Eating Your Way to Gains – Five Easy Meal Prep Recipes

Lift all you want, you can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. Plenty of people put in hours a day in the gym or on the track and while they get faster, stronger, or put on muscle, they don’t look much different from when they started. Those trips to Taco Bell and those beers aren’t helping matters. One of the easiest ways to work around this problem is to keep an eye on your calorie count. You can still have a drink, (just know that whiskey is 70 calories a shot), and you can still eat like a champion, and the best part is you can prep a lot of food in advance, so even when you’re wiped at the end of a long lifting section, you’ll still reach for the fridge instead of the chow hall or DoorDash. Even better news is that we’ve collected five meal preps to start you off, so where is your excuse not to give it a try?

 

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 Lbs Chicken Breast, Diced           4 Cups Broccoli Florets

2 Bell Peppers, Sliced                    1 Onion, Sliced

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced               1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Olive Oil                       1 Tsp Cornstarch Mixed With 1 Tbsp Water

 

Instructions:

1.      Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

2.      Add garlic and onion, sauté until fragrant.

3.      Add chicken, cook until browned.

4.      Add broccoli and bell peppers, stir-fry until tender but crisp.

5.      Pour in soy sauce and cornstarch mixture, cook until sauce thickens.

6.      Divide into meal prep containers.

 

Nutrition Per Serving (Makes 4 Servings):

Calories: 320             Protein: 40g

                                       Carbohydrates: 18g

                                       Fat: 12g

 

Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles

Ingredients:

1 Lb Ground Turkey                         1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs

1 Egg                 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan           2 Zucchini, Spiralized

2 Cups Marinara Sauce                1 Tbsp Olive Oil

 

Instructions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

2.      In a bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and Parmesan. Mix well.

3.      Form mixture into meatballs, place on a baking sheet.

4.      Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

5.      In a large pan, heat olive oil and sauté zoodles until tender.

6.      Heat marinara sauce and add meatballs.

7.      Serve meatballs over zoodles. Divide into meal prep containers.

 

Nutrition Per Serving (Makes 4 Servings):

Calories: 280             Protein: 28g

                                       Carbohydrates: 14g

                                       Fat: 12g

 

Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls

Ingredients:

1 Lb Lean Ground Beef                 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, Peeled And Diced

1 Red Bell Pepper, Diced              1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced

1 Onion, Diced                2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tbsp Olive Oil                 1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

Salt And Pepper To Taste

 

Instructions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2.      Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.

3.      In a large pan, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain excess fat.

4.      Add garlic, onion, and bell peppers to the pan, sauté until tender.

5.      Add smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

6.      Divide roasted sweet potatoes and beef mixture into meal prep containers.

 

Nutrition Per Serving (Makes 4 Servings):

Calories: 360             Protein: 25g

                                       Carbohydrates: 30g

                                       Fat: 16g

 

Salmon and Asparagus

Ingredients:

4 Salmon Filets (4 oz Each)            1 Bunch Asparagus, Trimmed

2 Lemons, Sliced                          2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt And Pepper to Taste              1 Tsp Dried Dill

 

Instructions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

2.      Place salmon filets and asparagus on a baking sheet.

3.      Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and dill. Top with lemon slices.

4.      Bake for 15-20 minutes, until salmon is cooked through and asparagus is tender.

5.      Divide into meal prep containers.

 

Nutrition Per Serving (Makes 4 Servings):

Calories: 350             Protein: 28g

                                       Carbohydrates: 8g

                                        Fat: 22g

 

Chicken Fajita Bowls

Ingredients:

2 Lbs Chicken Breast, Sliced           1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 Green Bell Pepper, Sliced             1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced

1 Onion, Sliced                2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Packet Fajita Seasoning            1 Cup Brown Rice

2 Cups Chicken Broth

 

Instructions:

Cook brown rice in chicken broth according to package instructions.

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add chicken, cook until browned.

Add bell peppers, onion, and fajita seasoning. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Divide cooked rice and chicken fajita mixture into meal prep containers.

 

Nutrition Per Serving (Makes 4 Servings):

Calories: 400             Protein: 35g

                                       Carbohydrates: 40g

                                        Fat: 12g

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