The first thing I notice when I start training again is the hunger. My stomach wakes up, the one sandwich I usually have for lunch gets eaten by about 9.45 in the morning, and by 10:15 I’m ready for three more. It can get expensive.
In an ideal world, I would prepare a lunch box, with a few sandwiches, a couple of snacks and peices of fruit and “graze” all day. That is the best way to do it, but with my schedule… I just can’t be bothered, so I stuff myself when I get a chance, and try to keep a bit of fruit on hand to fill in the gaps.
Here’s a good recipe for a bloke who needs to load up, and doesn’t like to spend much time cooking.
Get a wok, or a big frying pan, put a little olive oil in and turn up the heat. Throw in a can of red kidney beans, and stir them (or just leave them) until they smell like they are just starting to burn, then pour in a jar of pasta sauce, a tin of diced tomatos, and a tin of tuna on top. If you have them, a tin of those little mushrooms would be great too. (I think they’re called champions!) Mash up the tuna with a wooden spoon so the chunks aren’t too big. (Of course you should have drained the spring water, or oil from the beans and tuna.)
While this has been going on, you should have been boiling a medium saucepan full of soyaroni, or another wholemeal pasta. When the pasta is ready, spread it across the bottom of that casserole dish your mum gave you about 10 years ago. (It should be under the sink somewhere, and don’t forget to thank her. Incidentally mine was given to me by some old friends as wedding present. Thanks David and Patsy.)
Now pour the sauce over the pasta, spread it out, and grate enough cheese to sprinkle across the top.
Put it in the oven until the top starts to look a bit crusty, and eat. There should be enough for tomorrow night too if you used big enough cans.
The brown pasta has a higher glycemic index that white, so it will give you a longer source of energy, (I never eat white anything if i can avoid it) and will be less inclined to turn to fat while you sleep. The beans have iron, the tuna is really good for you for a whole lot of reasons, and tomatos and mushrooms are never a bad thing. I don’t mind the fat in the cheese either. In my opinion, eating fatty foods (in moderation) is highly underated.
Bon Appétit!