Mastering Make-Ahead Recipes With Glenn Lyman of G|Cooks

In an effort to share delicious make-ahead recipes that are ideal for 6 Pack Fitness meal management bags, we are excited to welcome a new guest blogger to the team. Meet Glenn Lyman: a highly sought-after personal chef, restaurant consultant, and the founder of G|Cooks. Through G|Cooks, Lyman has provided personalized meal plans for athletes such as NBA icon LeBron James, NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon, Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte, NFL Pro-Bowl linebacker Jon Beason, and more. For as long as he can remember, Glenn was deeply passionate about food and the eating experience. From mimicking his parents in the kitchen as a child to making meals at college houses during his tenure at the University of Dayton, cooking was always an influential part of Glenn's life. That's why, despite not having any formal culinary education, Glenn quit his Ohio-based corporate sales job to follow his cooking passion in 2002. "I was cooking every day and my wife kept telling me I had to do this for a living," Lyman said. "So I just walked away from the corporate world to start my own little business centered on my passion for cooking and for food." As a former athlete, Glenn centered his business on a "healthful" approach to cooking and prepared a week's worth of meals in advance for most of his clients. Rather than providing a brand new diet to his clients, Glenn prefers to prepare food that they are comfortable with and make it healthier than ever before. "I take foods that are familiar to my clients and make them leaner and cleaner than they have ever had on a regular basis," Lyman said. "Less oils and fat, a variety of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and leafy greens. I try to translate the science of eating healthy into terms they can understand instead of trying to teach from a text book." Glenn's passion for food, healthy style of cooking, and newly founded business would almost immediately pay dividends. In 2003, only a few months after starting his personal chef service, Glenn caught a break in the form of a rising NBA superstar. Living in Cleveland at the time, a young LeBron James sought after a personal chef and, by chance, Glenn was given the opportunity. "LeBron James was 18 years old and living in an apartment complex where my wife was working," Lyman said. "Someone in his management group was looking for a personal chef and my wife recommended me." After preparing a few meals for LeBron, Glenn eventually met with his agent for what he called "the most intense negotiation" of his life. Glenn would go on to work with LeBron for the next five years. "I cooked his meal before his first NBA preseason game and he loved it and we hit it off from the beginning," Lyman said. "(Lebron) kept inviting me back before home games to make pre-game meals and eventually, his agent came to town and asked me to be his personal chef." Though Glenn's contract with LeBron eventually ended, the partnership launched G|Cooks' services for professional athletes into the national spotlight. Glenn would go on to work with world-class athletes such as NASCAR idol Jeff Gordon, Olympian Ryan Lochte, and many others in the NFL and NBA. Glenn said his recipes are made in ideal portions for 6 Pack's meal management bags, and he has recommended the product to many of his clients. He usually prepares a week's worth of healthy make-ahead meals, thoroughly packages and seals the food, and then provides detailed heating and preparation instructions to preserve the flavor. "My meals are perfect for the 6 Pack meal management bags," Lyman said. "The containers are the perfect size and insulated bags are exactly the right vehicle to take these meals anywhere and stick to the plan." For healthy make-ahead recipes that don't compromise on taste and flavor, stay tuned to the 6 Pack Fitness blog for expert advice on meal management from Glenn. Just don't forget a 6 Pack meal management bag for storing your delicious portions and eating healthy on the go! *Images courtesy of the G|Cooks Facebook page