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Lauren | Easy Meal Prep Recipes

@athletelunchbox

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former aus rep who likes food
tried & tested meal prep recipes for those with no time
📩 [email protected]
📍Newcastle AUS

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Athlete Lunchbox workshop with @gymnasticsaustralia @trampolinesportsaustralia girls camp

Very grateful to have the opportunity to talk at the Trampoline girls camp over the weekend about strategies for planning how to get enough fuel in to train as much as they do.

For those of you who don't know, I was an Australian representative for trampolining for the better part of 2 decades. I balanced training and competition commitments with school and casual jobs, then with full-time university and managing trampoline programs, then with moving out of home and out of state to a full-time job.

My career was incredibly turbulent with a lot of elements outside of my control, but one aspect I could control was my approach to my fuelling.

We talked about snack systems and making it easy for you to grab a snack on the go. I'm personally a fan of work drawer snacks (who needs stationary anyway), gym bag LCM bars, cereal baggies in the car and protein powder (batch tested ofc) in the boot.

My talk was not approached from a nutrition perspective, rather from an organisation and time management perspective to help the athletes develop the tools they need to gain those extra 1%ers that will elevate their training and competition.

Following the talk, I helped judge their Masterchef challenge where the athletes were given $10 each (which could be accumulated in their room) to make their dinner and provide the judges with a plate which was judged on balance, presentation and knowledge around the ingredients they chose and why.

I think I ate 5 bowls all to myself so I'd say it was a successful challenge.

Thank you to all the athletes and coaches for your engagement – if there are ever any questions, I am an open book and do not believe in gatekeeping my knowledge or experience. And if my advice can help a young athlete perform just that 1% better, then I would consider it a very successful day!

⭐️ if you're interested in how I can help your club or organisation with a presentation, send me a DM ⭐️ by @athletelunchbox

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5 months ago

Sorry mum, but you didn't need that chicken defrosted.

I'm absolutely hopeless at remembering my to-do list unless it is physically written down or I have an alarm for it on my phone.

I've seen this trick around Instagram a couple of times where if you leave the frozen chicken out for about 15 minutes you can slice it really thin and then use it in your dish.

I was skeptical but had the opportunity to try it recently when I forgot to defrost my chicken.

And it works - just make sure it's thin enough and you don't overcrowd so you're not left with weird uncooked middle bits.

Bonus tip - coat in corn flour so it doesn't go super tough.

⭐️COMMENT "RECIPE" to get this recipe (frozen chicken optional) straight to your DMs or GOOGLE "teriyaki chicken noodles Athlete Lunchbox"⭐️ by @athletelunchbox

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3 months ago

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a year ago

Forgot to press play when I mixed it all together but this chicken caesar pasta salad is too good not to share so just imagine that bit.

Comment "recipe" if you want it sent to you ❤️ by @athletelunchbox

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a day ago

Things I never regret storing in my freezer (comment "FREEZER" to join my email series about helping you prep your freezer)

Now I know I am very lucky to have my own dedicated freezer, but it has paid me back in spades since I made the investment.

It seriously works harder than I do.

There are meals, there are components, there are so many bits and pieces that save me so much time during the busy week.

Here are the top things I never regret having in my freezer 👉👉

ONE - RICE

Cook once, freeze in portions, and you’ve got the base of a meal ready in minutes. This is especially helpful for those who don't like the texture of microwave rice (which is me if you saw my video yesterday).

TWO - VEGETABLES

Frozen vegetables mean I always have something to bulk out a meal without worrying about it going bad in the back of the fridge.

THREE - MARINATED PROTEINS

Marinated proteins go straight from freezer to pan with flavour already sorted. Flatter and smaller cuts work best - think chicken thigh, thinly sliced breast or sizzle steak).

FOUR - SOUP

Soup is the ultimate low-effort meal that reheats perfectly from frozen and saves you on nights you can’t be bothered. I just pop a couple of cubes on the stove and let it do its think for 15 minutes.

FIVE - FRUIT

Frozen fruit makes smoothies, oats, and quick snacks ridiculously easy (even when out of season). If you've never snacked on frozen berries, you're missing out.

SIX - MINCED GARLIC

Freezing minced garlic means no peeling, chopping, or sticky fingers every time you cook.

SEVEN - PLAN B MEAL

A “plan B” freezer meal saves you from ordering takeaway when dinner plans fall apart. I even have a whole E-Book with 70+ meal ideas because they're so useful!

EIGHT - PASTA

Cooked pasta in the freezer means half the work of dinner is already done. Just cook it halfway so it doesn't go mushy in the freezer or on reheating.

NINE - BAKED OATS

Baked oats freeze beautifully so breakfast is ready to grab and reheat on busy mornings. Plus, they actually taste pretty good still frozen!

⭐️Comment "FREEZER" to join my email series about helping you prep your freeze by @athletelunchbox

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2 days ago

Why I always keep rice in my freezer 🫡

I grew up with a lot of microwave rice, and I get how convenient it is.

But after discovering how cheap rice is to purchase raw and cook myself, I avoided going back to microwave.

When I did, I discovered that I reaaaaaalllly didn't like the texture.

So now, instead of cooking rice basically everyday (it's my desert food and I eat it at least once a day), I will freeze it.

Here are my top tips - which can also be used for meal prepping rice in the fridge, too:
• Instead of a 1:1.5 ratio of rice: water, I recommend a 1:1 ratio. This will keep the rice that little bit harder in the centre so that it reheats without going mushy

• I recommend using stickier versions of rice (e.g. jasmine rather than basmati) as I find it a lot less messy to pop into (and out of) the containers and freeze (you can also do this in a ziplock)

• Stop the rice cooker immediately when it beeps (or a couple of minutes before if you can). This stops extra moisture being added to it when it remains hot.

• Fluff it straight away and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then put it straight into the containers and freeze when still hot. This is the recommended approach by organisations focusing on food safety.

When reheating, add a drizzle of water or an ice cube and cover with a paper towel. It'll defrost and reheat in about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes (depending on how thick your freeze piece is) by @athletelunchbox

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4 days ago

Don't let not having the "right container" stop you from meal prepping something delicious.

Because there are a lot of ways to store a dish that has hot and cold components (and no, you don't need to cart around a million different containers).

1. Use a divider container. This one is a little obvious, but if you don't have one, don't go out and purchase one (see 2 and 3 instead).
2. Create a "boat" using aluminium foil where you place the cold components. This can then be removed when you go to reheat.
3. Use reusable silicone cupcake moulds. These can also be removed when you go to reheat.

⭐️The recipe pictured is my lemongrass chicken rice bowl, if you want it sent to your inbox, comment "recipe" ⭐️ by @athletelunchbox

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5 days ago

Feta and spinach tortilla quiche (comment "recipe" and I'll send it to you)

One of my favourite things about wraps is their versatility.

Quiche's are typically made with pastry as the crust, but because I'm a lazy cook and want a quick meal prep - and because I always have them in my cupboard - I tend to opt for some mini wraps.

Because they're sturdy, you can then mix in your quiche ingredients right in the bowl!

This one has some eggs, feta, spinach, cheese, chives and water (it's my secret ;))

To get the crispness back when reheating, do it in an airfryer or sandwich press (just don't "press" it)

⭐️Comment "recipe" and I'll send it to you or google "spinach feta tortilla quiche athlete lunchbox" ⭐️ by @athletelunchbox

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6 days ago

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore (comment "recipe" and I'll send it to you)

I am finding new ways to use my slow cooker because it is such a convenient cooking method for a large batch meal prep (pssst. The freezer loves this one, too)

This chicken cacciatore is a slight deviation from the classic but still packs a punch with the brininess of the olives and the flavours from the herb-based tomato sauce.

⭐️Comment "recipe" and I'll send it to you or google "chicken cacciatore athlete lunchbox" ⭐️ by @athletelunchbox

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8 days ago

High Protein Chicken Meal Preps (comment "recipes" and I'll send them all to you)

If you’re trying to prep lunches or dinners for the week and don’t want to rely on takeaway, these high protein chicken meal prep ideas are a good place to start. You’ll find chicken and rice bowls, pasta bakes, cold salads, stir fries, slow cooker meals and easy high protein chicken meals that actually hold up well in the fridge.

Pictured:
1. Sundried tomato chicken pasta
2. Chicken caesar pasta salad
3. Chicken pad see ew
4. Honey soy chicken rice bowls
5. Black pepper chicken stir fry

⭐Comment "recipes" and I'll send them all to you ⭐ by @athletelunchbox

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10 days ago

Freezing baked oatmeal (comment "meal prep" and I'll send you all my baked oats recipes for inspiration)

I am a firm believer in having Plan B options for when time just gets away from you.

More often than not, I'll have my overnight oats prepped for breakfast. But, when I haven't had the chance to make these up the night before, these frozen baked oats come in handy.

Plus, they're also a really delicious snack and you can grab-and-go with them making it easy for you to go back to your busy lives.

Here's my base recipe (and then just add in extra bits and pieces):
• Banana
• Egg
• Rolled oats
• Flour
• Protein powder
• Chia seeds
• Milk

⭐️ Ideas for flavours and full recipes on my website. COMMENT "Meal Prep" to get it straight to your inbox or GOOGLE "baked oats recipes athlete lunchbox" ⭐️ by @athletelunchbox

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11 days ago

Black pepper beef (comment "recipe" and I'll send it to you)

This is one of those recipes where I can almost guarantee you have all the ingredients in your house.

The black pepper is combined into a rich, savoury, Asian-inspired sauce which clings to the vegetables and beef.

Zak is a massive fan because he considers black pepper to be its own food group.

Ingredients -
• chuck steak / diced or sliced beef
• Brown onions
• Capsicum
• Bok choy
• Rice
• Black pepper
• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Vinegar
• Brown sugar
• Cornstarch

⭐️COMMENT "recipe" and I'll send it to you or google "black pepper beef athlete lunchbox" ⭐ by @athletelunchbox

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12 days ago