It's not enough to eat a meal that is healthy and delicious, it needs to also benefit your efforts toward getting huge. For meals packed with protein, healthy fats and nutrients, add these simple chicken recipes to your
meal management system.
Chicken Shawarma
Mediterranean diets are known for being lean and protein packed with the added benefits of omega-3s from olive oil. This recipe is simple. Marinate chicken in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Skewer the chicken and put that on the grill. Continue by making a yogurt sauce. This requires a half-cup of low fat yogurt, two tablespoons of tahini (a sesame paste), 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and a clove of minced garlic. Wrap the chicken, sauce, and a few peppers and tomatoes into pita bread and add it to your meal management system. This meal has calcium, a superfruit, and antioxidant loaded vegetables as well as protein.
Chicken Salad
When you're fueling up for a gym session, nothing will fill you up as quickly as simple chicken recipes like this one. Strips of bell peppers, snap peas, and zucchini are the base of this salad. Slice them up and dress them with a lemon and olive oil dressing. This will give you vitamin C to boost your immune system as well as healthy fats and antioxidants. Next, marinade chicken in lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and salt. Put the chicken on the grill for about 12 minutes and flip halfway through. Slice this up and add it to the salad for a protein boost that will help you prep for or recover from a killer workout.
Chicken Wraps
Wraps are a great way to add variety to simple chicken recipes. Start off by marinating lean cuts of white meat chicken in olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill this for five to six minutes on each side. Try a Thai style sauce made with a fourth of a cup of peanut butter, two tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Top this off with sliced carrots and wrap it in a whole-wheat tortilla. The peanut butter in the sauce is an extra source of protein to repair muscles and boost your energy for workouts.
Chicken Penne Pasta
Carbs and protein are a perfect pair for a killer gym session. Boil penne (whole-wheat for extra nutritional value) and shred up some grilled chicken. Add this to the pasta, and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with steamed vegetables. If you are looking to add calcium and flavor to the mix, add shreds of cheese to this meal. Pack this in your meal management system to fuel a day of cardio and lifting.
Bulking up and keeping energy levels high starts with what you pack in your meal management system. Try these simple chicken recipes before the gym so you can push yourself to get through one more set or save the meals until after your workout to recover muscles. Either way, you're on track to get ripped.
Photo Credit: Frettie
