As a student who plays competitive sport I am constantly juggling between lecture, assignments training sessions and matches so its crucial I keep my energy levels high with a healthy nutritious diet. I have prepared 3 easy student recipes to fuel college athletes and fitness fanatics which will fuel them through their hectic schedule.
Breakfast: Overnight Oats
This is an overnight recipe as the name implies you can prepare this on a Sunday evening in advance of your college week. Instead of cooking oatmeal on a stove or in a microwave you soak raw oats in milk. The soaking process will absorb the milk and soften the oats. You let the oats soak in the fridge for 2 hours but its ideal to do this overnight. The next morning you have a convenient tasty creamy bowl of oatmeal a perfect sports nutrition breakfast!
Benefits of overnight oats:
- Great source of protein (5g per serving)
- Rich in fiber (4g per serving)
- Aids weight loss by making you feel more full and slowing down the emptying of your stomach
(Image credit Feelgood Foodie)
Ingredients:
- Oats
- Milk (full fat, low fat, skimmed, soya its up to you!)
- Chia seeds: Extremely nutritious
- Greek yogurt: provides a tangy texture and boost of protein
- Honey or maple Syrup (optional): added flavour the oats can be quite bland on their own
- Vanilla extract: (Optional): enhances the flavour without using sweetener
- Toppings: this is the fun part you can add fruit, nuts seeds and spices to add some excitement. Its such a versatile recipe. I would personally recommend banana hazelnuts and Nutella!
Instructions:
- Put oats and chia seeds in jar
- Add Greek yogurt and vanilla extract
- Add choice of sweetener
- Mix the oats together until you see clumps
- Seal the container with a lid and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours
Dinner: Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Burgers
This burger is a quick easy option for students the meal prep and clean up is so quick because you only need a single bowl. Ground turkey and sweet potato make for a delicious, juicy flavoursome combination so this peculiar recipe is worth a try! They can be cooked in the oven or on a grill which is convenient for residents in student accommodation lacking an oven.
(Image credit: Bucket list Tummy)
Health benefits:
- Gut health: the high fibre and antioxidants in sweet potato are beneficial for gut health’
- Sweet potato enhance brain function and strengthen your immune system
- Turkey is a good source of protein
- Turkey is low in saturated fat
Ingredients:
- 2 medium Sweet potatoes
- 450g of ground turkey (or ground beef/pork or chicken as a substitute)
- Garlic powder
- Ground ginger
- Pinch Sea salt
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
Instructions:
- Microwave sweet potatoes for 5 minutes
- Mix the mashed sweet potato and ground turkey with garlic, ginger salt and pepper
- Form 4 large patties
- Place on grill for about 10 mins until browned and cooked all the way through
- Place in brioche bun add cheese, avocado and sauteed onion
Snack: Wild Blueberry Peanut butter Smoothie
This refreshing smoothie is a sure-fire way to satisfy your tastebuds and feed your appetite. Its an extremely healthy snack to have with you on the go perfect for spring time.
(Image Credit All Recipes)
Benefits:
- Milk, yogurt and peanut butter are high in natural protein
- High in fibre
- Blueberry have are high in antioxidants and can prevent cancer
Ingredients:
- 300ml of protein milk (can be substituted for full fat, low fat skimmed, almond etc.)
- 180ml of natural yogurt
- 100g of wild blueberries
- 1 tsp of natural peanut butter
- 2tsp of honey
Instructions:
- Blend ingredients together