Over the last couple of weeks, I wanted to let you all know that I have been working with a good friend of mine, Simone Lovell, who started “Fuel for Fat Loss.” I was a bit hesitate because I wanted to make sure that I was eating enough for my training but then making sure I was eating the right things. Boy, oh boy, did this take my training to a different level.

Why? It is all about counting your macro (CHO, Protein and Fats), which I am a HUGE advocate for but also about meal prepping, keeping me accountable and having meal planning ready for the week.

The biggest win for me with doing the “Fuel for Fat Loss” Program was really showing me how much food, I WASN’T eating and how much protein I wasn’t eating.

Today, I wanted to chat with you about meal planning and give you a couple of recipes that I have used a lot over the last few weeks. I have ALWAYS talked to you all about saving time…well, here you go, on the nutrition side!

Meal planning saves a lot of time throughout the week, from not having to rush around the supermarket thinking about what’s for dinner, to not having to eat out at lunch or not eating at all. It also means rather than spending time rushing around, you can use this time to get some extra work done, train, of course, hang out with your family or spend some time focusing on yourself. I have put together a list to show you how you’ll really save your time.

Shopping trips made quicker with a list:

By simply writing a list of the meals you are going to have each evening that week and what ingredients you will need will mean you will have time to knock out your workouts for the week. Don’t you hate being at the grocery store going up and down the aisle? But knowing what you need means you can go down the aisles you actually need things from and avoid the ones you don’t. Hence the cereal aisle…HA! Rather than walking down every aisle wondering what you should have for dinner, what you may or may not have in the cupboards will definitely cut down your time in the supermarket.

One trip to the supermarket weekly:

Keeping a meal plan and writing a list of all the ingredients which you will need for the week means you’ll only need to shop once. Just make sure you double check your list and the ingredients you’ll need before heading off. This is a tricky one for us, as we do a good job of going once a week but lately, it has been every other day due to the amount of fresh food we are eating.

Knowing what you’re having for dinner means no last minute panics:

Though for some, waking up and knowing what you are having for dinner may seem a little bit of a bore, when you live a CRAZY busy triathlon lifestyle this will be a bliss. Whether you decide to wake up and put all of your ingredients into your slow cooker so your dinner is ready to serve as soon as you walk through the door or if you have a quick, fresh stir fry to whip up it will mean you don’t have to go through rush hour traffic (on the roads and the supermarkets) stressing about what to create with leftovers in the aisles. Instead, you’ll have a delicious meal that took you a matter of minutes to create.

Having essentials in your cupboard means you’ll always have a meal in your cupboards:

If you’re at the end of the week or you didn’t get the chance to run to the shops when you usually would, having some basic essentials in your cupboards will mean you will always to whip up a quick and easy meal for you and your family to enjoy. Don’t be afraid to have frozen berries, and frozen vegetables. These are really quick to cook, great at bulking up meals and still full of healthy benefits. It also means if you have unexpected guests you won’t have to rush off to the shops to grab some extra food, you’ll be prepared for every situation.

The Sunday Night Before:

If you can prep your food the Sunday night before your week begins, this will give you some extra time in the morning and throughout the next few days. I think the biggest learning that I have done with meal prepping is knowing that I can grab a cup of already cooked quinoa, cook some eggs (or hard boiled eggs) and throw my little quinoa bowl together quick! See recipe below.

Meal prepping means the 20 extra minutes that would take you in the morning, that extra sleep or completely your swim or your run. I see so many athletes “cut” their workouts due to not having enough time and trying to get to work.   Another suggestion that I have for you is we really want to get that CHO/Protein combination in after a hard workout. With that said, when you make your smoothies, double the recipe, and split it up. Freeze them both, then you have access to a quick breakfast or a quick recovery drink after your workout and not worry about making it while you are getting ready for work!

Here are two recipes that I are my go to the last couple of week working with “Fuel for Fat Loss” with Simone Lovell.

Interested in learning more about Simone’s “Fuel for Fat Loss” Program? Click here to check it out because her next program starts on August 13th and I know space is limited.