{"id":64539,"date":"2018-01-08T11:15:14","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T16:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=64539"},"modified":"2018-03-19T22:28:52","modified_gmt":"2018-03-20T02:28:52","slug":"healthy-dinner-ideas-trainers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/healthy-dinner-ideas-trainers\/","title":{"rendered":"What 8 Busy Trainers Really Eat for Dinner"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"8
Photos: Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you\u2019re coming home from a tough day, the last thing you want to do is plan, prep and cook dinner. Especially <\/em>if you just made it through an intense HIIT<\/a>, spin or yoga class. And your trainer feels the same way. They\u2019ve been cheering you on, busting out push-ups right alongside you, and running from one class to the next. So what do they like to eat after a full day of workouts? Something healthy, of course, that\u2019s also rich in complex carbohydrates<\/a> for replenishing glycogen stores and lean protein for re-building muscles.<\/p>\n

To help you eat like a pro, we turned to some top instructors to share their favorite weeknight dinner ideas. And if you\u2019re too beat to cook, check out their tips for healthy take-out or using prepared foods from the supermarket. Yes, trainers coming straight from the gym do it, too.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What Trainers Really Eat When They Dine Out<\/a><\/p>\n

8 Easy Dinner Ideas from Top Trainers<\/h3>\n
\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Stacey Kenealy; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Stacey Kenealy<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Trainer at Studio10 in West Hollywood, CA
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Stir-fries
\nStir-fries<\/a> fit the bill for something with simple, nutritious and flavorful that\u2019s ready in 20 minutes or less. \u201cI toss ginger, basil, parsley, garlic, tamari soy sauce, oyster sauce, fresh lime and roasted silvered almonds with as many veggies as I can fit! I put it all over brown rice. It\u2019s not only quick and easy, making it perfect for those busy days when I\u2019m on the go, but it\u2019s packed with nutrients from the veggies,\u201d Kenealy says.<\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Dean Sheremet; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Dean Sheremet<\/a><\/h3>\n

Daily Burn 365 trainer and instructor at Body Space Fitness in New York City
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Grain bowls
\nGrain bowls<\/a> are a great way to mix and match veggies, your favorite grain and the protein of your choice. \u201cI\u2019ll do brown rice bowls<\/a> with broiled salmon and seaweed,\u201d Sheremet says. \u201cOr, I\u2019ll have some avocado and veggies. I\u2019ll take a look at what I have in the fridge and kind of just throw things together, but it\u2019s always some version of a healthy bowl<\/a>.\u201d According to the USDA MyPlate recommendations<\/a>, grain bowls are also helpful for practicing portion control and keeping your nutrition in check.<\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Bergen Wheeler; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Bergen Wheeler<\/a><\/h3>\n

National director of talent development at Exhale and co-developer of the HIIT 30 class
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Teriyaki chicken or salmon with sweet potatoes
\nSometimes the best dinners are the ones that keep things simple. And Wheeler\u2019s Sunday meal prep routine is as easy as can be: sweet potatoes<\/a> and chicken. Step one: Broil sweet potatoes with salt and pepper. Step two: Marinate chicken or salmon with her favorite sesame teriyaki sauce from Whole Foods. \u201cWhen I\u2019m ready to have dinner on a weeknight, I serve these foods over a bed of arugula. The meal contains a nice mix of complex carbohydrates, protein and vegetables. For dessert, I like something sweet but nutrient-dense, so I grab dried fruit, dates, figs or mango,\u201d Wheeler says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>30 Healthy Chicken Recipes That Don\u2019t Suck<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Lacey Stone; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4.\u00a0Lacey Stone<\/a><\/h3>\n

Celebrity trainer on E!\u2019s Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Sashimi
\nDon\u2019t have time to whip something up in the kitchen? It\u2019s OK to turn to takeout. But choose wisely. Stone opts for protein- and omega-3<\/a>-rich salmon. \u201cI go for sashimi because it\u2019s an excellent source of protein, which helps build and repair my muscles to be the best they can be for everything I do in and outside the gym,\u201d Stone says. \u201cI order three sashimi salmon, three sashimi albacore tuna, one salmon avocado hand roll with brown rice, seaweed salad and miso soup. This sounds like a lot of food but it\u2019s not! It\u2019s super healthy, low-calorie, easy to digest and filling,\u201d she says. \u201cThough miso soup sometimes gets a bad rap for its salt content<\/a>, I make sure to pair it with low-sodium foods to balance it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Erin Oprea; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Erin Oprea<\/a><\/h3>\n

Fitness trainer and author of The 4 x 4 Diet: A Hearty One-Pan Meal
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Scrambled eggs and saut\u00e9ed veggies
\nWho says you can\u2019t enjoy breakfast for dinner? After all, there are six grams of protein in one egg. Go the Whole 30 route<\/a> and do as Oprea does with a big plate of scrambled eggs. \u201cI love scrambled eggs with saut\u00e9ed veggies, crunchy oven-roasted spicy almonds and Sriracha. I use two egg whites for every whole egg in my scramble. I add in cherry or grape tomatoes, saut\u00e9ed broccoli and mushrooms \u2014 sometimes avocado as well,\u201d Oprea says. \u201cThis meal gives my body the protein it needs to recover post-exercise.”<\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Stephanie Mansour; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Stephanie Mansour<\/a><\/h3>\n

Health and fitness expert and CEO of Step It Up with Steph
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Veggies and meatballs
\nIf you\u2019re looking for another way to use up your ground turkey<\/a> or chicken besides burgers and taco meat, consider meatballs. They not only make easy and healthy one-pot meals<\/a>, they\u2019re an excellent source of lean protein and blends well with a variety of spices. \u201cI take two different types of veggies \u2014 I always have pre-cut veggies in my fridge, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bags of spinach, cubed butternut squash and beets \u2014 and then one protein. [That\u2019s] usually four ounces of salmon, a medium-sized chicken breast, or a couple of pre-made turkey meatballs,\u201d Mansour says.<\/p>\n

And when she\u2019s feeling unmotivated to cook? Mansour takes already cooked protein and a couple of veggies, and heat them together in the microwave for two minutes. \u201cAs a private weight loss coach for women, this is what I recommend for my private weight loss clients, too,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>10 Healthy Pork, Turkey and Beef Recipes You\u2019ll Drool Over<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Harry Hanson; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Harry Hanson<\/a><\/h3>\n

Owner of Hanson Fitness
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Ground beef with brown rice
\nWhile beef is higher in saturated fat than salmon or chicken, lean cuts of meat are a good source of filling protein and iron<\/a> \u2014 a nutrient many athletes lack. Hanson makes sure he meets his daily iron quota<\/a> with ground beef and a side of leafy greens, which are also an excellent source of the nutrient. \u201cAfter a busy day and workout, I cook up ground beef and mix it with either brown rice, or serve it alongside a green salad with one tablespoon of oil and as much vinegar as I\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dinner
Photos: Courtesy of Keri Anderson; Twenty20<\/a><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. Keri Anderson<\/a><\/h3>\n

Life Time trainer
\n<\/em>Weeknight meal: <\/strong>Protein smoothie
\nFor Anderson, pulling out her blender is better than reaching for the takeout menu. If she gets home late and wants to be in bed in an hour, she\u2019ll make herself a protein-rich smoothie<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ll toss in some unsweetened vanilla almond milk, vanilla protein powder<\/a>, strawberries, cottage cheese and ground flax seeds. This mix tastes like strawberry cheesecake! It\u2019s easy for my body to digest, so it\u2019s the perfect meal replacement right before bed or whenever I just don\u2019t feel like cooking,\u201d Anderson says.<\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>15 Genius Meal Prep Ideas from Top Trainers<\/a>
\n10 Healthy Snack Ideas, Stolen from Top Trainers
\n<\/a>What Trainer Really Drink at Happy Hour<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coming up with healthy dinner ideas isn\u2019t easy, especially after a long day at the office and gym. So we tapped top trainers to share their quick weeknight meals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":64559,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[201,155,292,71,135,80,341,388],"class_list":["post-64539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-carbohydrates","tag-dinner","tag-meal-prep","tag-nutrition","tag-post-workout","tag-protein","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/71"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64539\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}