A One-Pot Meat & Veggie Recipe for Weight Maintenance of Athletes During the Pandemic

The last few weeks has been really challenging for the sporting community world wide because of the COVID 19 pandemic. More so to the athletes who are suddenly restricted to doing home exercise regimens to at least maintain fitness level and body composition.

While my fueling prescriptions would vary per athlete, one goal that remains constant is the inclusion of whole-minimally processed foods to every meal. And like I always tell them, this situation is a good opportunity to prioritize nutrition, for they have more time to focus on eating healthy and learning skills to prep their meals on their own.

This potato-based one-pot dish is a great addition to an athlete’s meal because it is easy to prepare and the ingredients are readily available in any grocery store. Potatoes are a better option of starchy carbohydrate food during this time of limited physical activity in athletes as it is found to be more filling or satiating compared to other carbohydrate sources such as rice and pasta (1). Also, some studies have shown that when potato is eaten in mixed meals, less energy is consumed without offsetting calories in subsequent meals (2). Including potatoes in an athlete’s diet is also beneficial because they contain vitamins and minerals that are necessary for optimum exercise performance. Some of which are as follows:

• Iron - helps in maximizing oxygen delivery in the body and to the working muscles

• Vitamin B6 - helps in energy production

• Vitamin C - antioxidant, aids in collagen production, and supports iron absorption

• Potassium - an electrolyte needed for muscle function

This recipe is modified to reduce fat content serving as an excellent post-workout meal option with complex carbohydrates for efficient energy replacement and sufficient protein for muscle recovery.

Sharing with you my recipe for Giniling and Veggie Gisado.

Ingredients for 1 batch preparation:

• 1/2 kilo lean ground pork or beef

• 3 cloves garlic minced

• 1 small onion chopped

• 1 small carrot, diced

• 2 medium potatoes, diced

• 1/4 cup water or more

• 1/8 cup soy sauce

• 1 can garbanzos

• 1 can green peas

• 1 can sliced mushrooms

• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook ground meat on a non-stick skillet until no longer pink and meat juice and excess fat has come out (sometimes I add 1/4 cup water so fat more fat is removed from the meat).

2. Turn off heat then drain and discard meat juice/fat.

3. Return the pan to the stove then add garlic and onion. Cook over medium heat until garlic and onion are soft and fragrant and ground meat is light brown.

4. Add the carrots, potatoes, and water. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

5. Add the garbanzos, peas, and mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 minutes then season to desired taste.

6. Turn off heat and serve.

Hope you’ll try and enjoy this dish. Keep safe and stay strong!

References:

1. Zhang, Z et al. Subjective satiety following meals incorporating rice, pasta, and potato. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1739; doi:10.3390/nu10111739

2. Robertson TM et al. Starchy carbohydrates in a healthy diet: the role of humble potato. Nutrients 2018, 10, 1764; doi:10.3390/nu10111764

Full disclosure: This post was sponsored by Potatoes USA - Philippines, but all opinions stated above are my own.