A classic meal for athletes is planned in such a way as to limit the fat, and provide the right amount of protein and carbohydrates. Obviously meat is usually the highlight of any barbecue menu. It is easy to prepare and balance, after all it provides quite a lot of protein. Vegetarian and vegan barbecue can also be excellent at meeting the athletes’ needs. What to put on a barbecue menu?
Barbecue for athletes – what to cook on the grill when you are physically active?
When putting together a barbecue menu for a sports enthusiast, it is worth following a few simple and universal rules. Here are the seven most important rules:
- Marinate in (dark) beer rather than oil. Marinating meat in alcohol for 6 hours before putting it on the barbecue reduces the chance of potentially carcinogenic chemicals being formed during cooking by 40 percent compared to the same meat that wasn’t marinated.
- Don’t skimp on herbs and spices. Their anti-oxidant capacity reduces the harmful effects of grilled dishes a bit.
- When grilling vegetable products that are typically high in protein and are a must on the grill menu of any sports lover, it is a good idea to check the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). The closer it is to 1, the better “quality” of the vegetable protein. Tofu and tempeh work better than seitan.
- Make sure you have carbohydrate sides: bread, boiled potatoes that can be grilled faster, or salads with pasta.
- Prepare healthy and less caloric sauces: an alternative to the Tartar sauces, grilling sauces or BBQ sauces that you can buy in store.
- Avoid gulfing liquid calories during a barbecue: get the zero calorie versions of carbonated beverages or make a nice lemonade with water and some fruit.
- Grill plenty of vegetables in different ways to sneak some vitamins and anti-oxidants into your grilled meals.
What to cook on the grill for an athlete other than meat?
You already know the theory behind the perfect barbecue menu for an athlete. Now, it’s time for practice. Here are the most desirable products in a barbecue menu of an athlete and some simple and delicious ways to prepare them. Not a fan of a fat-soaked kielbasa or pork butt? Or, simply trying to avoid eating meat? Tofu and tempeh are vegetable products that are excellent for a barbecue. You can make them in a delicious marinate and adjust the tofu flavour to your liking. Both products are made of soy which has a high PDAAS.
Culinary tip: If you don’t like the tofu flavour and you want it to soak in as much marinate as possible, freeze it first, then defrost it and remove the excess water. That way, the tofu will become drier and it will soak in more marinate.
Ingredients:
- 1 piece of tofu (ca. 180 g),
- 1 tsp smoked paprika,
- 1 tbsp canola oil,
- a pinch of chili powder,
- 1 tbsp soy sauce,
- 1 tbsp lemon juice.
Preparation:
- Slice the tofu lengthwise. The slices cannot be too thin; ideally, they should be around 1-1.5 cm.
- Marinate the tofu slices in a mixture of: canola oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, smoked paprika and chili powder.
- Grill until it is fully cooked.
Macronutrients for the entire meal:
- Energy: 325 kcal
- Protein: 24 g
- Fat: 23 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
Remember! Vegetables are a staple on a healthy barbecue menu. It doesn’t matter whether the meals are to be eaten by professional athletes, gym fans, competitive runners or couch potatoes. A healthy barbecue menu is one with plenty of vegetables in it. Serve it as salads or grilled veggies. In addition to the classic zucchini and peppers, you can also grill:
- asparagus,
- boiled potatoes,
- carrots,
- broccoli,
- eggplant,
- cabbage,
- champignons and oyster mushrooms,
- corn cob, or
- cauliflower florets (left from the steaks).
Vegan grilled bean burgers – a portion of protein for athletes
Vegetable burgers are a crowd-pleaser and even the most demanding meat lovers will fall for them! Vegan and vegetarian burgers are an excellent barbecue idea. You can buy ready-made burgers in a vegan section at your local food store, in refrigerators, or you can make them on your own. However, many vegetable burger recipes are totally unsuitable for grilling. The ingredients do not blend well, and the mixture falls apart.
This is not the case with our black-bean and walnut burgers. They may not go well with some diets due to a higher content of (healthy) fat from walnuts. However, with the right side dishes they can make for a very nutritious meal.
Ingredients (2 burgers):
- 60 g plain rice (this is the rise mass after cooking),
- 50 g walnuts or hazelnuts,
- 1 tsp olive oil + some oil to brush the burgers,
- half an onion,
- spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper,
- 1 tsp honey,
- 100 g canned black beans,
- 1 tbsp breadcrumbs,
- 25 g ketchup or BBQ sauce.
Preparation:
- Roast the walnuts on a dry pan. Set the walnuts aside, and then put them in a blender to chop and grind them. Add honey and spices to the walnuts. Blend a little bit longer until the ingredients are combined.
- Chop the onion and glaze it with some oil.
- Mash the beans with a fork.
- Take a large bowl and add: the cooked rice, onion, beans, walnuts with the spices, ketchup and the breadcrumbs.
- Mix well until the ingredients are combined. You can regulate the texture by adding more ketchup if it is too dry or more breadcrumbs if it is too wet.
- Add the spices.
- Divide the mixture to form 2 burgers. Form the burgers and brush them with oil.
- Cook the burgers on the grill for about 3 minutes on each side. You can use the baking paper to grill them.
- Serve them with plenty of veggies and a good quality burger bun or a grilled portobello mushroom.
Macronutrients (1 burger):
- Energy: 325 kcal
- Protein: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fat: 20 g
Hint: You can use the burger mixture rollup and put it on skewers. This way, you will create smaller and lighter Arab vegan “kebabs”.
Grilled shashliks for athletes
If you are on a weight loss diet or have special dietary requirements, shashliks are the perfect meal. You can easily turn them into a vegan or vegetarian option. Alternately, you can add some meat, seafood or even a piece of fish to some. Here are vegetarian and vegan shashlik variations that will delight everyone:
- Pepper + eggplant + halloumi cheese + herbs de Provence
- Smoked tofu + zucchini + cherry tomatoes
- Boiled potato + champignons + garlic oil
- Mushrooms + tofu sweet chili + zucchini
- Eggplant + large olive + pepper + zucchini
- Pineapple + natural tofu + curry powder
- Onion + tempeh + pepper + hot paprika powder
- Boiled pumpkin + natural tofu + onion + cinnamon
- Pepper + zucchini + mushrooms + thyme oil
Our tasty proposals for shasliks with fish and seafood:
- Salmon + pepper + zucchini + garlic oil
- Shrimps + chili peppers + parsley oil
- Pineapple + salmon + sesame oil
- Fresh tuna + red onion + lemon slices
- Salmon + asparagus + lemon pepper
- Shrimps + zucchini + soy sauce with honey
Grilled vegetable steaks for athletes on a strict weight loss diet
Not all athletes have to consume plenty of protein, little fat and some energy-boosting carbohydrates. If you are working out simply to lose weight, all filling yet low-calorie meals will be important for you. In this case, all vegetable “steaks” which have been a big hit in recent years are an excellent choice. You can serve a cauliflower, a cabbage, an eggplant and other veggies in the form of a steak. Here’s the recipe for a classic cauliflower steak that is a real crowd-pleaser. Have it with a side of grilled tofu and a good salad, and you will get a low-calorie meal with enough protein to satiate hunger.
Ingredients:
- 1 cauliflower head,
- 20 ml olive oil,
- juice of ¼ lemon,
- 1 clove of garlic,
- a pinch of salt,
- a pinch of smoked paprika,
- a pinch of brown sugar,
- chili powder,
- a pinch of black pepper,
- a pinch of ground coriander.
Preparation:
- Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, pressed garlic and all spices together.
- Cut a “steak” out of the middle of the cauliflower head. Make it about 3 cm thick.
- Brush one side of the steak with a mixture of olive oil and spices.
- Grill the steak for about 5 minutes, the oil side first.
- Brush the other side of the cauliflower and turn it on the other side.
- Grill it for another 5 minutes.
High-protein grilling sauce for athletes
All grilling sauces are a huge calorie trap. Mayo-based sauces in particular can have more than 100 kcal in a spoonful. More often than not, “spending” your calories on a caloric sauce is not worth it. You can serve all grilled meals with a small amount of ketchup, mustard, horseradish or a protein garlic sauce shown below. You’d better make a double batch while you’re at it!
Ingredients:
- Light cottage cheese – 1 pack,
- ½ Skyr yoghurt,
- 3 cloves of garlic (or more),
- a handful of fresh herbs: dill, basil, parsley and thyme,
- a pinch of salt,
- a pinch of pepper,
- a pinch of curry powder, a pinch of smoked paprika or a pinch of nutmeg is optional.
Preparation:
- Give all the ingredients a good blend.
- Add your favourite seasonings.