Despite your busy schedule, why compromise between the taste of your food, diet and nutritional health? The following recipes that are specifically designed for busy sports enthusiasts will give you ideas for quick menus to provide you with the energy you need throughout the day.

Busy athletes: Quick and balanced breakfasts

If you are pushed for time in the morning, you will appreciate being able to prepare your breakfast in less than 10 minutes. To save time, here are 3 balanced recipe ideas for breakfast. The preparation is very easy, just mix all the listed ingredients in a large bowl:

• 1 bowl of oatmeal + cottage cheese + 1 orange + dark chocolate chips.
• 1 bowl of muesli + 1 yoghurt + 1 banana + 1 handful of raisins.
• 1 bowl of oatmeal + soy juice + 1 kiwi + 1 handful of pine nuts.

To complete your breakfast, accompany your bowl of high-energy and vitamin-rich cereal with a hot drink of your choice.

Our tip:

For variety, you can also try a smoothie bowl: Mix fresh fruit with a dairy or non-dairy drink, sprinkle seeds, cereals and seasonal fruit pieces on your smoothie bowl, and enjoy! This wholesome and popular breakfast will provide you with vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids.

3 quick lunch ideas for athletes

At lunchtime, there is nothing quicker to prepare than a sandwich. The range of sandwich options available makes it possible to plan a variety of healthy gourmet lunches. By adding a healthy dessert, you will enjoy a wholesome and well-balanced meal, ready in 10 to 15 minutes max, if you have all the ingredients at your disposal. The following 3 quick lunch recipes will help you to find inspiration:

• Wholemeal bread sandwich with grilled chicken, cheddar, arugula and cherry tomatoes + agave syrup in cottage cheese for dessert.
• Wrap with pieces of turkey, mozzarella and raw vegetables + baked apples with slivered almonds for dessert.
• Sliced salted muffins topped with salmon, avocado and grapefruit + a quick dessert with matcha tea and coconut milk.

Our tip:

If your lunch break is very short, plan your meals in advance. Every week, make a shopping list that includes raw ingredients, lean meats and seasonal vegetables, and treat yourself by trying different types of bread or side dishes. You can prepare your sandwich in the morning or the night before and take it with you to work. Even if you’re in a hurry, take your time when eating your lunch.

Dinner: Quick meals for athletes in a hurry

In the evening, the meal is lighter: The goal is both to provide enough energy to the body and not to be woken up by feelings of hunger and to allow sufficient time to digest the meal quickly enough so as not to disturb the sleep phase. To prepare the main course of your dinner easily, combine a starchy food with vegetables and always vary your recipes! A light fruit dessert will complete your meal. The following 3 quick meal ideas that can be prepared in less than 20 minutes are a good starting point, to be used according to your tastes and the seasons:

• Rice and fried vegetables with cumin + roasted banana with coconut.
• Broccoli penne + strawberries and mint leaves.
• Semolina with aubergine and basil leaves + pear with cinnamon.

To save time when preparing your meals, consider batch cooking: This popular method consists of preparing all your meals of the week in one go in order to always have a healthy and balanced meal when you are hungry. This makes the washing, cutting and cooking phases of the food preparation much easier. As an accomplished athlete, all you have to do is add this fun cooking session to your weekly workout schedule.

Our advice:

To adjust the portions of your food based on your energy expenditure, do not hesitate to use a nutritional coaching application. You will be able to keep a record of your body data, count the calories of the foods that make up your meals and find lots of tasty recipe ideas to vary your meals.

Check out our Health & Fitness page for more advice.