Competition season is here! And with that comes busy schedules and lots of travel. However, during season, it is even more important for a gymnast to consistently eat enough, eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day, and incorporate lots of nutrient dense foods. To help you get through the grind of competition season, I've shared a few of my seasonal favorite recipes!
Cookie Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 banana (over ripe)
1 egg
1/4 milk (with protein)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Chocolate chips (measure with your heart)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Add the oats to a small blender and pulse until ground.
Add banana, egg, milk, sugar, baking soda, and salt to the blender and blend until fully combined
Mix in the chocolate chips by hand
Pour batter into a single serve ramekin (or multiply this recipe 4x and use your muffin tin)
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked all the way through
Sweet Potato Waffles
Ingredients:
2 cups sweet potato, grated
2 tbsp flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp green onion diced
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
eggs for on top
Greek yogurt
salsa
Directions:
In a large bowl combine grated sweet potatoes, flour, eggs, green onion, and Parmesan cheese.
Cook in your waffle maker for about double the time you would regular waffles
Top with some eggs, plain Greek yogurt, and salsa
Recipe inspired by Brocc Your Body
Blueberry Breakfast Balls
Ingredients
1 cup Frozen Blueberries (also works well with strawberries, raspberries, mixed berries, and mango)
1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Almond Flour (or other alternative that is safe to eat raw like coconut flour, oat flour, or flax-meal)
2/3 cup Shredded coconut (separated in half)
¼ cup Raisins or Dates
Directions
Add the blueberries, oats, flour, raisins or dates, and 1/3C of coconut into a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together to form a large ball.
Scoop out 1 tbsp of the mixture, roll into a ball and coat in coconut. Repeat until the mixture is used up.
Perfect for a mid-workout snack or enjoy with a glass of milk for a balanced breakfast or snack
Recipe inspired by Healthy Little Foodies
Air Fryer Carrot Fries
Ingredients:
1lb carrots (about 3 large carrots), peeled and cut into 1/4 inch sticks
2tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut carrots into fries and toss in the cornstarch, oil, and spices
Air fry at 400F for approximately 18 minutes, shaking half way
Enjoy with your favorite dip or dressing
Recipe Inspired by Nourished By Nic
High Protein Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
6oz grams frozen chopped spinach (or you can wilt down 1/2lb of fresh spinach)
1 cup cottage cheese
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
salt and black pepper to taste
¼ cup red bell pepper chopped, optional
2 tablespoon cheese of choice shredded
Directions:
Preheat your oven or air fryer to 400°F.
Defrost spinach. Once your spinach is defrosted, using a cheese cloth, paper towel or a small strainer to squeeze out any excess water.
Add cottage cheese, olive oil and spices to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Pour your blended cottage cheese mixture into a greased oven safe dish, add your spinach and chopped red bell pepper and mix until evenly distributed. Top with shredded cheese.
Air fry for 5 minutes or until to cheese begins to brown.
Enjoy with pita, chips, crackers or veggies for a balanced snack!
Recipe Inspired by Nourished By Nic
Cowboy Caviar Chopped Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups romaine lettuce
2 cups kale (stems removed)
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 ripe avocado
1 1/2 cup corn
1/2 red onion
1 jalapeño (can omit for less spice)
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup cilantro
3 green onions
Tortilla strips
Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 limes
2 tbsp taco seasoning
2 tbsp hot honey
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Chop all of your vegetables, lettuce and herbs and add to a bowl with the beans, corn and feta.
To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add dressing and toss to coat. Top with crunchy tortilla strips.
For an added protein punch, top with grilled chicken. To marinate the chicken, use the same dressing mix (1/2 the recipe per 1 lb of chicken). Marinate the chicken with the dressing in a ziplock bag or container in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours before grilling.
Recipe inspired by Brocc Your Body
Apple, Dill, Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 apple, diced
3 tbsp, mayonnaise, ranch, or mashed avocado
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/.2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, in a large bowl, mash the chickpeas until about three-quarters of the chickpeas are mashed and the rest are left whole (to add texture).
Add the celery, bell pepper, apple, and combine
In a small bowl, make the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir them well to combine. Pour the dressing over the chickpea and veggie mixture and combine until well coated
Enjoy as a sandwich, wrap, open faced on toast or in a salad.
Recipe inspired by Tasting To Thrive
White Bean and Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
6 vine ripened tomatoes, cut in half
1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes
2 heads garlic, tops sliced off
½ cup fresh basil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 ½ cups white kidney beans, canned, drained & rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F
Coat a cast iron pan with oil of choice. Add all listed ingredients (aside from the broth) into the pan.
Place in the oven to 45 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Using your hands, squeeze out the garlic into the pan and discard of the skin.
Pour vegetable mix into a pot with the broth and using an immersion blender combine until smooth (or carefully combine all ingredients in a traditional blender. You may have to do this in batches)
Recipe inspired by Plant You
Crispy Honey Salmon
Ingredients:
1 lb salmon, skin removed
2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour (optional)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chili sauce or sriracha
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
Sesame seeds & Green onion to top
Directions:
To make the sauce, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar and garlic. Set aside.
Cut the salmon into bite sized pieces and toss in tapioca flour or cornstarch. This step is optional, but will help with crispness.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add sesame oil. Once hot, add the salmon and sear for 2 minutes or until golden and crispy. Flip the salmon, add the sauce and reduce heat to medium.
Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes or until salmon is cooked through. Top with sesame seeds and green onion.
To build a balanced plate, make it into a bowl with rice, edamame, spinach, cucumber and avocado.
Recipe inspired by Brocc Your Body
Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sweet potato, chopped into cubes
1/2 red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups vegetable broth (more to thin it out if you like)
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Toppings:
Greek yogurt or sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chives
Red onion
Avocado
Crackers, cornbread, or tortilla chips
Directions:
For stove top:
Sauté onion, bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic for 5 minutes in a drizzle of oil.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer while covered for 30 minutes.
Recipe can also be be made in a slow cooker or InstantPot. For a slow cooker, cook 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 on low. For an InstantPot, cook 10 minutes on high and either quick or natural release.
Recipe inspired by Brocc Your Body
Ricotta Baked Orzo
Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1lb ground beef, turkey, chicken, or soy crumbles
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 lb orzo (dried)
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions
Brown the ground meat in a pan.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a large 9×13-inch baking dish, add onion, bell pepper, mushroom, garlic, dried basil, dried parsley, and salt. Drizzle with olive oil, stir until is well combined, then transfer to the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
Once the vegetables have cooked, remove the baking dish from the oven, add the chopped spinach and give it a good stir until it begins to wilt into the vegetable mixture.
Add the canned tomatoes, browned meat, and ricotta cheese and stir again until well incorporated with the vegetables. Then add the dry orzo and broth and stir until everything is well combined.
Return the baking dish, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and give everything a good stir, and return it to the oven for a final 10-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Once the pasta is tender, remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, and then return the baking dish to the oven for a final 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. (Optional: Once the cheese is melted, you can turn the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes to give the cheese a golden-brown color.)
Once the cheese has melted, remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Inspired by Stephanie Kay Nutrition