Just as you need to put the right fuel in the right car, you need to put the right food in your body if you are looking to get the most from your workouts. This shouldn’t be news to anyone, but sometimes it can get a little confusing when considering just what type of food to eat, when to eat, and what to avoid. If you find yourself struggling for inspiration in this area, let us get you motivated with three recipes that pack a punch in the energy department, and will set you up nicely for your next work out!
Scrambled eggs with avocado
Prefer working out in the mornings? Looking for something a little lighter as your pre-workout snack? Then perhaps scrambled eggs with avocado is more up your alley.
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- ½ onion
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese
- ½ avocado
- Serves: 1 (increase ingredients as necessary to meal prep)
- Cooking time: 10 minutes
Heat your butter in a pan until coated. Throw in your chopped onion, and cook until it starts to soften. Whisk your eggs in a bowl, and add the grated cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Add the mixture to the pan containing your softened onions, and using a spatula, slowly move the liquid around the bottom of the pan until it begins to scramble. Once the egg is suitably cooked, remove from the pan, add some chopped avocado, and serve. Simple, quick, and full of energy!
Baked broccoli, bacon, cheese, and pepper omelette
Perhaps you are looking to cook a pre-workout meal that utilises your new glass Igluu meal prep container (available in three versions from our website). If you are chomping at the bit to get your new igluu container into the oven, this broccoli and bacon bake should be perfect as pre-workout fuel, and a great excuse to give the new container a spin!
- 150g bacon (or gammon if you prefer)
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg whites
- 120g broccoli
- 150g grated cheddar cheese
- 50ml milk
- 3 tablespoons of creme fraiche
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 chili
- ½ pepper (red)
- A sprig of parsley
- Serves: 4
- Cooking time: Under 30 minutes
Preheat your oven to 180C, and break your eggs into a bowl, add your additional egg whites, and beat for 30 seconds. Then add half of your grated cheese, creme fraiche, milk, salt, pepper, and chili.
Heat a pan over a medium heat, and fry your bacon or gammon for around 3 minutes. Now add in your chopped pepper and broccoli (cut into small florets) and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the omlette mixture, and cook for around 3 minutes while stirring (enough to get the omelette going, but not completely cooked).
Transfer the mixture to your igluu meal prep glass container, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and bake for around 10 minutes. Then take out, and eat straight away, or seal the lid on top (utilizing the handy steam vent on the single compartment containers to stop any moisture remaining in the dish) and leave on the side to cool before refrigerating. Viola! A wonderfully healthy meal, suitable to sustain the heaviest of workouts.
Tender chicken thigh with rice
Who can resist tender chicken thighs, where the flavour from the meat soaks into a bed of rice and succulent vegetables? With protein from the chicken to aid muscle growth, carbs from the rice to give you energy, and the goodness of the vegetables to top it off, this dish has everything you need for a pre-workout meal.
- 6 skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup of long-grain white rice
- 1 cup of chicken lioth
- 1 cup of hot water
- ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning (or another of your choice)
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- Chopped parsley
- Selection of veg of your choice
- Serves: 6
- Cooking time: just under an hour
Preheat your oven to 180C whilst you season your chicken thighs with the garlic powder, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper. Next, melt the butter in a skillet or pan, dice your onion and garlic, and chuck them in. It is important to make sure you continuously stir the contents, as you don’t want to burn the garlic. Now add the rice and continue to stir for 30 seconds.
Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice, and pour in the broth and water. Now add your Italian (or other) seasoning and oregano, and bring up to the boil. Cover with foil, and place in the oven for half an hour.
Remove the foil, and bake for a further 15 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed). During this time, boil up a selection of veg (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower are perfect) for 10 minutes, or until they are suitably soft.
Remove the skillet or pan from the over, fluff the rice, and place in your meal prep containers, along with some of the veg. Perfect pre-workout fare!
Balance is the key
Whatever you decide to cook for your pre-workout meal, it is important to strike a balance with each food group. Each individual is different, but it pays to remember that you will need both carbs (for energy), and protein (for the muscle growth). It is also often forgotten, but fats also play their part in a pre-workout diet. Studies have shown that moderate to low-intensity workouts often use fats as a fuel source more than carbs. If in doubt, a balanced, nutritious meal before you hit the gym is always going to be beneficial, rather than picking one particular food group to binge on.
The only other thing to remember when it comes to planning your pre-workout meals is to make sure you have the right containers for the job! At Igluu, we have single, double, and triple compartment variants in both durable plastic, and now, hardened glass. So whatever your meal prepping needs, be sure to check out our range, and make sure you have the most important tools ready for the job. Happy prepping!
