By TrueSport
Chicken is a meal-prep staple for a reason. It’s easy to prepare in bulk and it’s basically a blank slate when it comes to how you want to prepare or season it. You can shift from Taco Tuesday to an Italian-style dish to a curry with the same batch of chicken breasts, so you skip food boredom while making life in the kitchen a lot simpler. And chicken is perfect for young athletes: A serving (3.5 ounces) of chicken provides 19 grams of protein in 165 calories. That means it is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your athlete is getting the protein they need to keep muscles building and recovering even during tough practice and game weeks. For the frazzled parent running between practices and game day, it’s a no-brainer.
Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, shares a few of her favorite ways to stretch a simple chicken meal prep into five fun meals that even picky eaters will love.
Day 1: Cook a whole chicken in a slow cooker or Instant Pot
Why it’s great: “The whole chicken is great because it’s iron-rich and protein-balanced, and by adding carbs from potatoes and veggies, this is an easy one-pot meal. Bonus: only one dish to clean!”
How to make it:
Day 2: Chicken fajitas
Why it’s great: “It’s an easy, balanced meal that the whole family can get involved with,” Ziesmer says. “The chicken fajitas can also be subbed for chicken tacos and honestly, who doesn’t love those?” Have your athletes help with this meal, whether it’s by shredding cheese and lettuce, or chopping veggies. Always rushed at mealtime? Buy pre-chopped peppers and onions from the frozen vegetables section at the grocery store, as well as pre-chopped lettuce and pre-shredded cheese.
How to make it:
Day 3: Chicken Soup
Why it’s great: “Chicken soup is great because it’s another one pot meal and so easy to clean up!” Ziesmer says. “It’s great for cold nights.” A soup is the perfect way to use up the rest of your chicken, as well as any random vegetables languishing in the fridge. It’s also a simple set-and-forget meal that you can prep in minutes in the morning and have an amazingly easy dinner prep later.
How to make it:
Day 4: Healthy fried chicken
Why it’s great: “Fried chicken is one of those tasty comfort foods that everyone loves,” Ziesmer says. “This meal is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. If you want to make it into a dinner meal, pair with a baked potato and steamed green beans, or your athlete’s veggie of choice.”
How to make it:
Day 5: Fried chicken wraps
Why it’s great: This easy lunch staple is a great way to use leftover fried chicken from the night before to make the perfect lunch to fuel after-school practice. It’s also an easy way to clean out the fridge of any extra veggies from the week, since fried chicken will convince even picky eaters to chomp on tomatoes and spinach!
How to make it:
Takeaway
Cook smarter not harder using these healthy and easy chicken recipes.
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