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Practical Hunger

Friendly reminder: Rehab is a great time to learn to listen to the signals your body communicates with; pain, tightness, etc. Your hunger and cravings (or lack thereof) and the voice in your head that responds to those cues are also fantastic conversations to bring more awareness to.

Did you know there are four types of hunger to consider?

1. Physical Hunger

2. Emotional Hunger

3. Taste Hunger

4. Practical Hunger

You can’t always eat based on hunger alone.

Practical hunger is knowing you need to eat even if you are not feeling hungry. This can happen

1. When trying to form a new breakfast habit

2. To fuel pre- or during a game or practice

3. During post-op for many people

4. During illness

5. Within a busy schedule

6. During eating disorder recovery

7. With medication that suppresses your appetite (like most ADHD medication)

and more. Hunger cues can be impacted by exercise, heat, stress, sleep, travel, medication, medical history, diet history, type of food consumed, and so much more. Sometimes, it’s important to allow your brain to override your physical hunger cues with logic.

For example, your lunch period at school is at 11:00. You’re not hungry yet, but your next opportunity to eat isn’t until 3:00PM. You should use practical hunger.

General rules of thumb

• Most people should aim to eat breakfast.

• Most people need to aim to eat a meal or snack every 4 hours or so.

• Most people need to eat to provide nutrients and energy in the first few days post-op even if lacking an appetite.

What is the hardest part about practical hunger for you?

Today’s Drop is brought to you by:

Most athletes think recovery is about doing more—more discipline, more control, more “perfect” eating.

But what I see every day is something different.

Athletes who feel disconnected from their body.
Who second-guess their hunger.
Who are trying to “eat well” but still feel stuck, frustrated, or behind.

If you’re ready for more direction to fuel the way you need to, subscribe to 1:1 below.

Start Here

Breakfast:

Biscuits, cheesy, jalapeno scrambled eggs, fruit

Maybe living in the south is impacting me, but I think you should prep some biscuits this week. Get the easy Pillsbury or Annie’s tube and throw ‘em in the oven on Sunday. Scramble a dozen eggs with cheddar cheese and chopped jalapeno, and enjoy a southern comfort sandwich with 16-25g of protein. (Try to use at least 2 eggs per sandwich, but 3 is even better.) Add fruit on the side for your color.

Lunch:

Easy Jambalaya

Dinner:

Creamy lemon chickpeas and white fish

Some notes on this recipe:

1. I skipped the flour and swapped the heavy cream with greek yogurt and it was… somewhat effective. It makes the recipe easier (basically just throw it all together), but the yogurt will slightly curdle if your pan is too hot.

2. I also did half chickpeas, half cannelini beans and loved the texture that provided.

3. If you love pasta, this is a great option, and I love that it is yet another way to add more beans and fiber.

4. It’s worth using fresh garlic and lots of it. Go the extra step to sautee it in your butter.

5. I think it’d go really well as a side with a white fish like cod or tilapia. You might already have some in your freezer you’ve been ignoring.

Snack Spotlight:

Mini bagel & lox

Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

What was the biggest barrier to eating post-op for you?

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Emotional Hunger

Friendly reminder: Rehab is a great time to learn to listen to the signals your body communicates with; pain, tightness, etc. Your hunger and cravings (or lack thereof) and the voice in your head that responds to those cues are also fantastic conversations to bring more awareness to.

Did you know there are four types of hunger to consider?

1. Physical Hunger

2. Emotional Hunger

3. Taste Hunger

4. Practical Hunger

A Hard Truth

Emotional hunger gets a bad rap as something to be avoided completely. Instead, think of emotional hunger as an alert system. Sometimes craving come in search of a solution to numb or suppress a feeling: boredom, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, grief, etc. If you cannot identify the emotion to then work through it, no amount of food or snacking will satisfy the emotional craving you have.

If you believe you struggle with emotional hunger, these are the main steps to think about.

1. Can you identify the specific emotion you are struggling with?

2. Can you develop a larger toolbox to work through that emotion? (Not around.)

Food is absolutely allowed to be a tool in that tool box. It is not allowed to be the only tool.

Today’s Drop is brought to you by:

Most athletes think recovery is about doing more—more discipline, more control, more “perfect” eating.

But what I see every day is something different.

Athletes who feel disconnected from their body.
Who second-guess their hunger.
Who are trying to “eat well” but still feel stuck, frustrated, or behind.

If you’re ready for more support (and to stop doing this alone), subscribe to 1:1 below.

Start Here

Breakfast:

Easy Higher Protein Quiche

If you’d like to prep an easy breakfast option this week, this is a great recipe. Each slice only has 15g of protein, so pair it with an extra egg or two on the side, greek yogurt, or a glass of milk.

If you’re looking for a non-prep quiche-like option, I like Private Selection’s egg white frittatas. Any frozen egg bites work, too!

Lunch:

BBQ Bowls

Ingredients:

• Shredded chicken (store bought or prepared at home)

• Roasted potatoes (frozen to microwave works if you’re looking for no-cook options)

• Corn (again, frozen works!)

• Pickles and/or Pickled Onions

• Slaw or Shredded Cabbage

• BBQ Sauce

Dinner:

Sheet Pan Mediterranean Tacos from

The general rules with my recipe try outs for you all are

1. Can I (not a great chef) make it tasty?

2. Can I potentially make this on crutches or with one arm behind my back?

3. Can I make this recipe even easier for you all?

And the answer is a resounding yes to all three for this one.

Here’s what I’d adjust it for you:

1. Mix in tofu crumbles or shredded chicken to add a bit more leucine-focused protein to this. (Not sure what that means? Check out the performance plates post.)

2. Buy store-bought pesto, and use plain greek yogurt or sour cream as topping if you don’t want to make that either.

3. I didn’t have a masher, so I just stirred everything together and thought the taste and texture was great. You can definitely make this recipe in one bowl for less clean up.

4. Double the amount of filling (plus your extra protein). Make the tacos you’d like to eat today as directed. Roll the rest of the filling into burritos, wrap tightly in foil, and store in the freezer as an easy option for later or as a way to prep this recipe pre-op.

Overall, loved this one. You know I’m always looking for ways to help you all get more beans and fiber in. I love that we can get a few different veggies than normal, have a meatless option,

Snack Spotlight:

An awesome subscriber asked for more protein snack ideas this week, and I decided to share with you all, too.

Which one would you go for?!

Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

What emotion do you think drives your emotional hunger?

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Body Image On A Broken Leg

I’m writing this from my bed and current makeshift office in the weeks following a major orthopedic trauma surgery after a complete tibia and fibula fracture sustained during a rugby game.

I’ve been sitting with the surprising ways in which my own body image repair has surfaced through this injury. I’m going to share the same tools and skills I have helped hundreds of clients with as a dietitian specializing in eating disorders and sports nutrition, and can now say that they held up during my own body image disruption.

It’s one thing to talk about body image, it’s another to put to the test the mindset shifts that I’ve been living through experiencing a “body betrayal”.

From “my body as an adversary” to “my body as an ally”

Before I had learned about body image resilience, I was very familiar with the idea of feeling like my body was letting me down. I constantly felt like I was at war with my body, fighting a hunger that I never felt in control of. It was a cycle of ignoring and avoiding the signals from my body because I felt that I knew better, even if my body didn’t. I followed plans and rules because my body was not to be trusted.

Through the process of relearning to listen to and trust my body, I began to feel more in union with it. If I were able to anticipate my body’s needs, I was no longer dealing with the aftermath of being underfed, overtired, or overstressed.

Once I became more consistent in showing up for my body, I was able to receive consistent signals and cues. Over time, I began to build a bridge between my mind and body, until I finally realized that they were not separate at all. I learned that I cannot outsmart my body and it has a wisdom that needs to be heard.

A core component of positive body image is respecting your body’s needs and responding to them. Building this foundation of trust made it easier to see that my body and I are together in this; facing a traumatic event, my body suffered, but given enough nutrition, time, and rest, she will literally heal herself.

I needed to befriend my body to access this perspective.

The Identity Shift

Through injury, there are many ways that an athlete suffers. One, through the experience of the injury itself: Pain. Surgery. Prognosis. There is also a secondary loss– the loss of identity as an athlete.

I’m also sure you’ve heard that valuing your body for what it can do vs. what it looks like can create a positive shift in body image.

I would argue that the dangerous perspective is when one’s value of self is tied to a single identity or outcome. An overvaluation of what your body can do, what it looks like, and even your values can make you more vulnerable to a disruption.

Leading into that fateful game, I was playing some of the best rugby that I’d ever played. I was the fittest, strongest, and fastest I’d ever been. Despite this, my sense of self was not reduced to my numbers at the gym. Sure, I valued the results of hard work and getting stronger, but I felt that I was able to practice and live these values in other ways, too.

Something I often tell clients is that body size and shape can be under a lot of pressure when we see it as the sole value we bring to the world. The same can be said of our productivity, physical abilities, and health status. If any one of these falters and you haven’t taken the time to diversify, then it can feel like the floor is dropping out from under you.

If your self worth is a house, let it be a mansion with many rooms instead of a one-room cabin.

The Role of Radical Acceptance

Body image in general can be quite complex; yes, it’s how we see and feel about ourselves, but it’s also how we act in relation to our bodies. In my practice with clients, we work to influence body image through any one of these avenues.

Often with clients, I see the behavior towards their bodies as a way to express emotions that we don’t yet have the words for. They can manifest physically as well, such as through perceptions of heaviness, “feeling fat”, or disgusted with oneself.

The problem? Society at large tells us that if you feel this way towards your body, you’re under obligation to make it go away.

Unfortunately, this general attitude towards uncomfortable feelings robs us of the opportunity to respond to what these signals are telling us.

It’s rare that I have urges to change my own body, but early in the season when I first started practicing with my now team, I really wanted to fit in and be liked. Briefly, the thought crossed my mind that if I lost weight, I might be faster and that would help me to bring value to the team.

Rather than jumping on the bandwagon, I took a beat and asked myself: what would losing weight really accomplish? I arrived at the root cause of wanting to be accepted and liked and feeling a little uncomfortable being a rookie again. This is something I can tend to.

Practicing Radical Acceptance means acknowledging that we don’t have control over how others perceive us and the potential pain and difficulty in not being accepted (we are humans, after all!). It doesn’t jump to “fix”. Jumping to a diet plan would absolutely have helped me feel like I was doing something, but it wouldn’t actually allow me to see my experience and emotions for what they were.

Radical acceptance also reduces suffering in navigating body changes because it allows what is in this very moment.

The flip side of acceptance is grief, a letting go of an alternate reality. If you’ve already done this work around letting go of the dream body fantasy, it becomes more natural to roll with the punches of change– important, because bodies change, whether through illness, aging, childbearing or otherwise.

At this moment, I’m navigating less independence and a very limited capacity. I’ve watched my quads and calf muscles shrink in record time due to surgery and immobilization. At the same time, I accept that this is my current reality despite the years I’ve put into building stronger legs and pride in my athletic ability while also attending to the grief and pain that comes with an injury.

Body Image Resilience

Despite the common narrative that reduced activity levels = reduced energy demand, a healing body requires a ton of energy! Energy needs can go up quite a bit following injury, even if the majority of time is spent in bed.

Much of the language around recovery nutrition is around preventing weight gain and emboldens the fear and anxiety many athletes face around their bodies changing after injury.

Eating following a major surgery can actually be incredibly difficult. For the first week, I was totally reliant on others to prepare and bring meals to me. I was exhausted and my appetite was poor. The pain meds I was on also slowed digestion which made eating uncomfortable at times.

If “I better be watching what I eat so I don’t gain weight” was playing on loop in my head, I can promise you that I would not have made the efforts I did to keep eating on a regular schedule.

For me, it’s most important that I am providing my body the care and nourishment it needs right now. Whether or not my body changes doesn’t even really register, because I already have accepted that my body will change and it’s not my job to micro-manage that.

In my own work, I’ve adopted the term Body Image Resilience over Body Positivity and even Body Neutrality (to each their own, pick what works best for you!), but many of my clients strive for Body Image Resilience because they understand that it’s about more than just whether you like your body or not.

It’s the way you show up for your body regardless of how you feel about it. It’s committing to growth and expansion of your relationship with Self instead of falling into old reactive patterns.

Injury has a way of stripping things down to what’s actually there.

Not the version of your body you had last season.
Not the one you were working toward.
Just the one you’re in right now, and maybe it’s a body that can’t perform right now.

And in that space, body image becomes less about how you feel and more about how you respond.

A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.

Body image resilience isn’t built in the easy seasons. It’s built in the disruptions, in the grief, in the moments where your body asks more from you than it’s currently able to give back.

Being injured is not a pleasant experience, but it’s allowed me to be wholly present, to lean into my community, and remember what really matters.

I don’t believe I’d be able to see the many gifts it has brought me without having done this work.

Wherever you’re at right now, I’d invite you to pause:

• How would I respond to this kind of disruption?

• How can I continue to show up for my body, even if my performance falls short?

It’s normal to not be sure, or feel shaky. Body image resilience is a practice that takes patience and time to develop, and I promise you, has been absolutely worth it.

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to this?

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Fruits & Veg

A long-winded story short, fruits and vegetables provide a LOT for you. They’re ful…

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Over and over and over athletes tell me all the things they’re doing wrong. And yet… they’re usually doing quite a bit right.

You all put SO much pressure on yourself to be perfect, so today’s message is simple.

It’s okay to eat the same meal over and over and over again.

It’s okay to grab a protein shake and a bar for breakfast on your way out the door.

It’s okay to order Doordash.

It’s okay if 90% of your meals are labeled “convenient” or “processed”.

We can find healthy performance plates in ALL of those things.

Injuries are hard. Please stop treating yourself like you are a multi-millionaire that doesn’t need a job and has a private chef and four hours per day to dedicate to your health goals.

Let things be easy and ditch the guilt.

Today’s Drop is brought to you by:

Most athletes think recovery is about doing more—more discipline, more control, more “perfect” eating.

But what I see every day is something different.

Athletes who feel disconnected from their body.
Who second-guess their hunger.
Who are trying to “eat well” but still feel stuck, frustrated, or behind.

If you’re ready for more support (and to stop doing this alone), subscribe below.

Start Here

Breakfast:

Breakfast Quesadillas

Scramble some eggs and cheese, layer in some toppings, and grill between two tortillas for a great breakfast prep.

Topping ideas:

• spinach

• pico de gallo/salsa

• mushrooms

• sausage crumbles

• black beans

• sun-dried tomatoes

• pesto

• hot sauce

• maple syrup

• or any leftover veggies!

Lunch:

Meatball subs

Grab a baguette or rolls, some frozen meatballs, sauce, and provolone cheese. Don’t forget some veggies on the side. A pre-made salad would be great with this!

If you’re going for frozen meatballs, these are my recommendation, but in general look for at least 15g of protein per serving and moderate sodium.

If you’d like to make meatballs from scratch and sneak in some extra veggies, I love this recipe.

Dinner:

@ketorecipesHomemade Gyro Meat Wraps Every once in a while you come across a kitchen trick that just earns a spot in your rotation. This is one of them and it’s so good. Big thanks to MezeMike for the inspiration here. It captures everything people love about doner kebabs, keeps the prep almost laughably easy, and turns into bowls, wraps, or kebabs that taste like takeout in the best way. Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
Half a medium yellow or purple onion
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp sumac
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp coriander Veggies
Mini bell peppers, red onion, jalapeño
Olive oil, salt, pepper Aioli
3 tbsp mayo
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 tsp sweet paprika 🍋 juice Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Add half a medium onion and 2 garlic cloves to a small food processor and blend until a smooth pulp. 3. Place 1 lb ground beef in a bowl and mix in the onion garlic pulp. 4. Season with salt, pepper, and the spices listed above. 5. Mix well. Ideally let it sit 1 to 2 hours, but you can move forward immediately. 6. Divide the mixture into 4-5 equal portions and roll each into a ball. 7. Sandwich each meatball between 2 sheets of parchment paper. 8. Use a rolling pin or glass bottle to flatten the meat evenly. 9. Roll up the filled parchment paper. 10. Continue until you have about 5 parchment rolls. 11. Add your veggies to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 12. Place everything in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes at 400F. 13. Remove, let cool for a minute, unroll the parchment, and slice to your preferred size. 14. Serve over rice, any rice alternative, or make it a gyro wrap using a low carb lavash. 15. For the wrap, add lettuce, the sweet paprika aioli, roasted veggies, about 3 oz of the gyro meat, pickled red onions, parsley, and feta. Roll tightly, sear in a lightly oiled pan, and let the wrap crisp up. 16. Slice, drizzle with your favorite sauce, and enjoy. If you make it, let me know on SHREDHAPPENS. . . . . #lowcarb #highproteinmeals #healthyrecipes #mediterraneanfood #healthyfoodshare

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I tested out what I call the “lazy version” of the recipe above for you this week, and it rocked! Instead of blending, I chopped onion and garlic to add into the beef and threw in the spices I already had (basically just a ton of curry and garlic powder). I followed the rest of the directions and bought tzatziki from the store. Overall, took me about 30 minutes to cook and clean up.

Snack Spotlight:

I love mixing some mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, and balsamic glaze into a bowl at the beginning of the week to have as a great snack option all week long.

These are a great slow snack. Check out more fast and slow snack ideas (or what I’m even talking about) in the Performance Plate Guide.

Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

What emotion do you think drives your emotional hunger?

This is a LONG article. No one likes to drink water from a fire hose. Pick one category or barrier to focus on. Explore the resources and ideas. Start a conversation about how to apply them in your life in a way that makes the most sense. Make one small change at a time. That is the recipe for success.

Nutrition Knowledge

How do you weed thr…

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Long story short, and with a bit of a tin foil hat on, there’s an easy marketing recipe going on here. Magnesium is involved in over 300 processes in the human body, and according to these authors, almost half of Americans do not get enough from their diet alone. Those two things make it easy for supplement marketing companies to tell you you need to buy their sh*t.

Taking my tin foil hat off, magnesium IS important. It supports collagen synthesis. It plays an important role in bone health. It supports sleep as well. (For brevity, I’m not opening the sleep can of worms in this article. You can check out more on magnesium and sleep in this research review.) Before you run to the store for a supplement, can you ask yourself these two questions to put a bit of intention behind it?

1. Are you eating (or can you add) magnesium rich-foods a few times per day?

2. If you’re taking magnesium, are you taking the right type and dose?

Rehab-forward snack ideas high in magnesium (and other nutrients you need)

• Chia pudding with whey protein, walnuts, almonds, and berries

• Cherry smoothie with tart cherry juice, Greek yogurt, almond butter, and frozen berries

• Greek yogurt with dark chocolate, granola, and pumpkin seeds

Magnesium-rich foods to add

• sunflower seeds

• almonds

• beans!!

• edamame

• peanut butter

• whole wheat bread

• avocado

• potatoes with the skin

You can learn more about magnesium and supplementation in Feed the Quad or by commenting your questions below.

Today’s Drop is brought to you by:

Most athletes think recovery is about doing more—more discipline, more control, more “perfect” eating.

But what I see every day is something different.

Athletes who feel disconnected from their body.
Who second-guess their hunger.
Who are trying to “eat well” but still feel stuck, frustrated, or behind.

If you’re ready for more support (and to stop doing this alone), subscribe below.

Start Here

Breakfast:

The easy route: cereal and a side of fruit with peanut butter

If we’re talking about getting a breakfast that can be higher in magnesium, cereal is a great option. Go for a whole grain, higher protein, higher magnesium cereal like Kashi Go Protein + Fiber (not sponsored).

If you want to be fancy: chia pudding

I like this recipe from Real Life Nutritionist. I’ve also made chia pudding with a Fairlife 30g shake and 3-4 TBSP of chia seeds soooo many times, and I love it. Top with fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, coconut flakes. Whatever tickles your fancy.

Lunch:

Bean Salad (are you surprised?)

I like this recipe from The Forked Spoon, but I need you to tweak a few things.

1. If you don’t want to make a dressing from scratch, any pre-made red wine vinaigrette dressing will work.

2. Add a leucine source of protein :) Either TO the bean salad by adding crumbled tofu or chicken, or on the side. I also think this would be delicious in a wrap with rotisserie chicken. Will try and report back to you.

Dinner:

Easy peanut chicken with Thai noodles and shelled edamame.

If you’d like a 30-minute pan to table option, check out this recipe from Damn Delicious.

If you want more of a gather and assemble recipe, look for

• chicken satay skewers or plain chicken skewers and add a satay sauce like the one below

• instant ramen noodles (look for the low sodium option or skip the seasoning packet)

• frozen shelled edamame (a blend with carrots and peas would be nice as well)

Snack Spotlight:

Peanut butter oat balls. Either make your own to include whatever add-ins you like, or Costco and Trader Joe’s have great options.

These are a great slow snack. Check out more fast and slow snack ideas (or what I’m even talking about) in the Performance Plate Guide.

Your grocery link:

I’m repping Texas and H-E-B this week, but feel free to drop your grocery preference in the comments, and I’ll link that one next week!

Here you go!

Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

Would you rather have a private chef that cooks everything for you but you don’t get any say in what you eat and can’t share your preferences OR get a magical extra four hours whenever you want each week that HAS to go toward cooking?

This week is all about learning what makes food feel challenging at times and creating tools and systems to get over those barriers. Nutrition shouldn’t feel like a constant test of willpower! These tools and systems should help your “goal-based” food choice feel like the easy choice.

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Adding fiber to your diet doesn’t have to mean forcing down more leaves! (Does anyone else remember the dinosaur trend?)

From 2022 (ish?) to recently it feels like everything was about protein. More protein. More protein. MORE PROTEIN. Add protein to EVERYTHING. Can you sense the winds shifting, too? In the social media zeitgeist, protein is on the decline and fiber is EVERYWHERE.

Here’s the deal. Both are important and dietitians have known this for ages, but now that it seems like the rest of the world is on board with increasing protein, it’s time for us to suit up for a new battle: get you all on board with fiber.

Want to be regular? Fiber. Want great gut health? Fiber. Want help controlling hunger and cravings? Fiber. Want to reduce risk of colon cancer?! Fiber!!

The goal is 25-35g per day, but I don’t actually need you to track this. If you’re getting fruits and veg in at every meal, snacking on nuts and seeds, and reaching for beans, legumes, and whole grains, you’re likely doing better than 99% of the population.

Breakfast Ideas

• High fiber cereals like Kashi or Raisin Bran

• Oatmeal

• Add granola and berries to your yogurt

• Southwest egg scramble with salsa, spinach, and beans.

• Or the sweet potato and black bean hash from this drop.

Lunch Ideas

• The curry chickpeas & carrots recipe from this drop.

• Choose a higher fiber bread for your sandwiches, like Dave’s Killer or a whole grain with nuts and seeds.

• Add coleslaw greens to sandwiches if regular greens aren’t your thing.

• Choose fruits or veggies and dip as a side, like carrots and ranch or hummus, celery and pb, apples, bananas, etc. Apple chips and banana chips also count!

• Pretzels and popcorn are great sides, too!

Dinner Ideas

• Do not forget about the magic of potatoes and sweet potatoes. They store in your pantry forever, are easy to cook, and it’s also easy to find whole food forward frozen potatoes and fries. (See the burger & fries drop here.)

• Beans!! BEANS!!! Beans are SO good for you in SO many ways. Fiber. Magnesium. Carbs. They’re cheap! We love beans. I like the look of this Tuscan White Bean Pasta from Budget Bytes (add more protein, though).

• Chickpeas and lentils are also great, I’m just not as passionate about them as beans. It’s also easy to find flavorful microwave lentils (like below).

• And, of course, don’t forget salad kits, especially the ones with nuts, seeds, or dried fruit included.

Breakfast:

Chocolate peanut butter banana oatmeal

Grab your favorite microwave oatmeal packet. Microwave with a little extra water. Stir in a scoop of chocolate protein power and a spoonful or two of peanut butter. Top with banana slices and walnuts.

Depending on your portions, this breakfast should have ~8-12g of fiber.

Lunch:

Pulled buffalo chicken sandwiches with slaw + carrots and greek yogurt ranch

This is an old go-to staple that I couldn’t stop eating for months and months until the day came I never wanted to look at it again. I think it’s time to bring it back.

Grab a can of chickpeas, chopped carrots, butter chicken simmer sauce, and mix it all together. That’s it. Add chicken for a higher protein option, or cook in greek yogurt with indian spices. Make a big batch and portion it out for your week. This recipe rolls into a burrito and freezes well, too. Don’t forget the naan and rice when you’re ready to eat.

The easiest way to cook chicken you want to shred is to boil it or throw it in your crock pot. You can follow the recipe above or just add sauce to the chicken you make! Add toppings like pickles, lettuce, tomato, and/or cole slaw greens to your sandwich.

To make greek yogurt ranch dip for your carrots, simply add a packet of ranch seasoning to a large container of plain greek yogurt.

Dinner:

A spruced up salad.

People don’t like salads because they are boring. It doesn’t have to be this way! Add carbs, fats, and variety in textures to bring something together that you truly ENJOY. I also love to make salads as an excuse to eat chicken nuggets :)

Snack Spotlight:

I mentioned it above, but I fear we are losing respect for popcorn, and I’m on a mission to raise its reputation. Popcorn is an AWESOME snack, and full of great fiber.

Your grocery link:

From Kroger this week, but feel free to drop your grocery preference in the comments, and I’ll link that one next week!

Here you go!

Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

What is a food rule you think you have based on a current or recent trend? (I.e. I need to have 20g of protein at every meal. I should eat 3 hours before bed. etc.)

Hi friends. See below for the current state of my house.

This is bad news bears for being able to test recipes for the Drop today. Instead, comments are open for Q&A!

Q&A

Anything goes. You are welcome to ask for meal and snack support based on your busy schedule, supplement questions, general nutrition questions, injury questions. You can even throw life questions in. I used to want to be an advice columnist when I grew up, so that would be fun!

In the meantime to give you something to digest, here are a few questions I received from The Injured Athlete’s Club facebook group last week:

1. “Qn: krill oil tablets (2000mg) and collagen. I take both regularly- am I just flushing $$ away?”

   1. Omega 3's are a fantastic supplement that I recommend to most people! We tend to not get enough in our diet and there is quality evidence behind omegas and brain, heart, muscle, and anti-inflammatory support. You want the majority of your omega supplement to include at least 500mg of DHA and EPA. ALA is great too, but may not have the same benefits as the other two.

   2. For collagen ... you might be throwing your money away. The research is split 50/50 whether it's doing anything or not. Collagen may be beneficial in rehabbing a tendon/ligament injury or decreasing tendonitis pain when at least 15g are taken 30-60 minutes before exercise or rehab. Otherwise, collagen is a protein that isn't very good at stimulating muscle, so it's not something I'd recommend as a post-workout or general supplement to increase protein intake. Go for whey for that one. And collagen gummies are definitely flushing $$!

2. “What are the best nutrients/supplements for tendon repair?”

   1. Bottom of the pyramid will always be adequate energy, carbs, protein, etc. This is 99% of the puzzle and 99% of what I spend my time helping people with. Any rehab will also need micronutrients like magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, but with the exception of vitamin D, most of us do not need to supplement any of those. Too much zinc can actually inhibit tendon formation! Collagen might be helpful - look to take at least 15g 30-60 minutes before your workout or rehab. Things that support muscle can be helpful, like creatine. And general antioxidants can be helpful, like a fish oil or tart cherry.

3. “My daughter has had hip surgery (shaved the femoral bone, repaired labrum, augmented the labrum. On crutches for 6 weeks. Her prob is that she has no appetite. Any suggestions for healthy tempting meals?”

   1. Yes super common! If ANYTHING sounds appetizing to her right now, that is better than nothing. Also small bites/snacks every 1-2 hours will help stimulate her appetite to come back. Room temp or cold food is typically better. Bland food, too. Think things like cereal, crackers, toast, pb and j, etc. Don't be scared to drink some nutrition: smoothies, milk, drinkable yogurts. Sometimes a bit of a mindset shift that can be helpful is that getting nutrition in her body is step number one to getting back on the field. Can she make a challenge or a game out of it? Can she bring some joy back into eating instead of it feeling forced? Like going out to ice cream with friends or getting to listen to her favorite music during dinner, etc.

4. “Do creatine monohydrate gummies help at all with recovery in between workouts? I tried the powder but don't like the texture.”

   1. When I think of recovery, I think of renewing energy stores and supporting muscle, so the two biggest factors will be getting adequate carbs and protein in. Creatine can be helpful on top of that as long as you're getting a 5g dose. I haven't seen any reason that gummies would be less impactful when the dosing is there. Some other ways to try powder if mixing it in fluid isn't your thing is adding it to yogurt or pudding!

5. “I’ve struggled with bone stress injuries (and lots of endless soft tissue injuries too) since I started running 7 years ago. I’ve basically been constantly injured once my underfuelling caught up with me. My bone density is in the osteopenic range and I’m 45 yrs. I’ve recently had my latest tibia stress injury which is taking time to heal. My question is… if I get on top of my nutrition properly (I spent many years undereating but have gradually gained weight back) can I hope for an injury-free period of running or will my bones not really allow it anymore considering my age? Is there any hope for me?!”

   1. The timeline on underfueling to hormonal rebalance to bone health is different for everyone. There is some research that tells us that even when energy status is regained (both from consistent fueling and in stores), it can be a year before hormonal status is fully returned to "normal" and may even be beyond that when we see bone status improve. It's common (and super frustrating!) for stress fracture athletes to regain their period and consistently fuel adequately but still have a second or third stress fracture because bones just haven't caught up yet. So I will say, yes I have so much hope for you. An injury-free period of running may also be a combination of fueling and really smart work load management! I'm sure you've also already spoken with your doc(s) about medication to support your bones, so that gives me hope too! I will also say if you feel your bones are taking longer than anticipated to heal, consider meeting with a sports dietitian to ensure you're not only getting that calories you need, but the nutrients (or supplements) to support bone health! A common mistake I see is athletes supplementing with 1000mg calcium, but not knowing that that dose needs to be split in half and taken as 500mg 2x/day for better absorption. A dietitian well-versed in underfueling or REDs can also take a look at your bloodwork and understand signs of underfueling that docs may have missed. Its common to see high cholesterol in underfueled athletes, and then a doc will turn around and tell them to limit fat! That's not the issue! Anyways, long story short, of course I have hope for you!!

Hi friends. I discovered a beautiful tool this week. It is a link directly to a full instacart. From here on out, I’ll be dropping these meal prep lists with a link to drop the groceries directly into a cart for you. Then you just add the rest of what you need or subtract what you don’t need from my list, and boom. Your groceries are ordered!

Protein Pancake Prep

I don’t know what it is about breakfast, but when I have something prepped that feels like a “real meal”, the rest of my day always goes better. Greek yogurt or a bowl of cereal are great, but there is nothing better than a hearty breakfast bowl.

When that meal is easy to make? Even better.

Here’s all you need to do for this one:

1. Make pancake mix.

2. Add protein powder.

3. Pour it in an oven-safe glass container.

4. Add toppings

5. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Topping ideas:

• Strawberries and chocolate chips

• Bananas and walnuts

• Blueberries and white chocolate chips

• Peanut butter

• Cherries and sliced almonds

Breakfast:

Protein Pancake Prep

Lunch:

Curry Chickpeas and Carrots

This is an old go-to staple that I couldn’t stop eating for months and months until the day came I never wanted to look at it again. I think it’s time to bring it back.

Grab a can of chickpeas, chopped carrots, butter chicken simmer sauce, and mix it all together. That’s it. Add chicken for a higher protein option, or cook in greek yogurt with indian spices. Make a big batch and portion it out for your week. This recipe rolls into a burrito and freezes well, too. Don’t forget the naan and rice when you’re ready to eat.

Dinner:

Burgers & Fries

It’s over 80 F here in Houston now, so I’m ready for some good old summer food. Below are a few of my go-to easy options to throw on a bun in the summer, plus sides that are a nutritional add to this meal.

Snack Spotlight:

I’m using Sprouts as the grocery link this week, so it’s time to turn you on to their bag of cookies. Trader Joe’s has a similar option. Dip them in greek yogurt. Something about this snack brings me back to getting off the bus in middle school and eating Oreos as I watched Blue’s Clues. I don’t know. I love them.

Your grocery link:

From Sprouts this week, but feel free to drop your grocery preference in the comments, and I’ll link that one next week!

Here you go!

Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

What is your equivalent of eating after school Oreos while watching Blue’s Clues?

I still wanted to pop this in here to get your mind spinning (in a good way) about how this all plays a role in both your rehab AN…

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This article is a bonus deep dive on different types of protein. Enjoy!

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Scroll through this list for ideas. You’ll also find more every week in the Friday Menu Drop. You can find more about how to fill and portion out your plate in the Performance Plate System. Last, but certainly not least you’ll learn more about h…

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