Best tips and recipes for a successful fitness lunch

Are you thinking about including a fitness lunch in your routine, but don’t know where to start? Then you’ve come to the right place! Next, we give you tips on the food groups to include in your meal and we also show you recipes for you to copy. Check out!

What to eat for a fitness lunch

For you to know what to put on your plate when setting up your fitness lunch, nutritionist Suzana B. Cavalini (CRN8 8502) recommends adding a good source of carbohydrate and one of protein, in addition to foods mentioned in other groups below.

carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, especially for the brain. Therefore, to have a good performance and result in your physical activities, this macronutrient needs to be always present on your plate. However, it is important to choose good sources of carbohydrates, as they are transformed into sugar in the bloodstream, says the nutritionist. See the options she listed:

• Manioc
• Sweet potato
• Face
• Yam
• English potato
• Rice (brown, red or black)

proteins

According to Suzana, “this macronutrient has a structural function in our body, it forms and maintains all our muscle tissues, in addition to being involved in the production of hormones in our body”. For those who are going to add meat to the menu, the tip is to opt for lean meats and, in the case of red meats, consumption should be restricted to a maximum of 3 times a week. These are good requests:

• Meat
• Egg
• milk and dairy products
• Bean
• Pea
• Chickpea
• tofu

fats

Normally, there are already intrinsic fats in meats. However, when cooking or even seasoning food, always bet on good sources of fat in moderate amounts, recommends Cavalini. See the suggestions:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil
• avocado oil
• Sunflower oil

Vegetables

The nutritionist says that “the greatest amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals ingested during a meal comes from vegetables, so these foods should always be present in a fitness dish”. Below, she lists some options:

• Aubergine
• Zucchini
• Carrot
• Beet
• Okra
• Pod

hardwoods

Leafy foods have a lot of iron, calcium, B vitamins, vitamins E, K, A and fiber. In addition, they are also rich in antioxidants, says Cavalini. Here are examples of what to put on your plate:

• Lettuce
• Arugula
• Chard
• Spinach
• Cress
• Escarole
• chicory

crucifers

This group also falls into the category of vegetables, but the items mentioned below are a source of a good amount of antioxidants and have sulforaphane, “a substance that stimulates the body’s enzymes that are able to prevent the action of carcinogenic agents”, he says. the nutritionist. It’s worth betting on:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Green cabbage
• Turnip

what to avoid

Cavalini suggests avoiding refined carbohydrates, even more associated with fried foods, such as French fries, for example. The same goes for processed foods like sausage, salami and hamburgers. Also included here are saturated fats, animals and oils with large amounts of solvents, such as soy and corn.

There are good substitutions for all of the above, so to get a fitness lunch you need to be determined and follow all the suggestions listed!

12 fitness lunch recipes to include on your menu

Now it’s time to check out recipes for you to try at home. Thus, you guarantee varied options for your fitness lunch and don’t fall into the routine. See the options below:

1. Caesar salad

A classic, the caesar salad can easily conquer your taste buds. In this version, it consists of lettuce, homemade mayonnaise, cheese and croutons. If you want, you can even add tofu, chicken or other meat of your choice.

2. Fit omelet

Extremely practical, this recipe is made with few ingredients, write down what you will need: eggs, butter, onion, peppers, carrots and spinach. The result is colorful and full of flavor. Worth a try.

3. Salpicão with quinoa salad

In this vegan sausage recipe, the chicken is left out and the tofu is used. The mayonnaise used in the preparation is made from cashew nuts. To make your lunch even more complete, you also learn the step by step of a quinoa salad.

4. Mashed Potatoes

For the fitness version of this classic side dish, the tip is to combine the potato with cauliflower, milk, ghee and salt. The list of ingredients is short, as well as the method of preparation is simple, but the result is guaranteed success.

5. Sweet potato stuffed with chicken

Uncomplicated, this recipe can easily conquer your taste buds. Here, first you learn how to make a shredded chicken in red sauce. Then, it’s time to combine the cooked and mashed sweet potato with parsley, salt, oregano, olive oil and egg white stuffed with shredded chicken in red sauce. Finally, just assemble your dish in a frying pan.

6. Fit Chicken Stroganoff

A dish that pleases the most varied palates, stroganoff is still practical to make. In this option, the tip is to use zero tomato sauce and ricotta cream or skimmed yogurt when making the sauce that accompanies the chicken cubes.

7. Chicken in mustard sauce

To innovate in chicken, the suggestion of this recipe is to prepare a sauce with skimmed milk, ricotta cream, zero mustard and honey. Thus, in addition to creaminess, you still guarantee a bittersweet touch to your meal.

8. White sauce pasta with vegan bacon

Noodles are the go-to dish when hunger strikes, but cooking time is short, right? To innovate, check out this recipe for spaghetti with white sauce made with cashew nut milk and topped with vegan bacon. To make the dish even better, the tip is to add broccoli and walnuts.

9. Fit gnocchi

The face of a Sunday lunch, this gnocchi uses only sweet potatoes, cornstarch, egg and salt. When serving, you can use a tomato sauce or other sauce of your choice.

10. Fit chicken Escondidinho

Composed of well-seasoned shredded chicken, cottage cheese, cream of corn, manioc puree and Parmesan cheese, this is a perfect dish for that special meal. The time in the kitchen may not be the shortest, but the step by step is very simple to follow.

11. Zucchini Lasagna

How about leaving the traditional lasagna noodles aside and using zucchini instead? This is the purpose of this recipe, which uses shredded chicken in tomato sauce as a filling. To close with a flourish, the cheese is finished off, which is gratin in the oven.

12. Crepioca lasagna

Another alternative for those who love lasagna, this recipe uses crepioca as the dough. To complete the dish, chicken in tomato sauce and light Parmesan cheese are also on the scene.

With all the nutritionist’s tips and also the recipe suggestions, it’s easier to make a fitness lunch, isn’t it? To expand the menu, see more fitness recipe options that can be consumed throughout the day.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.