Meal Planning for Runners!

One of my coach’s favorite things to tell me is—>  Junk in = junk out.  He constantly reminds me that if I am eating junk, then my workouts are going to suffer and feel like junk.  On the other hand, I can choose to eat fuel that will help me on my runs and reap the benefits.  One of those benefits being hitting my paces and having some great feeling runs.  

Blue Apron helps me to enjoy balanced meals full of fresh ingredients that will help me to get the workouts in that will strengthen me to reach my racing goals.  The best part is that they deliver all of the ingredients right to my doorstep (in the right proportions and in a refrigerated box so the ingredients stay fresh).   

IMG 3478

We choose to do the 2-Person Plan but you can also choose the Family Plan (perfect for feeding a family of four)!  

Each meal has about 500-700 calories per person and lists the exact calorie counts on the bottom of each recipe which I think can really help a runner to meal plan.   Knowing that the ingredients you are working with are all fresh and sourced from quality suppliers and artisans, along with the nutritional facts, makes it easier for us to meal plan.  

IMG 3471

 The Seared Cod & Fregola Sarda with Braised Summer Vegetables nailed it.  I LOVED trying a new type of carb (Fregola Sarda Pasta) and the cod was so flaky and perfect.  

IMG 3538

The below ingredients fueled me the night before my last 18 miler.  

IMG 3344

I love Blue Apron because their meals get us excited to cook at home together.  Brooke always loves to be involved with the cooking process and I feel a lot better about fueling her little body with the farm-fresh ingredients that they send to us!

IMG 3360

Rigatoni Puttanesca.  The sauce on this dish was the bomb and so were those tomatoes.  The rigatoni gave me the glycogen needed for an awesome run the next morning.  Brooke loved this one too..  she could live off of noodles!

IMG 3361

Night before a long run routine—>  eat a killer dinner, lay out all of my gear, compose a playlist for my run the next morning and get into bed at about the same time that my toddler goes to bed. 

IMG 3363

The final dish that we made from this most recent delivery was Tandoori-Spiced Chicken with Green Lentils, Heirloom Eggplant & Cucumber-Mint Yogurt.  This dish was unlike anything I have made before… I have never made an Indian dish and I can’t remember the last time I even ate lentils!

IMG 3600

The finished plate of goodness.  I loved the yogurt sauce and the taste of this dish.  Yet another dish full of good proteins, fats (olive oil and greek yogurt) and carbs!  They make it easy for me to have balanced dinners (I had the second portion for lunch the next day) that fuel my next workout.

IMG 3603

Other recipes that I am dying to try (they have a huge selection of recipes to choose from and they are always adding new dishes to their menu every week):

Fresh Lemon Linguine w/ Summer Vegetable Sauce and Seasoned Ricotta (perfect for the night before a long run!!)

Seared Steaks with Romesco Sauce & Roasted Potatoes  (RUNNERS NEED IRON and potatoes—>  my favorite form of carb)

Cod and Summer Squash Ratatouille with Roasted Potatoes (Omega-3 fatty acids, veggie stew and more potatoes.. another great way to fuel our training)

Eggplant French Bread pizzas with Fresh Mozzarella & Summer Bean Salad (because any form of pizza is a yes in my book)

Blue Apron ships to most of the country so try ‘em out.  There is no commitment, you can skip or cancel the service at any time and shipping is ALWAYS free.  

****** FIRST 100 READERS WILL GET TWO FREE MEALS ON THEIR FIRST BLUE APRON ORDER—>  GO HERE to get this offer!!! 

Sponsored by our favorite—>  Blue Apron.  Helping me fuel my runs one meal at a time.  

——————————————————

Are you big into making meal plans?  Do you do them weekly?  How do you meal plan?

How do you balance running and your nutrition?  Is it something you pay close attention to or do you go based off of what sounds good etc?  

Have any special dietary needs… allergic to anything?  What about the people you cook for?

You May Also Like

51 comments

Reply

I really wish I liked meal planning, but I kinda just wing it. And I also need to pay way closer attention to my nutrition! I crave junk after a long run, but otherwise I can eat pretty healthy. One cheat meal a week won’t hurt, right!? :)

Reply

We try to at least talk about what our plans are for dinner for the week.

I definitely try to pay close attention to my nutrition when I’m running and training. I’ve noticed a huge difference in my recovery and how I feel on my run when I eat better and more fruits and veggies.

Reply

I might have to try this! I definitely need to be better about making sure I get the proper fuel. Thank you for sharing!

Reply

My husband and I try to find a couple of days a week to have dinner together at home. I never plan the meals until the day before, lol!
We’re both vegetarian and try to eat a clean, whole foods based diet. But, I always make room for dessert!!

Reply

I’m terrible with my meal planning. It usually ends up being a scramble around dinner time to throw something together! It would make it easier to do my grocery shopping too!

I try to get enough iron because I tend to be low, but that’s about all I pay attention to. I can usually tell what I am short on based on if I’m craving something pretty badly. I am allergic to tree nuts (I can eat peanuts and almonds though since they aren’t tree nuts) so I do have to check labels on everything!

Reply

I’m terrible at meal planning BUT I love buying the fresh, prepared meals that they have at Fresh Market! It’s definitely more expensive than if I made the food myself, but it’s so convenient and healthier than buying frozen prepared meals.

… Actually come to think of it, I’m okay at meal PLANNING I’m just not good at the actual cooking part ;)

Reply

With 3 kids and cooking nearly every day I definitely have to plan out meals. Nutrition has made a huge difference in maintaining my health through marathon training, for sure. Prior to paleo I would run well but everything else would suffer.

Reply

I try to find one big meal to make and prep on Sunday, and then eat it throughout the week. I like being able to plan out all my meals and bring my lunch to work every day. But once Friday night hits, I’m more likely to eat out!

Reply

I meal plan each week with close attention to my training plan. If I’m running 10 or more miles (which is several days a week), I want to make sure I’m getting the right nutrients and enough calories.

Reply

They look sooo tasty! The cod looked awesome and I love eggplant so would totally like to try that!

We do weekly meal plans primarily because I try to only go to the grocery store once a week- otherwise it becomes such a time suck and expensive!

Reply

I also love using Blue Apron! I like how you can use different ingredients and flavors, and don’t have to try to track it down or buy a ton of it to use it once. It’s great! I don’t have any dietary restrictions, but my fiance is a super picky eater and hates vegetables. It’s tough getting him to eat healthier foods!

Reply

I love Blue Apron! Totally random, but where did you find the nike shorts you are wearing in the first pic? They look like the perfect length. Do you like them?

Reply

HEY!! My sister actually got them for me a few years ago… I am obsessed with them. They are a tad bit short but I use them for speed workouts and tempo runs because I feel faster in them… does that make sense ha. Here are similar ones:

http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pd/3-pro-diagonal-stripe-training-shorts/pid-10266920/pgid-11023647

Reply

I wish I was better at meal planning but I’m just AWFUL at it. Something I am really trying hard to work on! The meals look delicious!

Reply

I love blue apron!! It is an awesome gift to give as well :) I don’t love making big meals- I am much more of a grazer. I am running my first 50 miler on Saturday so that means its carb week- I will be eating ALL the carbs but trying to eat healthy carbs which will be hard when donuts exist…

Reply

It looks like Blue Apron really works well for you! I found that the meals despite being portioned out took forever to make. It’s awesomr you don’t have to go grocery shopping but it still takes too much time!

Reply

Definitely into meal planning, but the way we do it is really just based on what expires first. After we go grocery shopping we have a lot of salads, since the produce is generally the first to go bad. After that we move into the protein and rely heavily on frozen veggies to get our daily servings in. I’ve always been tempted to try Blue Apron but I’m worried it won’t be enough food for me and my boyfriend.

How big are the portion sizes? My boyfriend is also a runner and east about 2x as much as I do.

Reply

We meal plan on Sunday night for the whole week so I know what to get at the store on Monday. It makes things really easy and it helps me make sure I’m not eating a lot of crap instead of good meals.

Reply

All your plates look professionally made. Good job! I definitely plan out all my meals each week otherwise I eat nothing or sugar. Like your coach said, bad fuel equals bad workouts. It’s just not worth it.

Reply

I definitely feel it if I do not eat right – my running is 100% effected. I will never be the person who doesn’t have to pay attention to that. Throw in my Crohn’s and how my stomach reacts with fatty foods, sugary foods etc. and I have to be even more cautious. My splurges have to be very well thought out! I just basically chop veggies and cook proteins a couple times a week then throw things together. That is my prep!

Reply

I don’t meal plan per se but I grocery shop enough so my fridge, freezer and pantry are stocked. This way I cook up healthy meals, we eat what we feel like having on a given night and we eat what’s fresh and in season. I make all meals about 6 days a week.

I do follow foods that keep me balanced and healthy, which isn’t to say I don’t have treats or splurges. I just try to keep meals as healthy as possible.

Both my husband and I don’t eat wheat and have limited dairy. (my skin is so much better without dairy but I do enjoy cheese and ice cream periodically).

Reply

The meals looks really good. How does your boyfriend like the food, is it filling enough for him? I’m wondering if this would be enough for my husband to feel “full”!! I think we’ll give it a try! We usually make 3 meals a week and then just wing it on the other nights with leftovers or whatever we have in the freezer.

Reply

I plan a little in advance, sometimes I can make it the whole week. sometimes, my planning only covers 4 days. It just depends on the week I guess. However, now that i am going back to school to get my masters I have a night class once a week, I try to make enough food the day before class to just have left overs the next day. That way I dont have to cook before or after class.
Also I think Brooke is so cute helping you in the kitchen!!!

Reply

-I meal plan every week. Friday I grocery shop and I meal plan for the up coming weekend and thru Thursday. It helps me by a) not spending extra money on things I wont use and b) I’m a planner so it helps me feel like that’s at least figured out. :)
-I try to feed my family a balanced diet. We eat a lot of planet based foods. We eat clean as much a possibly and I buy mostly organic produce.
– I have all the allergies, so luckily I do all the cooking. I am allergic to: eggs, shellfish, artificial flavors/dyes, and have a sensitivity to gluten so we eat GF to help easy my issues with it. (My husband and daughter are total troopers!)

Reply

I’ve been on the fence about Blue Apron. I’ve looked into some of the others as well (Plated and Hello Fresh). I just can’t decide. I’m super strict with my eating for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is whatever I’m in the mood for. I just practice portion control. I’d say I’m healthy 80% of the time and the other 20% is a free for all. I run enough to balance it. Also, you only live once!
I meal plan on Sunday but we get pretty lazy about cooking at home and eat out WAY too much. I like the idea of getting the whole family involved in cooking. I think if my 7 year old helps me cook, she be more apt to try new things. :)

Reply

I absolutely love planning meals and making the grocery list for the week :) It’s fun for me, but definitely time consuming. I’m training for my first marathon, and my pre-long run night time routine is super similar to yours!! Eat a good dinner and usually have a little treat like banana and almond or peanut butter after, lay out my gear and get to bed early!

Reply

I need to meal plan. And I’ve been meaning to try Blue Apron out. I think I’m finally going to bite the bullet and sign up. I don’t really pay attention to nutrition with my running but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t…

Reply

I keep meaning to try Blue Apron already! I think my son would really enjoy it. I don’t really meal plan but with school starting, I may try to organize dinners a bit better, at least for my son so he can have advance say and will want what I end up making lol.

Reply

These dishes look awesome! I am the absolute worst with meal planning/cooking/keeping a balanced, runner-friendly diet. I usually have my running staples … Night before a long run consists of some kind of protein and bread. Morning of the run is always a peanut butter Clif Bar or some kind of bread-form with more peanut butter :)

I should probably get on the Blue Apron bandwagon … Looks so simple and healthy!

Reply

Do you notice that Brooke eats a full portion of the meal? My three year old does sometimes…i guess it more so depends on what it is.

Reply

Brooke is the same way… if it is pasta then she downs the whole thing. Most of the time she usually eats about half of her portion and then the rest for the next day’s lunch.

Reply

I love Blue Apron! So yummy!

Reply

We meal plan at our house! It’s really important for us because we run after work and don’t get home until 7 or later. If we don’t have a meal planned/prepped, we eat anything and everything we can get our hands on!

I’ve been nervous about trying Blue Apron because I’m a really picky eater. I might be wrong, but it doesn’t look like there is an option to choose the recipes they send you. I would definitely join the bandwagon if I could pick my meals each week (in even more detail than the type of meats).

Reply

I don’t really meal plan and I am not imaginative with my meals so during the week I end up eating the same few meals I know and like. I try to eat all organic, no GMOs – this is very important for me so meal plan companies such as blue apron really don’t work for me. I try to eat healthy and organic but my portion sizes are probably too big! :) I am also trying to limit my dessert intake to 2-3 times a week and eat fruit instead at night :) and I hope you liked lentils! I LOVE lentin soup – so good and they have the bags of organic lentils on sale at costco right now!

Reply

I’m terrible with meal planning. My boyfriend likes to cook all the food for the week on Sunday’s so last night we went grocery shopping and cooked together. He grilled steak kabobs for me that I marinated with lemon and oregano and olive oil. I have lots of grilled veggies too and I made a big batch of quinoa. So aside from the chocolate chip cookies going down as I type this I have four great healthy portions for lunch/dinner for the week. :)

Reply

I rarely meal plan. Mostly when my in-laws are coming to town because I always feel like if we give them a perfect week of meals they will be happy (hasn’t worked yet, but always the optimist). When I shop I try to by a balance of meats (chicken, turkey, fish), veggies, fruits, and pastas, then I create the meals as we go (usually by using the all recipes app based on my ingredients, but also by utilizing my leftovers creatively into a new meal).

I try to eat pretty well all the time. Heavy on the veggies, little processed foods in the diet, but my weakness is dairy. The only thing I alter in my diet for running is I take whatever random gel, chew, or bar that Stridebox has sent me on my long run. If I am out of those I take Picky Bars.

I *need* wine, popcorn, and cheese. I am allergic to beef. My husband seems to be allergic to pork in Bulgaria (but not anywhere else). And since there is no where to find readily available lamb and buffalo, we are having to make do with chicken, the occasional turkey find, and some fish (mostly smoked Salmon, some local fish too).

Reply

These dishes sound and look so yummy!!!!

Reply

I meal plan every week and I buy so much food!!! My kids eat like they are going to NFL training camp. Crazy :)
My son is allergic to peanuts, so I have to be careful not to have them in the house, but other than that we eat everything.
I love lentils and that dish looks so good! I always have tons of fruit, veggies and healthy snacks around. I love baking and making healthy meals for my family.
Have an awesome day!

Reply

Great job making the dishes, they look so tasty! I cook at home a lot and bring lunch into work, so I don’t really plan too far in advance but I make sure I use up what I bought before it goes bad – so my fridge dictates what I have that day haha.

Reply

I plan a week or more, then shop once a week. I use Paprika Recipe Manager on my laptop and phone and it maintains my recipes, meal plan, and grocery list. I reviewed it recently on my blog if anyone thinks it could help them! It has changed my life.

I only eat bread and pasta near long runs and I’m lactose intolerant. We also do Meatless Mondays dinners. Being able to organize and search through my recipes makes that mess possible.

Reply

Blue Apron actually looks really good. I am just wondering how cost effective it is for a normal single mom with one child?
I can buy the same ingredients at the local farmer’s market and get the recipes off almost any food web-site.
I wish I could afford having it all cut up for me and delivered to my door.

Reply

I wish I could say I was good and meal planning and prepping. That is definitely something I am struggling with. I’ve heard great things on Blue Apron though.

Reply

I love Blue Apron.

Do you have any readers looking to join a low key mixed RAGNAR DC team?

Reply

HEY!!! Send me an email! We can find a way to ask in one of my posts!

Reply

I like simple meals that don’t require too much work. That’s why I love my slow cooker so much!

Reply

Does Brooke eat those meals? I have the pickiest toddler and doesn’t try new foods at all right now.

Reply

Some she will and some she will eat parts… if noodles or chicken are involved then it is always a yes. Fish… that is another story. I just end up eating hers:)

Reply

Meal planning is always a good choiche, plus the recipes you post seems delicius and healty a good way to invole kids into cooking process:P

Reply

Who is your coach? I thought it was a “she”?

Reply

For my last marathon training cycle I had a female coach but I went back to the guy that I used a few years ago. He is in Florida so he sends me my workouts etc. We work really well together and his plans have always brought me some great personal records so I am happy to be working with him again!

Reply

After reading about it for so long I FINALLY just signed up for Blue Apron!! Thanks for the promo code Janae!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *