5 Go-to Meals for Busy Triathletes
Between work, grad school and training (and a few other commitments sprinkled in), days can get very busy and dinner can be a daunting idea. Ben and I have a few meals we have figured out that are quick, healthy, and you guessed it, cheap!
Disclaimer: I am by no means a nutritionist or chef, but most people aren’t! These meals might not have all the exact nutrients required in one day (Ben supplements that with a “grass pill” aka a multi-vitamin), but these are honest, relatively fool proof meals, for those who don’t have time or energy to think, much less cook.
Another disclaimer: we really only roast our veggies. Roasting makes veggies actually taste, well, decent. Also, we use a lot of the same veggies because we aren’t very creative and I don’t like having to think when I go to the grocery store… because really, who likes grocery shopping??
Salmon with wild rice and roasted brussel sprouts:
My dad always taught me to cook rice first, because the worst thing that could happen to a dinner is to have to wait on rice to cook. I preheat the oven to 405 which is an arbitrary number honestly. Usually I chop the brussels in half, put them on a cookie sheet, drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper, and stick them in the oven. Rice gets going. Then usually we end up forgetting just how long salmon actually takes to cook. So at this point the rice is for sure ready (you’re welcome dad), the brussels are a little cold, and we are salivating over the salmon that is taking forever to cook on the stove top. So in hindsight- maybe start cooking the salmon a few minutes after you put the brussel sprouts in.
Quinoa bowl:
You know, as I write this, I am realizing more and more how unqualified I am to write about anything cooking related, but here we are. The quinoa bowls, albeit beautiful, are actually a little intense to prepare- though they are a true go to. Why? Because it’s like we are eating our whole weeks worth of veggies in ONE MEAL! I roast beats (more on that later), sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. Quinoa is probably like rice in my dad’s book, so I tend to make that first too and just let it sit there, getting cold, on the stove. The best is yet to come though…the crazy spice chicken. Yep. There’s not really a recipe here for the chicken other than chicken breast cut into little nugs, fried on the stove with LOTS of salt, pepper, garlic pepper, maybe some garam masala, ginger, curry, or cumin; it just depends on how shaky your wrists are feeling. Sometimes I’ll roast some chick peas too for some reason. Throw it all in a bowl and add some avocado for the millennial.
Side note on the beets: To be honest, I can’t sum it up nearly as well as they can over at Runner’s World, so here’s the link: https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/a20806337/beet-juice-how-much-and-when/ . But the TLDR version is that beets are good for you and help you increase your performance for a variety of reasons. They also turn your pee and poop red; you’re not dying, it’s just the beets.
Shrimp curry:
It’s hard to go wrong with sticky white rice and some coconut curry. This meal is SO fast, simple, and delicious. Also, because we are so indecisive and not adults yet, we keep everything frozen but never plan ahead of time to let things thaw. Adulting tip 101: Shrimp are quick to thaw out if you put them in a bowl of warm water. I stir fry onions, mushrooms, and zucchini first. Then the shrimp and some fresh garlic and ginger root (if I happen to have that on hand). Once that’s nice and browned I then add half a can of coconut milk (I used to do a full can and then I realized that’s a lot) and curry paste (easy to keep in the fridge), salt, pepper. I’m not a foodie, so the picture probably doesn’t do it justice, but it’s pretty dang good.
Pancakes and Bacon:
Mmm, breakfast for dinner– a special meal for my family during our childhood. For Ben and I, it’s when we are really feeling lazy but also starving. Maybe this was why my parents would also cook this meal… Kodiak Cakes have 14g of protein, which is just what our little muscles need! I like to make them with almond milk and an egg to boost the protein even more. Add some bacon on the side and top these cakes with some of Hannah’s Homemade granola butter and berries.
Homemade Pizza:
Trader Joes (aka TJ’s) has incredible pizza dough that’s like $1.35 or something crazy. I cook the pizza at 350 for some amount of time close to 30 minutes. We like to do half pesto and half red sauce (again a TJ’s purchase) with pepperoni, zucchini, onion, mushroom, and mozzarella cheese. Basic? Yes. Delicious? Yes. It’s a great pre-long ride or long-run dinner to load up on some yummy carbs or after a long day of training. We usually have a little left over, which, to be honest, it’s usually better the second day. Super simple and takes like 45 minutes total.
You may notice that I didn’t actually add any sort of measurements of ingredients, that’s because I really have no idea. I think it’s best to cook off feel, and add more spices than you would normally. All of this being said, we do tend to have people over for dinner multiple times a week, and they keep coming back, so I may not be a fancy chef, but the food is healthy and simple, and we still have friends!
As a final remark, I must add that ice cream is always the fourth meal of the day. Turkey Hill Double Dunker is by far the most superior store-bought ice cream out there, and our house hold (of two) will finish two tubs of ice cream in less than 4 days. Ice cream is also a viable dinner alternative if the wine started around 3pm after burning 2,000 calories in the morning and all you want is ice cream. No shame, just a lot of dairy, so warn your significant other.
One Comment
Sarah
These all look sooo good. Yum. Thanks!