6 Ways to Use the Same Ingredients for Different Meals

 

Tired of trying to reinvent your menu every night at dinnertime? You may be overthinking the types of meals that your athlete needs, which could cost you time and money along the way. The good news is that you can simplify your mealtime strategy and you get your athlete the nutrients they need.

Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, shares how to use the same ingredients to make different meals for the week, saving you time while keeping your athletes healthy and satisfied.

1. Stop Overthinking Your Meals

One mistake many of us make is assuming that a good cook or caregiver creates a new meal from scratch every single night. But the better way to keep hungry athletes satisfied and make the most of your time in the kitchen is to prepare large batches of basics, then use them in different ways throughout the week.

Often, Ziesmer says, young athletes have a few favorite meals that they prefer anyway, and they’re rarely hoping that you’ll cook something new and different. Bonus: Cooking in bulk and using the same ingredients for a few days in a row doesn’t just save time, it saves money!

2. The Problem With Meal Kits

While meal kits that are delivered to your door with all the ingredients you need to make a fantastic dinner can be useful and are usually more cost effective than getting takeout every night, they do set an impossibly high standard. Often, the meals have complex instructions, a lot of different spices and sauces, and rarely leave enough leftovers for another meal the next day, says Ziesmer. These can be fun to try, but don’t fall into the trap of assuming every meal you make needs to be a gourmet feast featuring a new ingredient you’ve never used before.

3. Pretend Every Week is Thanksgiving

After Thanksgiving, if you cooked a large turkey dinner for the whole family, it’s likely that you’re eating leftovers for quite a while. “People always talk about the great ways to make stews, sandwiches, salads, casseroles, and other meals out of Thanksgiving leftovers,” says Ziesmer. “But for the rest of the year, we don’t think about preparing food in large quantities and reusing it in different ways throughout the week.”