By Burn Boot Camp
Lunch always seems to be the hardest meal of the day to consume something healthy. We are usually running out the door in the morning and by noon decide to pick up something quick—and most likely unhealthy—rather than preparing a lunch that will help us reach our health and fitness goals.
Personal trainers are always on-the-go too. To be successful, they have to practice what they preach. So how do they manage to balance their hectic lifestyle without constantly having to stop for fast food? Take a peek into these 11 personal trainers’ lunch boxes to see how they maintain clean eating on-the-go, and be sure to steal a few of their top tricks!
Cody Burns: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Verona, WI
What I eat: Turkey taco bowl made with lean ground turkey, taco seasoning, red peppers, spinach and diced sweet potatoes
Why I love it: It’s a perfect meal for both before or after my workout. Eaten as a pre-workout meal, the combination of high protein and complex carbohydrates fuels my muscles properly in order to dominate my workout. Eaten afterward, it helps replenish my glucose stores and repair and build my muscles optimally. And of course, it’s perfect for Taco Tuesday!
Cam Fields: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Louisville, KY
What I eat: Brown rice, roasted chicken and vegetables
Why I love it: I love the simplicity of it––quick and easy to meal prep a ton of it. I can also easily change the flavor every day by using different seasonings and spices based on what I’m in the mood for, so I never get bored of eating it. I always include nutrient-dense vegetables to help keep my energy levels high, along with lean proteins to help increase lean muscle mass.
Devon Braychovich: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Sandy Springs, GA
What I eat: Sweet potato mash with asparagus and cilantro lime chicken
Why I love it: I always break my fast post-workout, so it’s important for me to refuel with complex carbohydrates and lean protein. It helps kickstart my feeding period with a large, calorie-dense meal that doesn’t feel like it’s an absurd amount of food.
Bryson Rogers: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Elizabeth, NC
What I eat: ½ cup cooked brown rice, 5 chicken strips flavored with either a low-sodium dry rub or salsa and 1 whole cucumber with 2 tablespoons of hummus
Why I love it: It’s extremely easy to meal prep, taking me less than an hour to put together a few days’ worth of meals. I stick with eating raw vegetables to help save time. Sometimes I change up the flavor by adding either coconut aminos (a healthier version of soy sauce) or lime juice for an extra kick.
Caleb Greig: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp South Chandler, AZ
What I eat: A big mixed salad with 3 to 4 cups of spinach, shredded carrots, 1 cup of fruit (usually an apple or grapes), a serving of goat cheese and 8 to 10 ounces of chicken
Why I love it: I love eating a huge salad––loading my plate with a pile of vegetables makes it look like so much food! I love to eat, so having all that food while keeping the calories low and the nutrients high is something I look for in a meal. I also top it off with a vinaigrette, made with no added sugar or processed oils, of course!
Prudence Scott: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp West Raleigh, NC
What I eat: A huge salad made with spinach, any vegetables on hand, strawberries, salmon and avocado
Why I love it: I can toss it together in minutes, and it’s the best way for me to pack a few servings of vegetables into my day. Dinnertime is always crazy, between feeding my kids and training late at night, so it is important to me to have at least one really nourishing meal where I can sit down and thoroughly enjoy it.
Ian Beck: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Five Forks/Greenville, SC
What I eat: Stir-fried Brussels sprouts, red peppers, broccoli, sprouts and grass-fed beef or chicken. (I also love to sip on beet juice and munch on raw fruits and veggies while cooking.)
Why I love it: I regularly intermittent fast and do not eat my first meal until around 3PM. After fasting for a long period of time, it’s important for me refuel with high-quality foods. I always eat grass-fed beef or chicken because it’s higher in omega-3s, lower in unhealthy fats and much more nutrient-dense. And I always feel more rejuvenated when I break my fast with raw fruits and vegetables, giving my body a boost of energizing vitamins and minerals.
Lindsay Mattingly: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Woodstock, GA
What I eat: 1 egg over easy and 4 egg whites, made like an omelet, with goat cheese, spinach, tomato and sprouts, and 1 slice of toasted Ezekiel bread
Why I love it: I love eating breakfast for lunch because I don’t have time to enjoy my breakfast before training in the morning. It’s packed with protein and fiber, providing me with sustainable energy to power through the rest of my day. Combining high-quality protein with fiber-rich foods never fails to get me over that midday “slump.”
Stephanie Lovett Knoop: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Flower Mound, TX
What I eat: Chicken, squash, zucchini and red onion sautéed in coconut oil and seasoned with a little salt and pepper
Why I love it: It is not only filling, but it’s so delicious that my kids will eat it too. It also travels well, so if I need to make it ahead of time and eat it cold, it still tastes great. When I get home from the grocery store, I chop up all my vegetables before storing them in the refrigerator, so during the week I cut down on cooking steps when I have to quickly prepare lunch.
Becky Patterson: Head Trainer, Burn Boot Camp Tallahassee, FL
What I eat: Lean ground chicken with black beans and lime jalapeño jicama slaw
Why I love it: This is my favorite dish to meal prep because it’s extremely simple to make a huge batch that lasts the entire week. I love adding beans to my lunches because they add a boost of protein, provide a healthy complex carbohydrate packed with fiber and are inexpensive. This takes no time to prepare, and the lime jalapeño slaw adds a perfect kick of flavor without racking up any empty calories.
Devan Kline: CEO, Burn Boot Camp
What I eat: Free-range chicken breast and a sweet potato
Why I love it: I eat this pretty much every day! My life is crazy, so I love keeping my lunches simple. Plus, my sweet tooth is somewhat satiated by the sweet potato. I sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and I’m good to go!
Thanks for the healthy food ideas!
Figuring out what to eat has been the biggest challenge since I started this journey at burn boot camp- chapel hill, NC.
Head Trainer Steve and Trainer Charlie are awesome. They have continued with encouragement and persistence to keep me from giving up and not loosing focus of my goals! I look forward to working out every day when I get off work or when I wake up!
Thank you all very much for bringing
Burn Boot Camp to us here in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Sincerely greatful,
B. Brake
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are so happy you joined us on your health and fitness journey. We are 100% dedicated to empowering you with the knowledge you need to in order be the best you can be! Please email [email protected] to send in any suggestions you might have for upcoming blog posts!