Sheet Pan Recipes for Easy Meal Prep

One of my favorite ways to cook well-balanced meals with minimal prep time is to make sheet pan recipes. 

These involve baking or roasting all the ingredients together on a single baking sheet* to save time and keep cleanup to a minimum. As someone who wants to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen, these dishes are a staple in my weekly meal prep!

If you’re prepping for multiple days at a time, add an additional baking sheet if needed and simply double or triple the amount of each ingredient in the recipe. I suggest storing leftovers in individual entree containers for easy grab-and-go meals.

Use aluminum foil or parchment paper to line your baking sheet before adding your meal ingredients if you’d like to reduce cleanup time even more.

Check out the example recipes below, and for more download my full Sheet Pan Recipes Collection:

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Sheet Pan Recipe Collection

$27.00

Save time in the kitchen by prepping one-pan meals! These are a great way to meet your macro and calorie goals with minimal prep and cleanup. In this recipe collection, you’ll find a variety of dishes that allow you to make a complete meal with minimal equipment and time spent in the kitchen.

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Honey Mustard Chicken & Brussels Sprouts

4 servings 460 calories, 21g protein, 13g carbs, 36g fat

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Chicken Thighs With Skin

• Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
  1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)
  2 tbsps Dijon Mustard
  1 tbsp Honey
  1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  3 cups Brussels Sprouts (trimmed and halved)
  1/2 cup Red Onion (large, cut into wedges)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together 3/4 of the oil, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Use tongs to dip the chicken in the mixture, coating all sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts and onion with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove the baking sheet and scatter the Brussels sprouts and onion around the chicken. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes, until the sprouts are charred and the chicken is cooked through. Divide onto plates and enjoy!

Notes:

• Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

• Serving Size: One serving is about two chicken thighs and one cup of Brussels sprouts and onion.

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One Pan Tempeh & Veggies

2 servings 398 calories, 35g protein, 32g carbs, 16g fat | Vegan

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

• 2 tbsps Dijon Mustard

• 2 tbsps Vegetable Broth

• 2 Garlic (clove, minced)

• 1 tsp Oregano

• 3/4 tsp Sea Salt

• 9 ozs Tempeh (cut into thin strips)

• 2 cups Broccoli (cut into florets)

• 1/2 cup Frozen Edamame (thawed)

• 1/4 head Cauliflower (cut into florets)

• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)

Directions:

1. Combine the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, vegetable broth, garlic, oregano, and sea salt in a zipper-lock bag. Add the tempeh and marinate for at least 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add the broccoli, edamame, cauliflower, and bell pepper to a large bowl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Transfer the marinated tempeh to one side of the baking sheet, arranging in a single, evenly spaced layer.

5. Pour about half of the marinade on the vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer them to the other side of the baking sheet. Bake for about 24 to 26 minutes, turning the tempeh and stirring the vegetables halfway through. Divide between plates and enjoy!

Notes:

• Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

• Additional Toppings: Fresh herbs or green onion.

• Serve It With: Brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice.

• Vegetables: Use carrots, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, or eggplant instead.

• No Vegetable Broth: Use water instead.

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One Pan Steak & Parmesan Broccoli

2 servings, 407 calories, 31g protein, 10g carbs, 27g fat

Ingredients:

• 8 ozs Top Sirloin Steak

• 3 cups Broccoli (chopped into florets)

• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil (melted)

• Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

• 1/2 Lemon (sliced)

• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to broil.

2. Arrange the steaks and broccoli florets onto a baking sheet. Coat in oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the lemon slices over top. Broil for about eight minutes, flipping the steaks and broccoli halfway.

3. Remove from the oven and sprinkle parmesan over the broccoli. Broil until the cheese is melted and the broccoli is golden brown, about one to two minutes. Slice the steak and divide onto plates with the parmesan broccoli. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

• Dairy-Free: Use vegan cheese instead of parmesan or omit completely.

• More Flavor: Add your choice of herbs and spices.

• Additional Toppings: Serve with sweet potatoes, cauliflower mash, brown rice, mixed greens, or quinoa.

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Try out any of the recipes above and check out the full Sheet Pan Recipe Collection with 70+ dishes to try. And let me know what you think! Post a picture of your meal in the #🥦-healthy-plates channel in the Coaching Corner Discord (or post in the  #🥕-eat-your-damn-veggies channel to participate in the Eat Your Veggies challenge through the month of October 2023).

For more personalized guidance for healthy eating, check out my nutrition coaching program:

*This is an affiliate link and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking. Thank you for your support!

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About Jayd Harrison

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and fitness content creator from the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. She helps people build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media:

Smoothie Recipes to Sneak In Your Veggies

Read time: 4-5 minutes

Eating plenty of veggies is an important part of a healthy diet!

Veggies (vegetables) are plants or parts of plants that you can eat. This food group includes things like broccoli, leafy greens, beans, sweet potatoes, and more. 

To eat a healthy diet, at least half of what you eat every day should come from vegetables according to the Healthy Plate Model. Eating vegetables not only keeps your body healthy, but it’s also essential for maximizing your fitness gains:

• If your goal is to burn fat, eating vegetables can help to reduce your overall calorie intake, combat belly fat, and boost your metabolism. Vegetables are generally low in calories and rich in dietary fiber and other nutrients. 

• If you’re trying to build muscle, it’s also super important to each plenty of vegetables. Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that support your immune system, which is a key system responsible in repairing and growing muscle tissue. Eating plenty of veggies will allow you to recover better from your workouts and build more muscle.

There are a ton of different ways to eat vegetables! You can eat them on their own or mixed in with other foods (like in a salad, casserole, or medley). Vegetables can be found fresh, frozen, canned, or dried in your local grocery store. If you want to save money while also getting the freshest and most flavorful vegetables, I recommend shopping at your local farmer’s market or signing up for a farm-to-table delivery service. You can also grow them yourself in a home garden! 

Smoothies

One of my favorite ways to sneak more veggies into my diet is to blend them up with fruit and other ingredients to make smoothies. 

This is especially a great solution if you don’t like eating vegetables. When pureed with sweet ingredients like banana, pineapple, and blueberries, you can barely taste or detect the veggies in a smoothie. This means they go down easier. Also, because the vegetables are blended up whole, you get the benefit of the vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that you otherwise would miss out on if you were to drink a juice blend.

Smoothies are also a go-to if you need to eat a high-calorie diet and have trouble meeting your recommended daily intake of vegetables. By blending the ingredients up, your digestive track doesn’t have to spend as much energy or time breaking them down. This means you’ll be able to eat more without sacrificing the nutrient density of your meals and snacks.

Vegetable smoothies also make for some tasty flavor combinations that might surprise you. For example, green smoothies are one of my favorite types of smoothies. The bitter flavors of spinach & kale actually combine really well with sweet-tasting ingredients like banana and pineapple. Sometimes adding veggies to a smoothie doesn’t change the flavor at all, but instead gives the smoothie a nice creamy texture (like when you add zucchini, cauliflower, or avocado).

Check out the example smoothie recipes below, and for more check out my full Veggie Smoothies recipe collection available for download here:

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Veggies Smoothies Collection

Check out this collection of over 50+ recipes to make easy, delicious smoothies for a nutritious & tasty meal or snack.

$27.00

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Cinnamon Green Smoothie

2 servings

349 calories, 25g protein, 50g carbs, 7g fat

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Oat Milk (unsweetened, plain)

• 2 Banana (medium)

• 2 cups Baby Spinach

• 1/16 head Green Lettuce (separated into leaves and washed)

• 1/2 cup Vanilla Protein Powder

• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

• Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Divide into glasses and enjoy!

Notes:

• Leftovers: Bets enjoyed immediately. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to two days.

• More Flavor: Add grated ginger.

• No Spinach: Use kale instead.

• No Protein Powder: Add a few spoonfuls of hemp seeds instead.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Smoothie

1 serving

386 calories, 28g protein, 30g carbs, 19g fat

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

• 1/2 Zucchini (chopped, frozen)

• 1/4 cup Chocolate Protein Powder

• 1/2 Banana (frozen)

• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds

• 1 tbsp Almond Butter

• 1 tbsp Cacao Powder

• 1 tsp Cacao Nibs (optional)

Directions:

• Add all ingredients except the cacao nibs into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

• Pour into a glass and top with cacao nibs (optional). Enjoy!

Notes:

• Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter and coconut milk or hemp seed milk instead of almond milk.

• Protein Powder: This recipe was developed and tested using a plant-based protein powder.

Creamy Blueberry Smoothie

1 serving

321 calories, 25g protein, 41g carbs, 9g fat

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frozen Blueberries

• 1 cup Frozen Cauliflower

• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt

• 1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder

• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds

• 1 Lemon (small, juiced)

• 1 cup Water

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Notes: 

• Additional Toppings: Add spinach, avocado, kale, or other berries to your smoothie.

• Extra Creamy: Use almond milk or oat milk instead of water.

• Lemon: One lemon yields approximately 1/4 cup of lemon juice.

• Protein Powder: This recipe was developed and tested using a plant-based protein powder. If using another type of protein powder, note that results may vary.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

2 servings

479 calories, 19g protein, 41g carbs, 30g fat

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Soy Milk

• 1 cup Pureed Pumpkin

• 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds

• 1/4 cup Almond Butter

• 2 tbsps Maple Syrup

• 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon (plus more for garnish)

• 1/8 tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

• Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Notes:

• Leftovers: Best enjoyed immediately.

• Serving Size: One serving is equal to approximately 1 1/2 cup.

• Nut Free: Use pumpkin seed butter.

• More Protein: Add collagen or protein powder.

• More Fiber: Add frozen cauliflower, ground flax, and/or chia seeds.

• Soy-Free: Use any other milk alternative.

Don’t forget to take a picture and post it in the #🥕-eat-your-damn-veggies channel in the Coaching Corner Discord to participate in the Eat Your Damn Veggies challenge through the month of October!

Eat Your Veggies Challenge

It's OFFICIALLY October, which means some of my favorite vegetables are in season.

So this is the ✨perfect✨ time to re-launch our community Eat Your Damn Veggies challenge.

Our community goal is to eat a ton of veggies throughout this month!

Show off your veggie dishes by posting a picture of your plate every day in the #eat-your-damn-veggies channel in my Coaching Corner Discord server.

The people who post the most veggies by the end of the month will win a free download of their choice of either a meal plan or recipe collection from my website.

What Counts as a Vegetable?

Vegetables are plants or parts of plants that you can eat. At every meal, vegetables should make up half your plate.

While fruits and grains are also plant products, we usually reserve the term “vegetable” for specific parts of the plant--such as the roots (carrots & turnips), the stem (celery), tubers (potatoes), leaves (lettuce), bulbs (onion & garlic), and flowers (broccoli).

Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet because they provide a TON of essential ingredients--including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folate (folic acid), potassium, and dietary fiber.

You can eat vegetables raw or cooked whole, cut-up, or mashed. Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated vegetables are all good options!

Vegetables are a favorite food option for weight loss. With their high fiber and water content, they tend to make you feel fuller with fewer calories than other food groups. Most vegetables are also naturally low in fat and calories, and none have cholesterol.

According to the Healthy Plate model for healthy eating, half of what you eat every day at each meal should be vegetables. This challenge is a great opportunity to get into that habit!

Join the Coaching Corner Discord server to participate!

Other Announcements:

• I'll be live for Technique Tuesday tomorrow at 11:30 am EST on my Twitch channel! If you want me to review your lifts or exercise technique, make sure to post video of your lifts to the #🏋-technique-review channel in the Coaching Corner Discord before tomorrow at 11:30am EST (must be a subscriber or personal training client to participate)

How to Eat to Build Muscle

Read Time: 8-12 minutes 

When it comes to building muscle, exercise is just one piece of the puzzle. Proper nutrition also plays a crucial role in supporting muscle growth and recovery. 

Let’s take a look at some of the ways that you can optimize your diet for muscle-building.m

Eat a Calorie Surplus

Muscle-building is a calorie-expensive process for the body. 

When you engage in resistance training or intense workouts to build muscle, your muscles undergo microscopic damage. 

This damage stimulates a process called muscle protein synthesis–where your body repairs and rebuilds the damaged muscle fibers, leading to muscle growth and increased strength.

This process uses a lot of energy, though, and that’s why many coaches recommend being in a calorie surplus while trying to build muscle. Being in a calorie surplus means that you eat more calories than what your body normally spends (i.e., your “maintenance” level of calories).

There are times when you can build muscle while eating a calorie deficit (i.e., below your maintenance level of calories). If you’re brand new to training, your “newbie gains” will allow you to build muscle and burn fat at the same time during the first 6-12 months of your fitness journey. 

Seasoned lifters can also build muscle while in a caloric deficit, however, they usually have to keep their deficits small–which results in much slower fat loss and muscle gains. 

The most efficient way to build muscle, however, is to eat a calorie surplus. To build muscle most efficiently, experts recommend eating 10–20% above your maintenance level of calories every day.[1, 2]

People who don’t eat enough calories often experience slow muscle gains because their bodies don’t have the energy needed to train optimally or to repair and fortify muscle tissue. 

Finding Your Maintenance Calories

To maximize your gains, first figure out what your maintenance level of calories is so that you can plan your surplus.

To figure out your maintenance level of calories, weigh yourself and then track everything that you eat and drink for 7 days, and then weigh yourself again at the end of the 7 days. 

• ↔️ If your weight stays the same, then your average calorie intake is roughly the same as your maintenance level of calories.

• ⬆️ If your body weight went up, then you probably ate above your maintenance level of calories. Repeat another week of tracking everything you eat and drink, but this time try to eat more calories. Check your weight again at the end of another week. Keep adjusting until your weight stabilizes (i.e., stays the same).

• ⬇️ If your body weight goes down, then you probably ate below your maintenance level of calories. Repeat another week of tracking everything you eat and drink, but this time try to eat fewer calories. Check your weight again at the end of another week. Keep adjusting until your weight stabilizes (i.e., stays the same).

Another way to figure out your maintenance level of calories is to use an online calculator to get an estimate. I recommend using the Bodybuilding.com calorie calculator. Follow the steps below to get an estimate of what your maintenance level of calories should be: 

1. >>Click here<< to use the Bodybuilding.com calorie calculator.

2. Enter your age, sex, height, weight, and current activity levels. 

3. For “GOAL,” select “Maintain Current Weight.” 

4. Select “CALCULATE.”

Test this number out by tracking what you eat and drink every day in a tracking app like MyFitnessPal, the Trainerize Fitness App, or in a food journal. Weigh yourself once per week and adjust your calories as needed until you reach your maintenance level of calories.

Once you know your maintenance level of calories, plan to eat a calorie surplus of about 10-20% above that number.

Eat Lots of Protein

Your muscles are made up mostly of protein, so in order to build more muscle and grow stronger–you need to eat a high-protein diet.

Aim to have between 20% and 35% of your daily calories coming from protein to eat a high-protein diet. 

Alternatively, you can base your protein intake on your weight–aiming to eat between 0.7 and 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (1.5 - 2.2 grams per kilogram).[3, 4]

Good sources of protein include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, and some vegetables (soy and black beans). 

Aim for the majority of your protein to come from lean sources–meaning the foods are low in saturated fats. 

Lean sources of protein include low-fat cuts of meat, white meat (like chicken breast or turkey breast), fish, egg whites, low-fat dairy products (like Greek yogurt & cottage cheese), and vegetables like soybeans, lentils, and black beans. 

Try to reduce your intake of saturated fats, which come mainly from animal products (such as high-fat cuts of meat, dairy cream, egg yolks, and skin). 

After protein, the remaining calories you eat every day should come from carbohydrates and dietary fat (mainly unsaturated fat). 

Carbohydrates (“carbs”) provide energy for your workouts and replenish glycogen stores in your muscles. They should make up about 45-65% of your daily calories. Opt for complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. They provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 

Healthy fats are vital for hormone production and overall health. Your dietary fat intake should mainly come from unsaturated fats, which come from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish in your diet. Limit saturated and trans fats, commonly found in fried and processed foods. Your total fat intake should make up 15-35% of your daily calories.[5]

Track and Plan Your Meals

The best way to ensure that you’re getting the right amount of calories, protein, carbs, and fats every day is to track what you eat and plan your meals. 

You can use a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal, the FitBit app, or the Trainerize Fitness App to track what you eat every day (for a reminder of how to track your meals in the Trainerize App, go back and read the Introduction message).

If you’re too busy or you find it tedious to track your food, you may find it helpful to follow a meal plan. Check out the library of downloadable meal plans on my website:

Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet

Now that we have an idea of how many calories you should eat every day, let’s talk more in detail about what foods you should put on your plate. 

In general, you should prioritize eating nutrient-dense foods and avoid eating what we call “empty calories.” 

• Nutrient-dense foods are things that have vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy. Eating plenty of nutrient-dense foods can help you to reduce the risk of getting sick or experiencing gastrointestinal problems.

• “Empty calories” are foods that are high in sugars and fats–which makes them high in calories. They don’t really offer the body much more nutritious benefit other than that. These often include deep-fried food, desserts, chips, candy, and many highly processed and packaged foods. 

Healthy Plate Model

The easiest way to eat nutrient-dense foods and avoid empty calories is to follow what I call the Healthy Plate Model. This is a modified version of the USDA’s MyPlate model that was published in 2015, and it shows what your plate should generally look like at meal times: 

The Healthy Plate model is centered around 4 major food groups: 

Protein

On at least a quarter of your plate, include a lean source of protein. Protein is both a source of energy for your body and a building block for your body tissues (like muscle). Eating a high-protein diet will help your body to more efficiently build muscle and keep your metabolism boosted. Prioritize lean sources of protein–items that come with little to no saturated fat like white meat (chicken breast & turkey breast), egg whites, fish, plant protein sources (tofu, tempeh, & edamame), and lean cuts of red meat. 

Veggies

On half of your plate, include 1-2 servings of veggies. Veggies (or vegetables) are plants (or parts of plants) that you can eat. Fruits and grains are also plants, but we usually reserve the term “vegetable” for specific parts of the plant like the roots (like carrots and turnips), leaves (like lettuce and spinach), stems (like celery), bulbs (like garlic and onion), and flowers (like broccoli). Veggies are a great source of carbohydrates and healthy fats (i.e., unsaturated fats).

Grains/Starches:

On the remaining quarter of your plate, include a grain or starchy food. Grains are essentially seeds and include foods made from wheat (bread & pasta), rice, quinoa, and oats. Try to include whole grains as much as possible (things like brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat, quinoa, etc.) in place of refined grains (white wheat, white bread, or white rice). Whole grains are generally more nutritious, having more vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber than refined grains.

Some vegetables (like potatoes, corn, yuca, and plantains) are high in Starches (complex carbohydrates). Starchy vegetables tend to be high-calorie, and may not be suitable for every diet (for example, people with Type II Diabetes may want to avoid them). These kinds of vegetables should be limited to no more than a quarter of your plate, especially if you are trying to burn fat. 

Fruit

Fruits are plant products that tend to be higher in sugar content, giving them a sweet taste. This group is optional and can take up 1 portion of the vegetable side of your plate. They include things like berries, cherries, apples, grapes, pears, and mangoes. The higher sugar and calorie content of fruits make them a food to be eaten in moderation–no more than a quarter of your plate at meal times. 

The Healthy Plate standard is a good rule of thumb to ensure that you’re staying roughly within a healthy calorie range. However, it’s still important to track what you eat in your Nutrition Log to stay within your calories.

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ABOUT JAYD HARRISON

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media:

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RefERENCEs

[1] Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review. Sports (Basel). 2019 Jun 26;7(7):154. doi: 10.3390/sports7070154. PMID: 31247944; PMCID: PMC6680710. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6680710/

[2] Van De Walle, G. What Is Bulking? Steps, Diet, and More. Healthline.com. February 6, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bulking

[3] Phillips SM, Van Loon LJ. Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S29-38. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2011.619204. PMID: 22150425. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22150425/

[4] Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Feb 27;15:10. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1. PMID: 29497353; PMCID: PMC5828430. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29497353/

[5] Manore MM. Exercise and the Institute of Medicine recommendations for nutrition. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2005 Aug;4(4):193-8. doi: 10.1097/01.csmr.0000306206.72186.00. PMID: 16004827. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16004827/

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What to Eat Before and After Your Workouts

Read time: 9 minutes

I tell my clients all the time: What you eat is just as important as how you exercise—no matter what your fitness goals are.

Just like you need to put good-quality fuel in your car to make it run well, your body also needs good-quality nutrition to perform at its best.

During your workouts, your body needs various nutrients to support energy production, muscle contraction, and overall performance. These include:

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for your muscles during exercise. They are broken down into glucose and stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles and liver. When you exert your body during your workouts, glycogen stores often get depleted. So it’s important to consume carbohydrates before and after workouts to help replenish these stores to maintain energy during your workouts and help you to recover afterward. The IOM recommends about 45-65% of your daily calories come from carbohydrates, and most of the carbohydrates that you eat should come from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (more on that below).[1]

Protein: Remember that your muscles are made up mostly of protein, so eating plenty of protein in your diet is important for muscle repair, recovery, and growth. During resistance training, your muscles experience microscopic damage. Consuming protein-rich foods or supplements helps provide the amino acids necessary for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissues. Protein also aids in the synthesis of new muscle proteins, promoting muscle hypertrophy and strength gains. Experts recommend eating between 0.7 and 1 gram of protein per pound (or 1.5 - 2.2 grams per kilogram) of body weight for people who exercise. You can get protein from animal products like meat, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy, eggs, and certain vegetables (beans & legumes).[2]

Fats: While carbohydrates are the primary energy source during high-intensity resistance training, fats also play an important role—especially during longer-duration workouts and low-intensity exercise. Eating dietary fat provides your body with a concentrated source of energy and contributes to your overall caloric intake. Including healthy fats in your diet also helps support hormone production, joint health, and nutrient absorption. The IOM recommends getting 15-35% of your daily calories from dietary fats. Prioritize unsaturated fats coming from foods like olives (and olive oil), avocados (and avocado oil), nuts, seeds, and fish.[1]

Micronutrients: In addition to the major macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), your body also needs a variety of micronutrients to perform its best during your workouts. These include vitamins (such as vitamins B, C, and D) and minerals (such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc). Micronutrients play important roles in energy metabolism, muscle contraction, oxygen transport, and immune function. Consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help ensure an adequate intake of micronutrients.[3]

Water: Proper hydration is essential during resistance training. Water is involved in numerous physiological processes, including nutrient transport, temperature regulation, and joint lubrication. Maintaining adequate hydration levels before, during, and after your workouts is crucial for optimal performance, preventing dehydration, and supporting overall recovery. A good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight in half and drink at least an ounce per pound of body weight per day. If it’s really hot outside or you do a workout, you may want to drink even more.[4]

Now let’s take a look at how you can properly fuel your body before and after your workouts to maximize your gains.

Pre-Workout Nutrition

The timing of your pre-workout meal plays a crucial role in determining what and how much you should eat. 

If you are eating more than two hours before your workout, have a normal meal following the Healthy Plate model or your meal plan. 

Remember that a well-balanced meal includes a combination of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats.

• Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables provide sustained energy by gradually releasing glucose into your bloodstream.

• Lean proteins such as chicken, fish, tofu, or legumes support muscle repair and growth.

• Healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and olive oil provide additional energy and aid in nutrient absorption.

For more examples of how to eat a well-balanced and nutritious meal, check out my downloadable meal plans by clicking the button below:

On the other hand, if you have less than two hours before your workout, it's best to focus on easily digestible carbohydrates and protein while avoiding excessive fat. Consuming carbohydrates will provide a quick source of energy for your muscles, and protein will help minimize muscle breakdown during your workout.

Make sure to avoid eating a large volume of food, since this can lead to you feeling sluggish or nauseous during your training.

Great pre-workout snack options include a banana with a small serving of low-fat Greek yogurt, a protein smoothie with fruits, or a slice of whole-grain toast topped with lean turkey or nut butter. Here are a few example recipes for pre-workout snacks:

• Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

• Cottage Cheese Crackers with Berries

• Roasted Chickpeas

Experiment with different combinations and find what works best for your body. 

Post-Workout Nutrition

To kickstart the recovery process, focus on consuming a combination of carbohydrates and protein within the first 30 minutes to an hour after your workout. This is when your muscles are most receptive to nutrient uptake.

To replenish glycogen stores, opt for easily digestible carbohydrates like fruits, sweet potatoes, or rice cakes. Pair them with a lean protein source like grilled chicken, salmon, eggs, or a protein shake to provide the necessary amino acids for muscle repair and growth.

Here are a few examples of great post-workout snacks:

• Post Workout Green Smoothie

• Chocolate Strawberry Chia Pudding

• Spicy Beans on Toast

Later in the day after your workout, continue to follow the Healthy Plate model to make nutrient-dense meals that include lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. A balanced meal consisting of grilled chicken with quinoa and roasted vegetables or a salmon salad with leafy greens, whole grains, and olive oil dressing can provide the necessary nutrients for recovery.

It's important to note that individual nutritional needs may vary based on factors like your body composition goals, overall diet, and personal preferences. Pay attention to how your body responds and adjust your pre- and post-workout nutrition accordingly.

Keep in mind that you can also ask questions when I’m live on my Twitch channel throughout the week or in my Coaching Corner Discord server.

Make sure to press the heart below to “Like” this post if you found it helpful, leave a comment, share on social media.

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Read More

[1] Manore MM. Exercise and the Institute of Medicine recommendations for nutrition. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2005 Aug;4(4):193-8. doi: 10.1097/01.csmr.0000306206.72186.00. PMID: 16004827.

[2] Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Feb 27;15:10. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1. PMID: 29497353; PMCID: PMC5828430.

[3] Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD. Micronutrients: Types, Functions, Benefits and More. Healthline 2023 July 13. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/micronutrients.

[4] How much water do athletes need? Truesport.org 2017 Apr 5. https://truesport.org/hydration/how-much-water-should-youth-athletes-drink/

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About Jayd Harrison

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media:

5 Signs You Need More Protein

No matter whether you’re trying to burn fat or build muscle, eating a high-protein diet is a MUST.

I know I harp on it all the time, but that’s because it is *SO IMPORTANT* to your health and fitness.

Protein is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes and hormones, and maintaining a healthy immune system. 

When you don’t eat enough protein, your body may struggle to function optimally. You may have a harder time burning fat, building muscle, and recovering from your workouts. So please–GET IN YOUR PROTEIN!!

You should be getting between 0.7 g and 1 g of protein for every 1 pound of your body weight every day (or 1.5 - 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight).

So if your weight is 150lb, then you should be getting 105 and 150 grams of protein per day. If your weight is 200lb, then you should be getting 140 and 200 grams of protein per day.

If you’re not getting enough protein, your body will tell you! Here are a few signs to watch out for:

1. You’re Hungry All the Time

If you’re feeling hungry or snackish all the time, it may be a sign that you're not eating enough protein. Protein is known to be the most satiating macronutrient, which means it can help you feel fuller for longer periods. If you're not eating enough protein, you may find yourself snacking more often or feeling the need to eat larger meals to feel satisfied.

2. You Feel Weak

Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass. If you're not consuming enough protein, you may notice a decrease in muscle strength and size. This is particularly evident if you're engaging in regular physical activity. Without sufficient protein, your muscles won't have the necessary building blocks to repair and grow, leading to weakness and fatigue.

3. Your Recovery is Slow

When you exercise, your muscles go through a process of breakdown and repair. Protein is necessary for the repair process to take place. If you're not consuming enough protein, your muscles may take longer to recover after a workout. This can lead to soreness, fatigue, and reduced performance.

4. Poor Skin, Hair, and Nail Health

Protein is crucial for maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails. Without sufficient protein, you may notice brittle nails, thinning hair, and dry, flaky skin. Protein is needed to produce collagen, which is the protein that gives your skin its elasticity, and to produce keratin, which is the protein that makes up your hair and nails.

5. You Get Sick A Lot

Protein is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. Without enough protein, your body may struggle to produce enough white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off infections. This can increase your risk of getting sick and may lead to a longer recovery time.

As you can see, protein such a huge impact on your health and fitness progress, which is why I’m always urging everyone to eat more. I want you to be successful and achieve your fitness goals, but it’s *REALLY* hard to do that if you’re not eating enough protein.

To ensure that you’re reaching your daily protein goal, try to get a good source of protein (at least 25g) at every meal. If you snack, try to get those snacks to have at least 15g of protein every time. Look at the food nutrition label or do a search online or in your tracking app to make sure you’re putting enough protein on your plate!

If you need help reaching your daily protein goals, check out my downloadable meal plans.

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ABOUT JAYD HARRISON

Jayd Harrison is a personal trainer and content creator. She helps people to build muscle, burn fat, and clean up their diets with her online coaching programs and social media content. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch and follow on social media:

Tracking Your Nutrition in Trainerize

Say goodbye to that yearly MyFitnessPal subscription, and say hello to Trainerize nutrition tracking 👋

I’m super excited to announce that Trainerize has recently added a feature that will allow you to track your nutrition within the app.

In the past, I’ve had my clients mainly use MyFitnessPal for tracking their calories and macronutrients. However recent changes in how MyFitnessPal operates (namely, requiring a yearly subscription for use of the barcode scanner 👎) have made me reluctant to continue suggesting it. Thankfully we now have this in-app solution that will simplify things!

How to Enable In-App Meal Tracking

There are now four options available for meal tracking, which you can change at any time (or you can ask me to change it for you). The options are:

• In-App - Meal Photos 

• In-App - Full meal tracking 

• Integration - Fitbit

• Integration - MyFitnessPal

To change over to Trainerize tracking yourself, go to the More section of your Trainerize account on the mobile app and double-check that the Full Meal Tracking has been selected.

How to Track Your Meals Using In-App Meal Tracking

Adding a meal or snack

1. To track a meal on mobile, select “+” on the bottom right to pull up the menu and select Meal. 

2. Right away, after selecting to track a “Meal,” snap a photo of your meal, upload a photo from your gallery, or skip the photo and go straight to logging the meal. 

Searching for a Food & Barcode Scanning

3. Next you can add in all of the foods that make up your meal. This can be done by searching for the food in the search bar.

Additionally, you can also easily add the item by scanning the barcode (available for the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK).

Any recently selected foods will be stored in the RECENT tab. And by tapping on the name of the food, you will be able to view all of the details of the food. This includes the serving information, calories, macros, and micronutrients. 

Tip: If you want the food to appear under your FAVORITES tab for ease of access to your favorite foods, simply tap the heart icon on the top right corner.

Adding Custom Foods

If a food does not exist when you search for the food, you can go to the CUSTOM tab and add a custom food manually. 

You will be able to input the name of the food, serving size, calories (all required), including optional info like macros and micronutrient details, and include a photo.

Adding the Meal 

4. After adding in the foods, you will see an overview of what’s been added to the meal. You can adjust the serving size, add in more foods, add a description, and update the photo if you wish then hit SAVE to save the meal. And ta-da! A new meal has been tracked! 🙌

The meal will also be automatically tagged as Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Snack depending on your phone’s time (based on the moment you hit save). 

• MEAL TIMEFRAMES

• breakfast - 06:00am-10:00am (4 hours)

• snack 1 - 10:00am-11:30 am (1.5 hours)

• lunch - 11:30am- 15:00pm (3.5 hours)

• snack 2 - 15:00pm-18:00pm (3 hours)

• dinner - 18:00pm-21:00pm (3 hours) after dinner snacks until breakfast

Adding a Past Meal 

You can track a past meal by selecting the meal from your meal history. 

1. Click the lower right-hand clock icon to bring up any previously tracked meals. 

2. Select the meal and click Add

There can only be one meal per Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. If the meal already exists, you will be prompted to replace it with the newer meal or keep the new meal as a snack.

How to add a meal to multiple days 

To add a meal to multiple days, follow these steps. 

1. In your mobile app, click on the "+" icon at the bottom-right of the screen. 

2. Click on the "Date" option at the top.

3. Select the desired dates in the present or past that you wish to add the meal to.

4. Once done, select "Meal".

5. Enter the details of what's in the meal and then click "Next". Once the details of the meal have been entered, click on "Save" at the top-right. Your meal has been saved to multiple dates successfully.

Important note: Meals can only be added to multiple days in the present and/or past. They cannot be added to a date in the future.

How Many Calories Should You Eat?

If your goal is to burn fat or build muscle, it’s important to fuel your body with the right amount of energy every day.

Everything that our bodies do requires energy. We get that energy from the food we eat, measured in kilocalories (“calories” for short).

There’s a certain number of calories that your body needs just to maintain itself—we call this your maintenance level of calories.

In order to burn fat, you need to eat below your maintenance level of calories each day for an extended period of time. This is called being in a calorie deficit. Staying in a calorie deficit forces your body to tap into the energy stores in your body fat—which causes you to lose weight.

Building muscle, however, is a calorie-expensive activity. If you want to build muscle effectively, you need to eat more than your maintenance level of calories. This is called being in a calorie surplus.

To eat the right amount of calories for your fitness goals, you’ll first need to figure out what your maintenance level of calories is—that is, the number of calories you can eat without gaining or losing weight. Follow the steps below to find that number:

Step 1: Get a Starting Number

You can use an online calculator to get a rough idea of how many calories your body needs for maintenance. I suggest using either the Total Daily Energy Expenditure calculator to estimate how many calories your body burns each day or Bodybuilding.com’s calorie calculator for estimating your maintenance level of calories.

You’ll notice that the numbers produced by these two sources may be quite different from each other—due to the fact that they use different equations to estimate calorie expenditure. It’s likely that neither of these numbers is your actual maintenance level of calories, but they give us a good idea of where to start. To find your actual maintenance level of calories, you’ll have to test one of these numbers and see how your body responds.

Step 2: Test Your Starting Number

Over the course of a week, use a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal to track the number of calories you eat every day, and try to eat the exact number of calories you calculated as your starting number (either from Bodybuilding.com’s calorie calculator or your estimated TDEE). At the beginning and end of the week, weigh yourself on the same scale and take note of any change to your body weight from the beginning to the end of the week.

Step 3: Adjust Until Weight Stabilizes

By the end of your testing week, if your weight goes up, then it is likely that the amount of calories you eat every day is above your actual maintenance level of calories (i.e., your actual maintenance level of calories is below what you calculated). Try again another week after reducing your daily calorie goal by between 100 and 250 calories. Eat a lower amount of calories every day and weigh yourself again at the end of the week. If your weight continues to go up, keep reducing calories as needed until your weight stabilizes. Once your weight stops going up, you will have found your actual maintenance level of calories.

If, however, your weight goes down by the end of your testing week, then it is likely that your starting number is too low to be your actual maintenance level of calories. In that case, add between 100 and 250 calories to your daily calorie goal and test that number for another week. Weigh yourself at the end of the week, and keep adjusting your daily intake every week until your weight stabilizes.

If your weight doesn’t change during the first week of tracking your calories, then the number you calculated is probably close enough to your actual maintenance level of calories to base your daily calorie goal on.

Deciding Your Daily Calorie Goal

Once you find your actual maintenance level of calories, then you can set a daily calorie goal based on your fitness goals.

As we mentioned above, in order to burn fat, you’ll need to eat below your maintenance level of calories every day. As a general rule of thumb, it takes about 3500 calories to burn a single pound of fat. So to lose 1 pound of fat per week you would need to eat 500 calories below your maintenance level every day. To lose 2 pounds of fat per week, you would need to eat 1,000 calories below maintenance every day (although experts don’t recommend going below a 1,000 calorie deficit to stay healthy).[1]

On the other hand, if you want to build muscle, you’ll need to eat above your maintenance level of calories (while also doing muscle-building resistance training at least twice per week). 1 lb of muscle contains 700 calories—however it takes much more than 700 calories to build 1 lb of muscle. This isn’t a well-studied question, although many experts suggest that it takes 2000 calories or more to build 1 lb of muscle. On a day-to-day basis, we recommend eating 10–20% above your maintenance calories every day for an average weight gain of 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week.[2, 3]

Tracking for Success

Once you have decided what your daily calorie goal will be, continue using a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal to keep an eye on your intake every day. You’ll get the most benefit from tracking if you enter your food before you eat it–while you’re still planning what to put on your plate. This will allow you to make any necessary adjustments to keep the meal within your daily calorie goal.

Another effective strategy for eating within your daily calorie goal is to practice meal planning. You can use a calorie tracking app to plan out all of your meals the day before or the week before. Having a plan for what to prepare and eat for every meal and snack can take a lot of the guesswork out of meal times. Preparing your meals and snacks ahead of time will also help you to control your portions and stay within your daily calorie goal.

For more help with how to plan and meal prep effectively, check out my Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep ebook. I also have lots of examples of meal plans that feature meal prep on my website. 

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[1] Keep in mind that these are general recommendations and studies show that there are a lot of factors that play into the exact amount of calories needed to lose weight. These recommendations are good, however, to give you a rough idea of how many calories you’ll need to get your fat loss going. Luff C. How Many Calories Do You Need to Burn to Lose a Pound? Verywellfit.com 2022

[2] Van de Walle G. What Is bulking? Steps, diet, and more. Healthline.com 2020

[3] Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: a narrative review. Sports (Basel) 2019 Jul; 7(7): 154. DOI: 10.3390/sports7070154

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JAYD HARRISON (JAYDIGAINS)

Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains) is a personal trainer and affiliate streamer on Twitch. She has been an active trainer since 2014 and now specializes in comprehensive weight loss coaching. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch on Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am EST for a Fit Q&A session.

Follow Jayd on social media by clicking on the icons below:

One-Pan Recipes to Try This Week

Practicing Meal Prep is a great way to ensure that you’re getting the right amount of calories and macros every day! 

Meal Prep involves cooking your meals ahead of when you’ll eat them and storing the servings in separate containers in the fridge or freezer. Throughout the week, you can grab-and-go your meals and save yourself the hassle of cooking on weeknights. 

One of my favorite ways to save time during Meal Prep is to cook simple one-pan recipes like the ones below. For these, you cook all of the ingredients together in the same pan. This saves time in the kitchen and makes for super easy cleanup!

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One Pan Roasted Chicken & Veggies

8 ingredients · 40 minutes · 4 servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories 241 Fat 11g Carbs 10g Fiber 3g Sugar 3g Protein 27g Cholesterol 82mg Sodium 115mg Vitamin A 2713IU Vitamin C 185mg Calcium 39mg Iron 2mg

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375ºF (191ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In a large bowl, toss the sliced bell peppers with the olive oil. Transfer to a baking sheet and add the sliced chicken breast. Sprinkle with cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper.

2. Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Divide between bowls or containers. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
1 Orange Bell Pepper (sliced)
1 Green Bell Pepper (sliced)
2 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb Chicken Breast
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Chili Powder
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

Notes 

• Leftovers: Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.

• More Carbs: Serve with brown rice, quinoa or black beans.

• More Fat: Serve with avocado or cheese.

• Vegan/Vegetarian: Use tofu or chickpeas instead of chicken.

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Everything Bagel Salmon & Veggies

6 ingredients · 30 minutes · 4 servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories 462 Fat 18g Carbs 33g Fiber 9g Sugar 3g Protein 45g Cholesterol 109mg Sodium 834mg Vitamin A 10153IU Vitamin C 110mg Calcium 298mg Iron 5mg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with half the melted butter and half the salt and mix well. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, drizzle the remaining melted butter and salt amongst the salmon and the broccolini. Coat the salmon with the everything bagel seasoning.

4. Transfer the broccolini and salmon to the baking sheet with the potatoes and place in the oven for 13 to 16 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through. Divide between plates and enjoy!

Ingredients

4 cups Mini Potatoes (halved)
2 tbsps Butter (melted, divided)
1 tsp Sea Salt (dvided)
1 1/2 lbs Salmon Fillet
2 bunches Broccolini (trimmed)
3/4 tsp Everything Bagel Seasoning

Notes 

• Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.

• No Salmon: Use another fish, like trout, instead.

• More Flavor: Serve with lemon wedges.

• No Broccolini: Use broccoli instead.

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One Pan Tofu, Brussels Sprouts & Cauliflower

10 ingredients · 45 minutes · 2 servings

Nutrition per serving: Calories 369 Fat 23g Carbs 21g Fiber 7g Sugar 8g Protein 28g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 568mg Vitamin A 332IU Vitamin C 108mg Calcium 720mg Iron 6mg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Slice the tofu into cubes and pat dry with a paper towel, pressing gently to remove excess liquid. Place in a shallow baking dish and add the tamari, avocado oil, maple syrup, and arrowroot powder. Let it sit for 10 minutes to marinate, ensuring all of the tofu is covered.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the brussels sprouts and cauliflower to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Add the marinated tofu to the baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.

3. Remove from the oven and divide onto plates. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Ingredients

15 3/4 ozs Tofu (extra firm, drained) 1 tbsp Tamari
1 tbsp Avocado Oil
1 tsp Maple Syrup

1 tbsp Arrowroot Powder
1 cup Brussels Sprouts (trimmed and halved) 1/2 head Cauliflower (chopped into florets)
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
2 tsps Sesame Seeds

Notes

• More Carbs: Serve with rice or quinoa.

• Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days.

• Vegetable Alternatives: The cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can be swapped out for things like broccoli, sweet potato, carrots, green beans or squash.

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Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep

Also check out my eBook, Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep with step-by-step guidance for planning and prepping healthy meals each week and over 150 recipes to choose from:

Trainer's Guide to Meal Prep

Sale Price:$29.00 Original Price:$39.00

Take the stress out of meal planning with this Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep! This ebook features step-by-step guidance and templates to help you reach your fitness goals through healthy eating. It’s also packed with over 150 easy-to-make recipes to minimize your time in the kitchen and maximize your gains. Recipes include vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian options. Get started today!

Add To Cart

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Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains)

Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains) is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and affiliate streamer on Twitch. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch on Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am EST. Follow Jayd on social media by clicking on the icons below:

5 Easy Steps to Meal Prep

A great way to ensure that you’re getting the nutrition that you need while also saving time, energy, and money is to practice Meal Prep. This involves cooking meals ahead of when you’ll eat them. This allows you to “grab and go” throughout the week. Many of my nutrition coaching clients meal prep every week with recipes that I plan for them, but you can plan for yourself by following my easy 5-step process below.

Step 1: Make a Schedule

First, decide when you’re going to prepare your meals each week and how much time you’re willing to spend in the kitchen. Some people do their meal prep over the weekend so that they won’t have to cook throughout the week. Others like to cook every few days, prepping some dishes over the weekend and cooking a little on weekdays. 

Look at your weekly schedule and block out the times you plan to go grocery shopping and cook your meals.

Step 2: Check Your Equipment

Once you have decided on your schedule, take stock of what kitchen equipment you have access to. Many of the recipes in this collection can be cooked on a stovetop, in the oven, or using a slow cooker. Some recipes require no cooking at all and can be prepped cold.

Don’t forget about food storage solutions! Make sure that you have enough storage containers to hold your prepped meals to “grab and go” throughout the week. Some dishes may require you to store some ingredients separately. I recommend having smaller containers or zip-top bags for storing snacks, sauces, and dressings. 

You may also want to invest in a sturdy, insulated lunch box or cooler if you plan to take your meals to work or school. Some containers and lunch boxes have separate containers for keeping your food cold or warm–a great option if you don’t have access to a refrigerator or microwave while you’re out and about.

Step 3: Plan Your Meals

Now that you have a plan in place for when you’re going to cook your meals, you’re ready to begin planning your meals.

First, you should decide how many meals and snacks you plan on eating every day. Some people like to have 3 meals and 1 snack each day, whereas others like to have 1 or 2 big meals and several snacks throughout the day. 

After you decide how many times you’ll eat throughout the day, divide your calorie and macronutrients goals among your meal and snack times. For example, if you plan on eating 2000 calories in 3 meals every day, plan to have about 670 calories at each meal. If your protein goal is 115 grams per day, then you’ll want each meal to also have about 40 grams of protein.

When selecting recipes, take note of how many servings each recipe makes. Look for recipes that roughly match your per-meal calorie and macronutrient goals.

All the recipes in my guides include nutritional information for each serving. Many online recipes also include nutritional information per serving. When in doubt, you can always enter your meals into a food tracker like MyFitnessPal to get a rough estimate.

I also find it helpful to create a weekly “menu” and assign each serving of every recipe to a specific day and time. This helps to ensure that I have plenty of food for the week and nothing gets wasted!

Step 4: Build Your Grocery List 

Once you’ve selected your recipes and created your schedule, you’ll need to compile a grocery list of all the ingredients that you’ll need for your meal prep 

I find it helpful to use a spreadsheet to track how much of each ingredient I’ll need over the course of an entire week’s worth of meals and snacks. This allows me to automatically calculate the total for each ingredient–which is especially helpful when multiple recipes use the same ingredient. Once you’ve finished, you’ll have the totals for each recipe ingredient that you’ll need when you go to the grocery store.

I also like to organize my list by food groups and categories of items that are typically in the same aisle. For example, I organize my grocery lists in categories like “Fruits,” “Vegetables,” “Boxed & Canned,” “Fish, Meat, Cheese,” “Condiments & Oils,” etc. This makes it easier to grab all the items I need as I go through the store.

Before you head to the grocery store, don’t forget to check your kitchen for any items you already have at home.

Step 5: Prep & Store Your Meals

Once you have your groceries, it’s just a matter of following your meal prep schedule!

Stick to the schedule you made in Step 1. Treat your schedule prep times as very important appointments—avoid scheduling anything else during those times throughout the week. This will help to establish the habit and make it easier to stick to meal prepping in the future.

After you prepare each meal or snack, divide it into separate serving containers and store it in your refrigerator or freezer. Throughout the week, simply grab and go according to your meal schedule!

Give it a Try!

Try out my 5-Step process for Meal Prep and let me know what you think! You can share your meals on social media and tag me @jaydigains (on Instagram, Facebook, or in my Coaching Corner Discord server).

Learn More

Check out my full Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep ebook for more detailed tips on meal prep and 150 recipes.

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Trainer's Guide to Meal Prep

$39.00

Take the stress out of meal planning with this Trainer’s Guide to Meal Prep! This ebook features step-by-step guidance and templates to help you reach your fitness goals through healthy eating. It’s also packed with over 150 easy-to-make recipes to minimize your time in the kitchen and maximize your gains. Recipes include vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian options. Get started today!

Written by certified personal trainer & nutrition coach Jayd Harrison.

Add To Cart

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Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains)

Jayd Harrison (Jaydigains) is a personal trainer and affiliate streamer on Twitch. She has been an active trainer since 2014 and now specializes in comprehensive weight loss coaching. Check out some of Jayd’s coaching videos on Youtube, or join Jayd live on Twitch on Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am EST for a Fit Q&A session.

Follow Jayd on social media by clicking on the icons below: