Friday Drop: Let it be guilt-free

Breakfast quesadillas, meatball subs with hidden veggies, homemade gyros, and pearls.

Let it be boring. Let it be guilt-free.

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.

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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.

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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!

Image from Natasha’s Kitchen

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.

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Last but not least, your prompt for this week:

What emotion do you think drives your emotional hunger?

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