Nutrition, , ,

Have you ever noticed that a lot of “fad diets” really stray away from consumption of carbs or labels will market foods as “low-carb,” this is a primary example of society conditioning us to believe a certain food group is bad without really allowing ourselves to process the truth. I’m going to flat out say it, CARBOHYDRATES ARE NOT BAD.

 

So, the question remains, why are we conditioned to believe carbs are bad? All good and tasty things we love have carbohydrates in them, such as: pastries, bread and snack foods. Ultimately these are things you want to eat in moderation but the sheer fact that carbs are marketed as bad leads us to believe we shouldn’t eat even the ones that do benefit us. The reality here is if the average person really looked into what they should be eating, we would find that most humans, if not all should be getting in at least 100g – 200g of carbs a day based on their specific needs and daily caloric intake. A lot of times when I have clients come to me I’m noticing if not all are in a deficit and not fueling their body properly, this comes as a shock when I actually start introducing more food into their diets. The responses I get are, “I feel like I’m eating too much,” “I feel like this is way too many carbs” – Mostly these feelings stem from eating whole and nutrient dense carbs (rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes) energy sources that will keep you fuller for a longer period of time vs pastries, bread and snack foods that only curb that hunger feeling for maybe less than an hour.

 

The reason we see low-carb diets advertised for weight-loss is because it’s an easier grab of the consumers attention then actually taking the time to educate a client on eating in a deficit and working out as a sustainable approach. This is why diet culture is insanely toxic for the human mind/body and also at the same time very profitable. Like I said in part one of my Nutrition Debunking series, quick-fixes do not yield long-term results. The idea here that makes diet culture so profitable is that it requires the consumer to continuously come back for more, it’s basically an endless cycle of dieting. Do you really want to spend your entire life dieting on and off? I’d hope not. Telling the consumer carbs are bad or to eat low-carb creates lack of trust in an energy sources that our bodies need, we’ll get used to eating a lower and lower amount of calories until we are starving ourselves and then we’ll binge and find ourselves chasing that low-carb diet again that some Instagram influencer told us to do because juice cleanses are needed to feel “refreshed” again.

 

Honestly, aren’t you sick of dieting? Aren’t you tired of always feeling like you can’t have this or that? True nutrition education teaches nutrition professionals how to bring awareness to sustainable weight-loss that yields long-term results, habit building and trust creating relationships with all types of food. The truth to the whole “carbs are bad” or eating only “low-carb” is that it’s indeed fake news. You can have that doughnut or muffin and go about your day not feeling bad or feeling like you threw your whole day off because of one thing. Allow yourself to have the pastry and then go about your day choosing whole and nutrient dense foods, making good choices that fuel your body and making sure you are eating around your body weight in protein.

 

It is my ultimate goal to educate people on eating well and never telling yourself you can’t have something because honestly thats just dumb, why would you ever avoid foods that make you happy. Life is all about balance and being insanely restrictive isn’t fun, it creates stress, makes you unhappy and feel inadequate – Trust me I’ve done the whole restrictive thing. When we let ourselves enjoy we want it less, the desire to binge becomes undesirable and honestly we become a happier, healthier version of ourself. 

 

If you’re ever curious as to what you should be consuming, grab me and pull me to the side in the gym or DM me on Instagram (@jlemay). I’d rather spend 30 min with you making sure you are fueling your body and feeling your best than have you spend the rest of your life feeling like you have no idea what you’re doing or that you’re not seeing the results you want to see.