5 Weeknight Meals for Athletes

The Pelerins are a family that loves to eat well. (Ask Marc’s colleagues at work who get to see his leftovers!) We do our best to eat whole foods that not only taste really good but are also really good for us.

We’re competitive athletes – Carly’s job is to teach and inspire people at gyms and Marc is a running coach – so eating well, feeling good, and taking care of our bodies are of utmost importance to us.

5 Weeknight Meals and Links to the recipes:

Below, you’ll find 5 of our go-to weeknight meals that help fuel us to perform at our best. All of the recipes are ones we’ve found and swear by. They aren’t ours – we gave credit to them and linked to their recipes.

1. Salad night

Ingredients:

• • Spinach
  • Strawberries
  • Avocado
  • Cashews
  • Goat cheese
  • Cucumber
  • Rotisserie Chicken (optional)

2. Chicken and Broccoli Quinoa

Ingredients for grocery list:

• • • 2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
    • 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin*
    • 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
    • 1/2 tsp all spice (optional but good)
    • 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt
    • Ground black pepper, to taste
    • 2 medium onions, diced
    • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 large carrot, shredded
    • 1 tsp olive oil, extra virgin
    • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked
    • 3 cups boiling water
    • 3/4 tsp himalayan pink salt
    • 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 lb broccoli, chopped

3. Tofu Peanut Cauliflower

Ingredients needed:

• • • 12 ounces (340 g) extra-firm tofu, organic & non-GMO if possible*
    • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
    • 1 small head cauliflower (~ 580 g) (we used pre-chopped bag)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp or 6 g)
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
    • 1/4 cup (60 ml) low sodium soy sauce (tamari for GF eaters)
    • 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar (or honey if not vegan)
    • 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
    • 2 1/2 Tbsp (40 g) peanut butter or almond butter (natural, salted)

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

• • • Veggies: baby bok choy, green onion, red pepper, broccoli
    • Toppings: fresh lime juice, cilantro, sriracha

4. Green Curry Shrimp and Vegetables

Ingredients:

• • • 1 can (13.66 ounces) Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen® Green Curry Paste
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
    • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 1 cup assorted vegetables, such as snap peas, sliced carrots, and sliced red bell pepper
    • 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, (optional)
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish Sauce
    • Cooked jasmine rice, (optional)
    • Fresh red chiles, thinly sliced (optional)

5. Turkey Burger and Sweet Potato Fries

• • • 1 lb. extra-lean or fat-free, ground turkey (95-99% lean)
    • 1/2 cup canned, lower-sodium black beans (drained, rinsed)
    • 3 green onions (finely chopped)
    • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
    • 3/4 tsp. chili powder
    • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
    • non-stick Cooking spray
    • 1 small avocado (thinly sliced)
    • 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns
    • 2 cup romaine lettuce (shredded)
    • 4 slice tomato (about 1/2 of 1 medium tomato)
    • 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
    • 2 sweet potatoes (cut into bite-size strips)
    • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
    • 1 tsp. chili powder
    • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Obviously, we don’t eat the same 5 meals every week. Our meals typically depend on the season, what our nightly schedule looks like, and what we’re in the mood for. So this is just a glimpse into what type of meals we like.

For more recipes that TrainwithMarc has shared, visit these links:

Healthy Eating for Runners

Kale Pesto Sauce

Are you getting enough protein?

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