From the Beachbody On Demand Blog,
If you’ve ever bonked during a workout because you didn’t eat enough, or gave new meaning to the word “burpees†because you ate too much of the wrong thing (we’re looking at you, chili cheese fries), then you know how important pre-workout nutrition can be. And, if you’ve never given it much thought, it can be easy to get wrong. Enter the 80 Day Obsession Nutrition Plan!
Timed nutrition – eating the right foods at the right time – helps your body to fuel your workouts, build muscle, and recover while keeping your energy levels high. It’s an important component of 80 Day Obsession, Autumn Calabrese’s ground-breaking fitness and nutrition program that starts on Beachbody On Demand. In addition to completing 80 intense workouts, you’ll follow a specially calibrated macro-nutrition plan that is timed around your workouts to produce amazing results.
The 80 Day Obsession nutrition plan makes timed-nutrition easy with specific combinations of Beachbody Portion Control Containers for each meal. You’ll eat a light, pre-workout meal 60-90 minutes before each workout that is made up of vegetables, protein, carbs, and a little bit of healthy fat. Those eating at higher calorie levels will also have a serving of fruit. If you exercise in the morning this might be your first meal of the day, so make it count! It will give you the fuel you need to power through each intense sweat session.
Use the 80 Day Obsession program guide to determine which meal plan is right for you, then check out the food lists to make simple combinations of the foods you like best. We hope you’ll get inspired by some of the delicious pre-workout meals we’ve created for you here. All of these dishes can be adapted for other calorie levels by adding or removing ingredients to make them match your meal plan’s prescribed containers. Don’t like an ingredient? Swap it out for something else on the food list for that color container.
These pre-workout meals aren’t just for people doing 80 Day Obsession. They offer balanced pre-workout nutrition for anyone who wants to get the most out of their workouts, including those who are doing A Little Obsessed, 21 Day Fix, and anyone using the Beachbody Portion-Control Containers with their fitness program.
Pre-Workout Meals for 80 Day Obsession Plans A, B, and C
If you are following plan A, B, or C, your pre-workout meal will have the following containers:
- 1 Green (vegetables)
- 1 Red (protein)
- 1 Yellow (carbohydrates)
- 1 tsp. (oils and nut butters)
Asparagus and Eggs
Top steamed or roasted asparagus with a pair of eggs. Hard-boiling the eggs makes for easy meal prep, but if you like your eggs poached or soft-boiled, the yolks will create a luscious sauce. Serve with baked sweet potato or atop a slice of whole grain toast.
This pre-workout meal has:
10 large spears asparagus
2 eggs
½ cup baked sweet potato (or 1 slice whole grain toast)
1 tsp. olive oil (for roasting asparagus, or drizzled on toast)
Meal Prep Tip: Bake a few small sweet potatoes, hard-boil a batch of eggs, and roast asparagus for several meals.
Breakfast Burrito
In a rush? This grab-and-go dose of protein and carbs can be eaten quickly and won’t feel heavy during those booty-burning squats you’re about to do.
This pre-workout meal has:
1 cup spinach
2 eggs, scrambled
1 small whole grain tortilla (6-inch)
1 tsp. olive oil
Meal Prep Tip: Add olive oil to a heated pan and cook the spinach until soft, then add scrambled eggs and cook until just set. Spoon the egg mixture into a warm tortilla and roll. Breakfast burritos can be made ahead and frozen. Wrap individual burritos in sheets of wax paper, place in a plastic bag or freezer-safe container and freeze. Reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes.
Spinach and Bacon Quinoa Muffins
These savory muffins are perfect for meal prep. Why not make a big batch to freeze so you always have a healthy, pre-workout meal at-the-ready?
This pre-workout meal has:
1 cup spinach
1 Tbsp. green onions
1 egg, scrambled
2 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp. olive oil
Meal Prep Tip: Heat oven to 375 ° F. Cook the spinach with olive oil until just wilted. Transfer spinach to a bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Then spoon the mixture into a muffin pan lined with muffin cups or coated with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes. This amount of ingredients makes three muffins (one serving), and can be easily multiplied to make more.
Pumpkin Parfait
Packed neatly into a Mason jar, this yogurt and roasted pumpkin parfait with cinnamon and muesli is a perfect grab-and-eat breakfast before early morning workouts. Make several of these ahead of time to store in the fridge.
This pre-workout meal has:
1 cup roasted pumpkin or butternut squash
¾ cup reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup muesli
1 tsp. coconut oil (for roasting)
½ tsp. cinnamon
Meal Prep Tip: Baking pumpkins, which are smaller and sweeter, are best for this dish. Peel the pumpkin, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds, then cut it into bite-sized cubes. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle on 1 tsp. of coconut oil per cup of pumpkin, sprinkle with cinnamon, and roast in an oven heated to 375 ° F for about 30 minutes, or until soft. When cool, layer half of the yogurt, ½ cup pumpkin, and 2 Tbsp. muesli in a jar or other container; repeat.
Snack Style
Don’t like to eat before working out? Reach for this light combination of ingredients that will make your pre-workout meal feel more like a snack. This combination of ready-to-eat foods is perfect for days when you don’t have time to cook.
This pre-workout snack has:
½ cup baby carrots
½ cup cucumber slices
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 whole grain rice cakes
1 tsp. nut butter
Meal Prep Tip: All you need to prepare to make this meal ahead of time are the hard-boiled eggs. An electric egg cooker makes that fast and easy.
Breakfast Grain Bowl
Substitute any vegetables you like in this light, but satisfying grain bowl that can be prepped in advance and quickly assembled at mealtime. If you prefer freshly cooked eggs with a soft yolk, try this with poached or sunny side up eggs.
This pre-workout meal has:
½ cup roasted broccoli
½ cup roasted butternut squash
2 eggs
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (optional)
Meal Prep Tip: Every ingredient in this grain bowl can be made in advance! Roast all of the vegetables together, prep quinoa (or brown rice) in a rice cooker, and make a large batch of hard-boiled eggs.
Pre-Workout Meals for 80 Day Obsession Plans D, E, and F
If you follow plan D, E, or F, your pre-workout meal has the same containers as the lower-calorie meal plans, plus an additional purple container. Simply add any fruit from the purple container food list ( ½ large banana, 1 cup berries, 1 small orange, etc.) to any of the meals listed above. Or, try these scrumptious Zucchini Muffins.
Zucchini Muffins
Easy to make, and so yummy it’s hard to believe that these naturally sweet zucchini muffins are good for you. And with three small muffins per serving, they’re really satisfying! The ricotta topping is reminiscent of cream cheese frosting and adds extra protein.
This pre-workout snack has:
1 medium zucchini, grated
½ large banana, mashed
1 egg
¼ cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp. coconut oil
¼ tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
dash ginger
6 Tbsp. part-skim ricotta
Meal Prep Tip: Heat oven to 375 ° F. Sauté the zucchini with 1 tsp. coconut oil until it has decreased in volume by about half. Then, mix it with the banana, oats, egg, and spices. Spoon the mixture into muffin cups or a muffin pan coated with nonstick spray (this amount makes three muffins) and top each muffin with 2 Tbsp. ricotta. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool, then store in the fridge (or freezer) until ready to eat. The amounts listed are for one serving, but you can multiply the ingredient amounts to make multiple servings.
To make zucchini muffins for plan A, B, or C, omit the banana and stir the ricotta into the muffin mixture instead of spreading it on top. They will be less sweet, but still scrumptious.
Vegan Pre-Workout Meals for 80 Day Obsession
If you are following the 80 Day Obsession Vegan Plan A, B, C, D, or E, your pre-workout meal will have the following containers:
1 Green (vegetables)
1 Red (protein)
1 Yellow B (tubers and more processed grains)
1 tsp. (oils and nut butters)
For Plan F, add one extra teaspoon to any of the meals below.
Vegan Veggie Burger
We served this veggie burger with roasted sweet potatoes for easy meal prep, but you can make an open-faced sandwich by toasting half of a whole grain English muffin instead.
This pre-workout meal has:
½ cup spinach
½ cup mushrooms
1 veggie burger patty
½ cup sweet potatoes (or 1 slice whole grain toast)
1 tsp. olive oil
Meal Prep Tip: Save time by baking sweet potatoes whole, then peel and cube them, if desired. Instead of sautéing, try roasting the mushrooms at the same time as the potatoes. Arrange sliced mushrooms evenly on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray, drizzle with olive oil, and roast in a 375 ° F oven for about 20 minutes.
Vegan Breakfast Scramble
Protein-packed tofu takes on the flavor and texture of scrambled eggs in this yummy breakfast dish that gets its yellow color from turmeric. We like it with sautéed onion and pepper, but if you prefer something gentler on the tummy before a workout you can swap them for a cup of spinach or mushrooms.
This pre-workout meal has:
½ cup onion
½ cup bell pepper
1 tsp. coconut oil
¾ cup firm tofu, chopped
dash ground coriander
dash ground cumin
dash turmeric
1 slice whole grain toast
Meal Prep Tip: Sauté onion and pepper in coconut oil. Add tofu and spices and cook until heated through. Serve with toast. This vegan scramble keeps well in the fridge, so make double or triple the recipe and have your pre-workout meal prepped for several days.
