Let’s face it: busy families can find themselves strapped for time to cook meals, especially during the peak of competition and seasons. And, some people just don’t like to cook, or even know how to make great meals for their families without spending hours in the kitchen. Before you hang up your apron, I’ve got some news for you: you don’t have to be a culinary expert to feed your family—and young athletes—well. I’ve compiled my best list of no-cook meals and snacks so you can skip the fast food and still make fantastic, tasty, and healthy meals at home. (College student athletes, these are also perfect for a dorm or small apartment setup!)
Here’s the good news: you can find all of the items for these at Target or Trader Joe’s! I’ve also linked several of my personal recipes, so take a look below and enjoy great meals without the stress!
Breakfast ideas:
- English muffin cut in half with sliced avocado paired with 3/4 cup Greek yogurt and mixed blueberries and raspberries.
- A glass of Fairlife chocolate milk or plant-based alternative + Kashi cereal
- Greek Yogurt Berry Bark Bites (Wendi’s Recipe)
- Mason jar protein oats (Wendi’s Recipe)
- Frozen breakfast bagel sandwich or breakfast burrito
- Greek yogurt parfait you can make the night before (Wendi’s Recipe)
- English muffin/Whole-grain pita wrap with mashed banana and peanut butter.
- Toast + 2 oz. deli turkey + 1 oz. cheese + tomato wedges paired with chocolate Corepower
- Greek yogurt breakfast toast recipe (Wendi’s Recipe)
- Hard-boiled eggs + apple + string cheese
- Protein smoothie bag you can prepare the night beforehand and blend in the morning
- Microwave an egg omelet in a glass bowl with spinach, kale, bell peppers + banana, and low-fat milk
- Kodiak instant oatmeal +strawberries + Greek yogurt
- Grab-and-go peanut butter packs paired with fruit
- Kodiak Cakes Power Cup Muffins (12 g of protein but you can add milk and Greek yogurt to increase protein) + fruit for more energy!
- Kodiak cake frozen waffles or pancakes paired with grab-n-go nut butter packets + 1 apple
- RX nut butter packets or Nuts ‘N More
**Click here to use my discount code (143NWW) for 15% off any Nut’s N More nut butter or powdered nut butter.**
- Nutrition With Wendi Power Smoothie! (Wendi’s Signature Smoothie Recipe)
Here are some other breakfast options, and you can read about Motor Revving Breakfast Ideas here!
Lunch ideas:
- Spinach bowl topped with two hard-boiled eggs + 1-2 tbsp chickpeas, raspberries, almonds + avocado slices + Kind bar
- Greek yogurt parfait, pepper/cucumber slices, apple, RX bar, cheese stick
- Microwavable lentil pasta + add pre-cooked meat + cheese + marinara sauce
- Whole-grain pita with 3 oz. deli ham + carrot sticks + kiwi slices + almonds
- Whole-grain turkey cheese, spinach, tomato sandwich with mashed avocado + mixed fruit cup + serving of whole-grain pretzels
Pressed for time? These lunch ideas are for you!
- Tuna packet (17 g of protein)
- Pre-packaged carrot sticks & guacamole
- Whole-grain English muffin
- Apple, banana, or pear (backpack stable)
See other quick and travel lunch options here!
Dinner ideas:
- Loaded microwavable sweet potato
- Grilled chicken salad
- Riced veggie tacos
Snack pairings (snacks should contain protein and carbs)
- Snack pack nut butter + fruit
- Greek yogurt cup + almonds (Wendi’s Recipe)
- Tuna packet + veggies
- Guacamole to go
- String cheese sticks + applesauce
- Chocolate milk + cherries
- RX Oats + fruit
- Grapes + cottage cheese
- Applesauce + Kashi bar
- Hard-boiled eggs Nuts + dried fruit + cereal (healthy trail mix)
- Greek yogurt + pumpkin pure + chia
- Cottage cheese + kiwi + cinnamon spice
- 1/2 Turkey cheese bagel
- Toast with sunflower seed nut butter + banana or kiwi slices
- Hummus + cucumber/carrot/celery stick mix
- CorePower protein drink + fruit
- Overnight protein oats (Wendi’s Recipe)
- Protein oat bites (Wendi’s Recipe)
- Hard-boiled eggs + apple
- Cottage cheese + fruit
- RX layers protein bar + pineapple
- Squeezable apple sauce packets + RX bar
- Teriyaki beef jerky + pre-cut bell pepper slices
- Hummus + apple + celery and carrot sticks
- Greek yogurt + PB2 + unsalted almonds
- Serving of trail mix + 2 hard-boiled eggs
- Quest protein bar + watermelon slice
- Skinny pop popcorn + string cheese
Now you might have made it down here and asked yourself, “Hey, what about supplements? Can I swap out a meal with a supplement?” Here’s my standard advice: No supplement can replace whole foods. So, focus on whole meals first, then supplements second. Supplements are meant to satisfy small gaps in nutrition and to avoid nutrient deficiencies. Establish good nutritional habits first, then we can talk about supplements.
CLICK THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE LIST OF PAIRINGS
Fun fact: our coaches can help you meal plan and prep, as well as provide individualized nutrition plans! Click here to book a call and meet your new coach.
In good health and wellness,
Wendi Irlbeck, MS, RDN, LD, CISSN
Wendi Irlbeck, MS, RDN, CISSN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and performance coach. She utilizes evidence-based science to tailor nutrition programs for athletes to optimize performance, minimize health risks, and enhance recovery from training while focusing on injury prevention. She partners with parents, sports performance staff, and special needs and recreational athletes to offer nutritional guidance and optimal athletic performance and lifestyle plans. Wendi provides virtual services including telehealth but is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wendi works with clients of all levels and ages across the US as well as Canada and the UK. You can find more about Wendi and scheduling an appointment here.
What can hiring a sports nutritionist offer your program? Learn more here.
Testimonials of Wendi’s expertise from colleges, coaches, parents, young athletes, and high school administrators can be found at the testimonial link on her website. You can also follow Wendi on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more nutrition information.