Nutritious meals don't have to be boring.Haarala Hamilton
- Eating a high-protein diet makes fat loss easier and is crucial for building muscle.
- Prepping delicious meals in advance makes it almost effortless to hit your nutrition goals.
Hitting your fitness goals doesn't have to mean spending hours making unappetizing meals.
That's the message that Niall Kirkland, who publishes recipes as The Good Bite, wants to send with his new book "The Good Bite's High Protein Meal Prep Manual."
"I wanted to provide people with easy ways to eat what they love while getting all the nutrition they need to lead a healthy and active lifestyle," Kirkland wrote in the introduction of the book, which is out on December 28.
While calorie requirements vary depending on a person's goal, physique, genetics, and activity levels, both building muscle and losing fat require a high-protein diet, and achieving that can be made easier by meal-prepping.
Protein is satiating so helps keep you feeling full, as well as helping your muscles rebuild and recover after workouts. It's important for overall health too, providing the building blocks for essential functions such as the growth of cells and tissue.
"My recipes aim to take away the stress of not knowing which ingredients will give you what nutritionally and how to combine them to get the most out of your mealtimes," Kirkland said.
Kirkland shared three of the nutritionist-approved meals from his new cookbook with Business Insider.
Bang bang salmon rice bowl
Bang bang salmon rice bowl Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton
"This homemade bang bang sauce is sweet, creamy, and spicy," Kirkland wrote. "It can be used as a drizzle or dip in so many different recipes but it's perfect with these amazing air-fried salmon bites. Best served hot."
Serves four
Ingredients
4 x 120 gram (4 ounce) salmon filets, cut into large pieces
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning
½ tablespoon garlic granules
For the bang bang sauce:
To serve:
240 grams (1 ¼ cups) sticky jasmine rice
150 grams (1 cup) edamame
2 carrots, julienned
100 grams (¾ cup) radishes, thinly sliced
150 grams (2 cups) leafy green salad
Sesame seeds
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then drain.
3. Meanwhile, put the salmon pieces into a bowl and toss with the sesame oil, BBQ seasoning and garlic granules. Transfer to the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Alternatively, cook in a lined air fryer at 180°C for eight minutes.
4. Whisk together the bang bang sauce ingredients with two tablespoons of water and transfer to sauce pots.
5. Transfer the rice and salmon bites to airtight containers and add the edamame, carrots, radishes, and salad. Garnish with sesame seeds. This will keep in the fridge for up to four days.
Nutrition per serving: 669 calories, 63.8 grams carbs, 35.6 grams protein, 31 grams fat.
Cajun garlic parmesan alfredo
Cajun garlic parmesan alfredo Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton
This lighter, higher-protein twist on a classic Alfredo is one of Kirkland's most popular recipes. He said: "The double cream-based sauce is swapped out for one made with semi-skimmed milk and light cream cheese, and the addition of Cajun spices creates a delicious garlicky, herby, and cheesy pasta sauce that takes this dish to the next level."
Serves four
Ingredients
4 small chicken breasts (450–500g (15-18 ounces))
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, or more to taste
20 grams (1 ½ tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
300 milliliters (10 fluid ounces) semi-skimmed milk
3 tablespoons light cream cheese
200 milliliters (7 fluid ounces) hot chicken stock
300 grams (10 ounces) linguine, or similar pasta
75 grams (½ cup) Parmesan, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley
freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5).
2. Put the chicken breasts into a large baking dish with the oil and one tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Stir to coat, then bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Alternatively, cook in an air fryer at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion for five minutes until softened, then add the garlic and fry for a further two minutes.
4. In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk and cream cheese, then add to the pan along with the chicken stock. Simmer aggressively for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until reduced by half. If the milk starts to bubble over, reduce the heat so that it doesn't catch on the bottom.
5. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine until very al dente (around eight minutes), then drain, reserving the pasta water. Rinse the pasta under cold water until completely cooled, then fill the pan with cold water and place the pasta back in the saucepan.
6. Once the sauce has reduced and is a nice, thick, creamy consistency, stir in the remaining Cajun seasoning and remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan, dried parsley and plenty of black pepper, then stir to combine.
7. Transfer a small amount of the sauce to sauce pots for pouring over, then drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with a ladle of the pasta water. Toss to combine over a medium heat, adding more pasta water if needed.
8. Divide the pasta into airtight containers. Slice the chicken and add to the pasta, then garnish with fresh parsley. This will keep in the fridge for up to four days.
Nutrition per serving: 624 calories, 63.2 grams carbs, 50.9 grams protein, 20.4 grams fat
Miso ramen noodle jar
Miso ramen noodle jars Liz & Max Haarala Hamilton
"These noodle jars are one of those meal-prep hacks that will bring a smile to your face," Kirkland wrote. "Simply pack your chicken or tofu into jars along with miso paste, noodles and vegetables and store in the fridge. Then, all you need to do is add boiling water, give it a stir and tip it all out into a bowl."
Serves four
Ingredients
200 grams (7 ounces) dried egg noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
400 grams (1 ¾ cups) minced chicken or 1 x 450 (2 cups) gram block of firm tofu, crumbled
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
15 grams (2 tablespoons) fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons red miso paste
100 grams (3.5 ounces) mangetout (snow peas)
150 grams (½ cup) sweetcorn kernels
200 grams (7 ounces) bean sprouts
20 grams (1 tablespoons) sesame seeds
2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
chili oil (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles for three minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then add the chicken or tofu, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper and cook for five minutes, breaking up the chicken with a spoon, until browned. Add the soy sauce and cook for three minutes until it has been absorbed.
3. Divide the red miso paste among four jars, then add the mangetout, sweetcorn, bean sprouts, meat or tofu, noodles and sesame seeds. Put the spring onions, boiled eggs and chili oil, if using, into separate containers. Seal the jars and store in the fridge for up to four days.
4. Before eating, allow the jar to come to room temperature for 10 minutes before adding boiling water and stirring well. Pour the contents of the jar into a bowl and garnish with the spring onions, eggs and chili oil.
Nutrition per serving, with chicken: 430 calories, 45.5 grams carbs. 30.5 grams protein, 13.7 grams fat
With tofu: 432 calories, 47.3 grams carbs, 24.4 grams protein, 15.7 grams fat