The Periodized Meal Plan to Fuel Your Training

If you’re a seasoned athlete, you might be familiar with periodized training, a progressive workout program that reduces your risk of injury while maximizing your results. With this kind of protocol, your training becomes harder and more intense over the course of several weeks or months and culminates with an end goal and/or event date. A periodized meal plan works similarly, manipulating your macronutrient ratios over time to support your training and help you reach your goals.

With this plan, you’ll begin with a baseline ratio of protein, carbs and fat, and you’ll gradually adjust those over time based on your needs and energy demands. Carbohydrates — the main source of fuel for hard-hitting training — will be the main macro you’ll tweak: They will be lowest at the beginning when you need less energy and highest toward the end as you approach your goal.

Recipes

Overnight Oats

Make 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 scoops protein powder of choice
• 3 tbsp nonfat milk
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Directions

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix to combine. Fill 4 Mason jars with equal portions. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir before serving. Eat cold or warm. Top with fruit of choice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 259, protein 23 g, carbs 33 g, fat 4 g

Protein Waffles

Make 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups high-protein pancake mix (like Krusteaz)
• 2 scoops protein powder
• 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup nonfat milk

Directions

Preheat waffle iron. Add pancake mix, protein powder and baking powder to a large bowl and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Working in batches, pour batter into waffle iron and cook through.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 269, protein 26 g, carbs 32 g, fat 4 g

Sweet Potato Bread

Make 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
• 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or sunflower seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with enough parchment paper to hang over the sides. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine sweet potatoes and water and cover. Microwave 5 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor cup. Puree until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together applesauce, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Add dry mixture to wet and mix until just combined. Stir in pecans. Transfer to prepared loaf pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan, then use parchment paper to lift out.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 227, protein 6 g, carbs 33 g, fat 9 g

Sheet Pan Dijon Chicken with Broccoli

Make 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (4-5 cups)
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1⁄2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on prepared sheet. Season with salt and pepper (to taste). To a large zip-close bag, add Dijon, remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Close and shake well. Add chicken, seal and shake to coat. Remove chicken and place on sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 247, protein 27 g, carbs 4 g, fat 14 g

Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

Make 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium white potatoes, trimmed and cut into 1⁄2-inch rounds
• 3 tbsp melted salted butter
• 1⁄2 tsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat broiler. Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook, covered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange potatoes on sheet and lightly smash with a fork. Brush each potato slice with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic. Broil until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 238, protein 4 g, carbs 37 g, fat 9 g

Chopped Veggie Salad

Make 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb wax beans, chopped
• 1⁄2 lb green beans, chopped
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 small bell peppers, any color, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3⁄4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch beans in boiling water 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into an ice bath. Drain well. Add corn and boil 5 minutes. Put into ice bath. Once cool, use a sharp knife to cut kernels off cob. In a large bowl, toss together veggies, chickpeas and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over veggies and toss well.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 277, protein 13 g, carbs 45 g, fat 7 g

Pulled Barbecue Beef

Make 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 6 pieces
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 3 tbsp barbecue sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 F. To a bowl, add broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and mix well. Set aside. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high. Working in batches, add brisket and sear 2 minutes per side. Set meat aside. Add water to Dutch oven and use a wooden spoon to scrape black bits off the bottom. Return meat to pot and add broth mixture. Cover with foil and cook 3 to 3 1⁄2 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove from pan and shred using 2 forks. Stir remaining liquid back into meat (as desired). Add barbecue sauce and mix well.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): calories 192, protein 25 g, carbs 4 g, fat 8 g

Periodized Macronutrient Breakdown

Weeks 1 and 2

Weeks 3 and 4

Weeks 5 and 6

Weeks 7 and 8