Meal prep for the gym: high-protein meals that fit your training

The International Society of Sports Nutrition says 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day is enough for most people who exercise to build and keep muscle.¹ That's about 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound. The low end suits steady training; the high end suits hard lifting or trying to keep muscle while losing weight.

How you spread it matters too. The same position stand suggests 20 to 40 grams of good-quality protein per meal, eaten every 3 to 4 hours.¹ For meal prep, that's simple: build every container around one palm-to-hand-sized portion of protein, and add a protein snack if you eat fewer than four times a day.

Protein builds the muscle, but carbohydrates power the workouts. The sports nutrition position from the American College of Sports Medicine and two dietitian groups scales carbs to how hard you train: about 3 to 5 grams per kilogram a day for light or skill training, and 5 to 7 grams for around an hour of moderate exercise a day.² Endurance athletes training for hours need more.

You don't need to count it to prep for it. Cook one big batch of rice, potatoes or pasta, then pack bigger portions for training days and smaller ones for rest days. The protein stays the same every day.

The best gym prep proteins reheat without drying out, cost little per gram of protein, and taste good with different sauces. Mix one animal and one plant or dairy protein each week so you're not living on chicken.

Rounded from USDA FoodData Central.⁵ Brands vary, so check the label on what you buy.

Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts after reheating and cost less, for a little more fat. Ground turkey and lean beef are the fastest to cook. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs cover breakfasts and snacks with no cooking at all.

The classic chicken, rice and broccoli box works for about four days before you never want to see it again. Prep parts instead and combine them differently each day. Two proteins, two carbs, two vegetables and two sauces make more than a dozen different bowls.

Monday's turkey, rice, peppers and salsa is a burrito bowl. Tuesday's chicken, sweet potato, broccoli and yogurt sauce feels like a different meal from the same prep.

This makes lunches and dinners for five days plus breakfasts and snacks for one person. Start the slow things first and everything finishes at about the same time.

1. 0:00Heat the oven to 425°F and start a big pot or cooker of rice.
2. 0:05Season chicken and spread it on a sheet pan. Into the oven.
3. 0:10Cube sweet potatoes, cut broccoli, oil and salt both, and roast on a second pan.
4. 0:15Brown ground turkey on the stove with taco seasoning.
5. 0:25Hard-boil a dozen eggs while everything else cooks.
6. 0:35Check the chicken and turkey reach 165°F inside, then let them rest.
7. 0:40Stir together two sauces and portion out yogurt cups for breakfast.
8. 0:55Pack meals into shallow containers. Days 1 to 3 go in the fridge, days 4 and 5 in the freezer.

Use a thermometer rather than guessing. Chicken and ground turkey are done at 165°F, ground beef at 160°F.⁴

Gym prep usually means a lot of cooked meat sitting in the fridge, so storage matters. The USDA's rules are simple:³

• Get cooked food into the fridge within 2 hours. Pack it into shallow containers so it cools fast.
• Eat refrigerated meals within 3 to 4 days. Freeze anything meant for day 4 or 5 on prep day.
• Frozen meals stay safe, and taste best within 3 to 4 months.
• Reheat until it's 165°F all the way through, and stir halfway in the microwave.

If you train in the morning and eat at work, pack your lunch in an insulated bag with an ice pack, or keep it in the work fridge.