We are commonly asked for healthy recipe ideas.
While it’s great to have a few fun, healthy recipes in the bank,
sometimes I think, “what’s a good recipe?” is the wrong
question.
A better questions is, “How do I build a meal?”.
When you understand how to build a well balanced meal with
the appropriate portion sizes, you don’t need recipes.
It’s a simpler way to go about your day-to-day nutrition. The
more you have to think, the harder it is to execute
consistently. Take the thought out of cooking by following
these simple steps:
1.Pick a lean protein source as the star of the dish. Chicken,
lean cuts of beef or lean ground beef, fish, turkey, pork,
greek yogurt to name a few. Bake in the oven, or cook on
the stovetop with extra virgin olive oil.
2.Pick a starchy carbohydrate. Don’t shy away from healthy
carbs. Healthy carbs add volume to your meal at a low
calorie cost. White or brown rice, potatoes, sweet
potatoes, and squash are great options. Pasta can be a
decent option as well, as long as you understand that it’s a
side, not the star of the dish.
3.Pick a vegetable. Get some color on your plate.
4.Season according to taste. This is where your creativity
comes in. There are a gazillion and one ways to make your
meals taste good. Salt, pepper, garlic, garlic powder,
canned tomatoes, all-purpose seasoning, cajun seasoning,
mustard, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, chipotle seasoning,
Italian seasoning,…The list of zero/low calorie flavor
options is endless. Choose a flavor that fits your food
choices best, and run with it.
Think about how many meal options this thought process
provides you with.
Pork, potatoes, peppers, Italian flavors.
Beef, rice, broccoli, Asian flavors.
Chicken, rice, peppers, Mexican flavors.
Keep your kitchen stocked with seasoning, and you can make
a meal in a pinch, no matter the ingredients you have available
to you.
On the next page, you’ll see a copy of the Bolt Fitness
Nutrition Cheat Sheet. This cheat sheet is also posted on the
wall near the Gym Entrance.
On this cheat sheet, you’ll find an expanded list of food
options, in addition to portion control guides. You will also find
some advice for adjust your portion sizes on exercise days vs.
non-exercise days, and evening vs. morning workouts.
Because healthy nutrition can be challenging in our 2023
environment, we feel like it’s something that should be
complicated in order to do it well.
It’s not complicated. It’s simple.
Not easy…But simple.
The simpler you can make it for yourself, the more likely you
will be able to stick with it consistently.
And we know…Consistency is king