Success in achieving your training and body composition goals is eighty percent nutrition and twenty percent exercise. We debate about these exact percentages, but I think we can all agree that nutrition plays a bigger part in achieving our goals than most of us give it credit for.

I initially created these Mash for Gainz recipes for myself after being injured for nine months. I figured if I could get my nutrition figured out, it would aid my recovery and prevent any further losses.

How It Works

The following four Mash for Gainz recipes give you a head start on creating your own meals. You need three macronutrients in a main meal:

1. Carbohydrates – Your main source of energy
2. Protein – For growth and repair
3. Fat – For energy

The main macronutrient of the recipes is carbohydrates. We all need carbohydrates to function properly, so why not make this cheap, easy, and tasty?

The recipes are straightforward and can be easily adjusted to anyone – except for the people who hate sweet potato. Experiment with the recipes and throw in different herbs and spices. Making fresh food can be simple, so enjoy it and have fun.

Notes:

• The recipes should take about twenty minutes to prepare and cook.
• The recipes are very easy to follow and the ingredients can be bought at any supermarket.
• Sweet potato is a complex carbohydrate. It releases energy over a long period of time unlike simple carbohydrates (for example potatoes, white bread, and fruit). This steady release of energy will keep you from craving sweets.

Here are three easy steps to create your own meal:

1. Pick a recipe.
2. Pick your protein: chicken breast/leg, sirloin steak, pork loin, turkey breast, canned tuna, or salmon fillet.
3. Pick a mixture of low-carb vegetables: broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, kale, cucumber, peppers, watercress, or arugula.

Example:

Creamy sweet potato mash recipe

+

130g grilled sliced chicken breast

(Marinade: rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper)

+

100g broccoli and 50g baby plum tomatoes

Creamy Sweet Potato Mash

340kcal – Carbs: 48g Fat: 13g Protein: 6g

Ingredients:

• 200g sweet potato
• 100g spinach
• 100g red onion
• 40ml heavy cream
• 5g coconut oil
• 1 clove of garlic (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop sweet potato into small pieces (cm cubes).
2. Add to saucepan then add boiling water from the kettle.
3. Boil sweet potato for up to 10 minutes or until soft.
4. Finely chop red onions and spinach. Once the sweet potato is soft, add the red onions and spinach to the saucepan.
5. Boil for another 2-4 minutes then drain ingredients in a colander.
6. Replace ingredients into saucepan and mash it up.
7. Add heavy cream, coconut oil, 1 finely chopped glove of garlic or ground garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
8. Mix and mash it.
9. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

Sweet Potato and Mushroom Mash

340kcal – Carbs: 52g, Fat: 11g, Protein: 6g

Ingredients:

• 200g sweet potato
• 100g chestnut mushrooms
• 100g red onion
• 10g cashew nuts
• 1 tsp arrowroot (any supermarket sells it in the baking section)
• 20-40ml water
• 5g coconut oil
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop sweet potato into small pieces.
2. Add to saucepan then add boiling water from the kettle.
3. Boil Sweet potato for up to 10 minutes or until soft.
4. Preheat frying pan and add coconut oil.
5. Add finely chopped red onions and mushroom to frying pan. Let ingredient sweat and then add 1tsp of arrowroot with a 20-40ml of water.
6. Mix the arrowroot into the red onion and mushroom with a spoon until it starts thickening. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Then add crushed/ground cashew nuts and finely chopped rosemary to the frying pan.
7. Once the sweet potato is soft, drain it with a colander and replace it back into the saucepan.
8. Add the red onion, mushroom and cashew nut sauce to the saucepan.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Mix and mash it.
11. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

Sweet Potato and Beetroot Mash

395kcal – Carbs: 54g, Fat: 17g, Protein: 5g

Ingredients:

• 200g sweet potato
• 50g cooked beets
• 100g red onion
• 80g avocado
• Small handful of coriander
• 1/4 lemon – juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop sweet potato into small pieces.
2. Add to saucepan then add boiling water from the kettle.
3. Boil sweet potato for up to 10 minutes or until soft.
4. Finely chop red onions. Once the sweet potato is soft, add the red onions to the saucepan.
5. Boil for another 2-4 minutes then drain ingredients in a colander.
6. Return ingredients to the saucepan and mash it up.
7. Add sliced beets, avocado, finely chopped coriander, lemon juice to the saucepan.
8. Mix and mash it.
9. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Mash

326kcal – Carbs: 55g, Fat: 9g, Protein: 5g

Ingredients:

• 200g sweet potato
• 100g carrot
• 100g red onion
• 50ml heavy cream
• Handful of chive and basil
• 1/4 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Chop sweet potato into small pieces.
2. Add to saucepan then add boiling water from the kettle.
3. Boil sweet potato for up to 10 minutes or until soft.
4. Finely chop red onions and grate the carrot. Once the sweet potato is soft, add the red onions and grated carrot to the saucepan.
5. Boil for another 2-4 minutes then drain ingredients in a colander.
6. Return ingredients to the saucepan and mash it up.
7. Add heavy cream, 1/4 lemon juice, finely chopped chive and basil.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Mix and mash it.
10. Serve with some meat or fish with vegetables.

More Like This:

• Stuffed and Sexy: 3 Sweet Potato Recipes for Post-Workout Meals
• Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of YUM: 2 Paleo Treats for Athletes
• 7 Habits to Success: How to Achieve Your Nutritional Goals
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

The post Mash for GAINZ: 4 Simple Recipes for Performance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

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