Good Food
type: channel
link: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com
date: 2025-10-13T12:40:52.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: 10 muscle-building recipes
items: 10 best bulking recipes
items: 10 best pre-workout meals
items: Vegetarian marathon meal plan
items: How to fuel your body like an athlete
items: What to eat during a swim
items: Marathon week vegetarian marathon meal plan - Race day
items: Marathon week vegetarian marathon meal plan - Friday
items: Marathon week vegetarian marathon meal plan – Thursday

10 muscle-building recipes
type: item
date: 2025-10-09T14:12:45.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Recipes
encoded: Muscle growth isn’t just built in the gym, it’s built in the kitchen too. To support strength and hypertrophy goals, meals should prioritise high-quality protein sources, sufficient calories, and nutrient-rich foods that help the body repair and rebuild, ideally within 2 hours post- training. Whether you're an athlete or recreational lifter, consistency is key, and your gains start in the kitchen. Muscle building is a long-term commitment and the right meals can keep you consistent and energised. These recipes offer variety, quality protein, and balanced macronutrients to support gains while keeping mealtimes enjoyable. Fuel smart, train hard, and keep building. 1. Harissa chicken traybake An easy, high-protein option that’s great for batch cooking. Chicken thighs offer a juicy protein source, while potatoes and veg round out the fuel and blend of micronutrients. 2. Beef & bean chilli bowl with chipotle yogurt Lean beef, kidney beans, and brown rice offer a complete mix of protein, fibre, and fuel - ideal post-workout or as a muscle-building meal prep staple. 3. Puy lentils with seared salmon A powerhouse of protein and omega-3s. Lentils boost the fibre and fuel content while helping you stay fuller for longer - perfect for those focusing on lean gains. 4. Low fat turkey bolognese A lighter take on a classic, this lean turkey version still delivers plenty of protein, while wholewheat pasta provides slow-release fuel to support recovery and muscle maintenance. 5. Squash, feta & bulgar wheat salad Plant-based proteins combined with slow-release fuel and healthy fats make this salad a muscle-friendly vegetarian option, great for a lighter meal or training day lunch. 6. Chicken & cashew noodles Lean chicken and healthy fats from cashews make this a great muscle-building meal. Serve with rice or noodles to hit those extra energy targets. 7. Smoky cod, broccoli & orzo bake A lean, protein-rich option perfect for athletes in a structured training phase. Cod is low in fat b…

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10 best bulking recipes
type: item
date: 2025-09-24T09:08:22.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: fitness and nutrition
subject: food to build muscle
subject: how to build muscle
description: Nutrition is key if you're bulking. Discover how to build muscle with these protein-rich meals that will help you hit your calorie goals.
encoded: When it comes to building muscle, consistently eating in a calorie (energy) surplus is key – but so is prioritising your nutrition. Bulking isn’t just about eating more – it’s about eating smart. That means meals rich in protein, healthy fats and nutrient-dense fuel to support the changes to your training and optimise body composition. Below are 10 recipes which do just that. We've included a mix of meat, veggie and fish options for you to add into your weekly meal plan. Discover the best pre workout meals, carb-loading explained and the best post workout meals. Plus, see more fitness and nutrition guides in our fitness & lifestyle hub. 1. Chicken & chorizo jambalaya High in calories and flavour, this one-pot dish is loaded with protein and a slow-releasing fuel source. Chorizo adds extra calories and a boost of flavour for those trying to increase intake. 2. Curried tofu wraps For a high-fibre, high-protein meal that's perfect for building muscle while following a vegan diet, these wraps are a smart choice. 3. Spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal A comforting vegetarian recipe that’s energy-dense and rich in protein thanks to lentils. Best served alongside rice for additional energy and fibre, this hearty meal is guaranteed to leave you feeling satisfied. 4. Peanut butter chicken rice bowl Packed with protein and healthy fats from peanut butter, this is a great calorie-boosting option that still feels good for you. Rice is as an easy to digest fuel, too. 5. Cottage pie with sweet potato mash Lean beef provides muscle-building protein while sweet potatoes provide nutrient-dense fuel. This is a great one to meal prep for bulking phases. 6. Creamy salmon pasta Rich in omega-3s, protein and great for boosting energy. The combination of salmon and the creamy pesto base helps raise the calorie content to help you hit your goals. 7. Lamb koftas with mint yogurt & flatbreads For a high-protein meal that's flavourful and energy-rich, these spiced lamb koftas with flatbreads …

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10 best pre-workout meals
type: item
date: 2025-08-04T14:19:57.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: Before exercise
subject: Fitness nutrition
subject: goodhealth
subject: pre workout meal
description: Discover 10 recipe ideas to fuel your body before training to maximise energy, sustain performance and support muscle maintenance
encoded: A well-balanced pre-workout meal can help you train harder, recover faster and feel stronger. Ideally, these meals should be eaten around two to three hours before exercise and contain a mix of carbs for energy and protein for muscle support. For early morning workouts or when appetite is low, lighter options or liquid nutrition can also be a great solution. Below are 10 recipes that tick those boxes: quick, tasty and effective. We’ve included a mix of hearty meals and light breakfast options for early risers. Discover the best muscle-building recipes, carb-loading explained, what is bulking and how to build muscle healthily and more fitness and nutrition guides in our fitness & lifestyle hub. Best pre-workout meals Pre-workout meals don’t need to be complicated – they just need to work for you. Choosing a consistent blend of carbohydrates and protein helps set you up for a strong, focused training session. With these easy, balanced recipes, including lighter breakfast ideas, you can fuel right and train with confidence. 1. Charred sweetcorn, red pepper & bulgur wheat pilaf This vibrant vegetarian pilaf offers a slow release of energy and is light yet satisfying, making it an ideal fuelling meal to eat before a workout. 2. Chicken burrito bowl This balanced bowl is rich in lean protein sources such as chicken and beans but also provides a slow-release, low-GI energy source from the brown rice. 3. Sweet potato tacos If you're looking for a plant-based way to support your body through a workout and reap maximum gains, try these filling tacos. Sweet potato provides a steady energy release, great for fuelling longer sessions. 4. Prawn & grain poke bowl Quick to prepare and ideal for training days, this is a light, energising pre-workout meal. Vibrant ingredients like mango and chilli, alongside protein, carbs and good fats, make this a light yet satisfying option. 5. Veggie-loaded flatbread Top shop-bought flatbread with chickpeas, tomatoes, feta, olives and tahini for …

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10 muscle-building recipes
type: item
date: 2025-07-22T08:57:09.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: fitness and nutrition
subject: food to build muscle
subject: goodhealth
subject: how to build muscle
description: Discover 10 recipes ideas to fuel your body before training to maximise energy, sustain performance and support muscle building
encoded: Muscle growth isn’t just built in the gym, it’s built in the kitchen too. Whether you're an athlete or recreational lifter, consistency is key, and your gains start in the kitchen. To support strength and hypertrophy goals (that's increasing muscle mass), meals should prioritise high-quality protein sources, sufficient calories and nutrient-rich foods that help the body repair and rebuild, ideally within two hours post-training. Muscle building is a long-term commitment so you need meals which can keep you feeling energised and consistent. The recipes below offer variety, quality protein, and balanced macronutrients to support gains while keeping mealtimes enjoyable. Your ethos should be: fuel smart, train hard and keep building. Discover what to eat if you exercise in the morning or in the evening. And what to eat for heavy training, normal training days and low-intensity and rest days. Plus, find out everything you need to know about protein and see more fitness guides in our fitness & nutrition hub. 1. Harissa chicken traybake An easy, high-protein option that’s great for batch cooking. Chicken thighs offer a juicy protein source, while potatoes, onions and tomatoes bring a blend of micronutrients. 2. Beef & bean chilli bowl with chipotle yogurt Lean beef, kidney beans and brown rice offer a complete mix of protein, fibre, and fuel - ideal post-workout or as a muscle-building meal prep staple. Serve with yogurt for another hit of protein. 3. Puy lentils with seared salmon A powerhouse of protein and omega-3 fatty acids thanks to the addition of salmon. Lentils boost the fibre and fuel content while helping you stay fuller for longer - perfect for those focusing on lean gains. 4. Low-fat turkey bolognese A lighter take on a classic, this lean turkey version still delivers plenty of protein, while wholewheat pasta provides slow-release fuel to support recovery and muscle maintenance. 5. Squash, feta & bulgar wheat salad Plant-based protein, slow-release energy and …

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height: 836

Vegetarian marathon meal plan
type: item
date: 2025-04-02T13:50:12.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Health
subject: goodhealth
subject: James Collins
subject: Sarah Lienard
description: What does an optimal vegetarian marathon diet look like? Discover what sports nutritionist James Collins recommends to eat in the week leading up to the race
encoded: Whether you're running your very first marathon or you're trying to improve your personal best, getting your nutrition right is key to maximising performance on the day. We've worked with James Collins, elite performance nutritionist, to bring you a vegetarian marathon meal plan aimed at the seven days leading up to race day. Below you'll find links to each of the days explaining suggested nutrition strategies, as well as meal and snack recipes and ideas to help you stay on top of your nutrition all week. We've also included some training suggestions from the TCS London Marathon beginner's training plan, which gives you an idea of how much running and rest you should be getting in the week leading up to the marathon. Not vegetarian? Try our other marathon meal plans: Basic marathon meal plan Vegan marathon meal plan Gluten-free marathon meal plan Check out the London Marathon's training and meal plans. Want to run the 2026 TCS London Marathon? Head to the TCS London Marathon website to find out everything you need to know about the ballot. Vegetarian marathon meal plan – Monday Get your marathon nutrition right with our vegetarian meal plan for the week before the race. Monday's focus is on quality protein, healthy fats and carbs. Monday's meal plan Vegetarian marathon meal plan – Tuesday Maximise your marathon performance by nailing your running nutrition in the week before the race. Discover what to eat on Tuesday of our vegetarian meal plan. Tuesday's meal plan Vegetarian marathon meal plan – Wednesday Give your body all it needs in the week before the marathon with our vegetarian running meal plan. Discover why protein-rich foods are key on Wednesday. Wednesday's meal plan Vegetarian marathon meal plan – Thursday Our expert shares his vegetarian meal plan for the week before the marathon. Thursday is centred around high-quality protein and increased carbohydrate intake. Thursday's meal plan Vegetarian marathon meal plan – Friday Forty-eight hours of carb-loading…

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How to fuel your body like an athlete
type: item
date: 2024-07-17T16:06:30.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Health
subject: Eat like an athlete
subject: goodhealth
subject: healthy diet
subject: James Collins
subject: performance foods
subject: sports nutrition
subject: what to eat before a workout
subject: workout food
description: Leading performance nutritionist James Collins explains how to use food as fuel to increase your energy levels, no matter what your work and exercise schedule looks like
encoded: Professional sportspeople think about food in a different way to the rest of us. Food is fuel for their bodies: the energy supply to ensure they can perform at their peak. We asked leading performance nutritionist, James Collins, to run us through his nutritional principles to help keep energy levels high throughout the day. As an elite sports nutritionist, James's has worked with some of the highest performing people on the planet, including Arsenal FC, the England and France national football teams and Team GB. Below, he explains his simple food principles that all of us can follow to be at our best. He believes nutrition should proactively fuel your body to meet the day's demands, not just eating what you are used to based on old habits. Discover what to eat if you exercise in the morning or in the evening. And what to eat for heavy training, normal training days and low-intensity and rest days. What to eat to improve daily performance The meals you eat positively or negatively affect your energy levels and the results you get from training so it’s important to have a simple process to build each meal, depending on our needs. The process which athletes use is one you can acquire and use for meal-planning throughout the day too, from when you're queuing in the staff canteen at lunchtime, to browsing the supermarket aisles or looking through the cupboards at home. It's based upon what your body requires, not what you are used to doing, because you aren’t simply working towards having a meal – you are building a 'performance plate'. Performance plates provide a simple solution to following the right principles at the right times. Ensuring these principles are followed for each meal delivers what they require with minimal effort. How to build your meals Putting together your own performance plate is a four-part process. At football clubs they set up the restaurant so that players pass each food station in the same order, adding a serving of each to their plate. This …

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What to eat during a swim
type: item
date: 2024-04-09T15:02:59.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
subject: Roxanne Fisher
description: When do you need to start refuelling during swimming sessions and what should you refuel with? Elite sports nutritionist James Collins answers all your questions on poolside nutrition.
encoded: When should you start refueling during swimming sessions, and what should you refuel with? Elite sports nutritionist James Collins answers all your questions about poolside nutrition. If you are training to swim competitively, longer swims may require you to fuel during your session. If you're a recreational swimmer it's unlikely you'll have to worry about eating during a swim, though you might want to consider hydration. Next, discover what to eat before a swim and after a swim as well as the best exercise to burn fat, top tips on staying hydrated and how much protein you need to build muscle. What about refuelling during a swim? As it's difficult to eat during a swim, the focus should be on fuelling before training to maintain your energy. For endurance training (over an hour) or high-intensity sessions, taking on small amounts of carbs may help to maintain performance. The focus of these should be around carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drinks (or gels), which are rapidly absorbed in the gut. New research shows that even taking on small amounts of a carb-based sports drink or using it as a mouth rinse, helps to activate the brain and potentially improve motivation - this may be a useful strategy for later in your swim, when you can’t face taking on too much. As the response is very individual, if you choose to use these products be sure to practice this strategy during training. How do I stay hydrated? Staying hydrated is an important consideration when swimming, as often temperatures in the pool and out are warm and humid. This makes sweat loss (and overall hydration status) difficult to determine, as swimmers are already wet from the pool. However, you should bear in mind that if you lose as much as 2% or more of your body mass (e.g. 1kg for a 50kg athlete) through fluid loss, this may negatively affect performance and concentration, and put additional strain on your body making training feel harder. Regular swimmers should try to estimate their sweat rates. Thi…

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Marathon week vegetarian marathon meal plan - Race day
type: item
date: 2024-03-05T13:24:18.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
subject: James Collins
subject: Marathon
subject: meal plan
subject: Sarah Lienard
subject: Vegetarian
description: Discover what to eat on the day of the marathon with our expert vegetarian meal plan, plus how to kick-start recovery once the race is finished
encoded: In order to have enough energy for the race and to support your muscles through recovery after, it's important to fuel correctly before start time, during the race and once you cross the finish line. It's crucial to stay hydrated, too. To find out more, read our guide on what to eat after a run. Want to run the 2026 TCS London Marathon? Head to the TCS London Marathon website to find out everything you need to know about the ballot. This is day seven of our week-long vegetarian marathon meal plan. Below, you'll find suggestions what to eat and how much training you should do. For a full 16-week plan, have a look at the London Marathon's training programme. Check out all the London Marathon's training and meal plans. Race day nutrition: The big day is here. Breakfast provides the final opportunity to top up fuel stores ahead of the race. The most important thing is to stick to your plan here, selecting a breakfast you have eaten before and are comfortable with. If you are travelling for the race, remember to plan ahead and choose an option that will be available in the hotel – or take it with you. Often the biggest mistakes are trying to eat too much the day before and feeling uncomfortable on the morning of the race. Remember, your increased carbohydrate intake over the last few days will have been stored as fuel, so you will be ready to race. Post-race, the priority is to refuel. A drink is a great option to provide some carbohydrate, water and protein, which will kick-start the repair process. This is then followed up with the meals, which can also be a treat to share with friends and family who have supported you. Breakfast Orange & raspberry granola or poached eggs with smashed avocado & tomatoes While these are both great options, remember to choose a breakfast that you have tried before a race in the past and works well for you. Snack during the race Water and easily digested carbohydrates from sports drinks, gels or jellied sweets are best – aim for something…

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Marathon week vegetarian marathon meal plan - Friday
type: item
date: 2024-03-05T12:42:28.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
subject: James Collins
subject: Marathon
subject: meal plan
subject: Sarah Lienard
description: Forty-eight hours of carb-loading begins here. Get ready to run a marathon with our sports nutritionist's week-long meal plan for vegetarian runners
encoded: Contrary to previous beliefs, the week before the marathon isn’t all about piling on the pasta. In fact, to maximise carbohydrate (fuel) stores before the race, runners only need to start 'fuelling up' or 'carb-loading' two or three days before the race (three days if you prefer slower increase in your daily intake). Read more in our guide to carb-loading. With an increase in the number of runners following a vegetarian diet, we have put together a plan for a week's worth of meals leading up to the marathon. A well-structured vegetarian diet should deliver the main macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) required during training, but vegetarians should also make sure they are getting enough iron and B12 (both important for energy production). While these recipes provide a good framework, there will also be times where an extra serving of higher-protein foods (such as dairy, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds) can be added to meals to increase the overall daily intake. As a general rule, what you eat should be different depending on the training demands for that day (or when you are preparing for the race itself) to promote sufficient fuelling and recovery. Discover what to eat on different training days with our training meal plans for runners. Check out the London Marathon's training and meal plans. Want to run the 2026 TCS London Marathon? Head to the TCS London Marathon website to find out everything you need to know about the ballot. This is day five of our week-long vegetarian marathon meal plan. Below, you'll find suggestions what to eat and how much training you should do. For a full 16 week plan, have a look at the London Marathon's training programme. Friday training: 20 mins easy run Friday nutrition: Forty-eight hours of carb-loading begins here! This doesn't mean grazing on carbohydrate-rich foods all day, but instead, try to focus on including carbohydrate sources in each meal and snack. As you can see from the options, it can be very enjoyable. Even…

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Marathon week vegetarian marathon meal plan – Thursday
type: item
date: 2024-03-04T15:50:16.000Z
creator: James Collins – Performance nutritionist
subject: Fitness
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: Exercise
subject: goodhealth
subject: James Collins
subject: Marathon
subject: meal plan
subject: Running
subject: Sarah Lienard
subject: sports nutrition
description: Our expert shares his vegetarian meal plan for the week before the marathon. Thursday is centred around high-quality protein and increased carbohydrate intake
encoded: Contrary to what you may have heard, the week before the marathon isn’t all about piling on the pasta. In fact, to maximise carbohydrate (fuel) stores before the race, runners only need to start 'carb-loading' two or three days before the race (three days if you prefer a slower increase in your daily intake). Read more in our guide to carb-loading. With an increase in the number of runners following a vegetarian diet, we have put together a plan for a week's worth of meals leading up to the marathon. A well-structured vegetarian diet should deliver the main macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) required during training, but vegetarians should also make sure they are getting enough iron and B12 (both important for energy production). While these recipes provide a good framework, there will also be times where an extra serving of higher-protein foods (such as dairy, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds) can be added to meals to increase the overall daily intake. Earlier in the week, it may be useful to start including snacks to train the gut in preparation for increased carbohydrate intake in the days leading up to the race. As a general rule, what you eat should be different depending on the training demands for that day (or when you are preparing for the race itself) to promote sufficient fuelling and recovery. Discover what to eat on different training days with our training meal plans for runners. Check out the London Marathon's training and meal plans. Want to run the 2026 TCS London Marathon? Head to the TCS London Marathon website to find out everything you need to know about the ballot. This is day four of our week-long vegetarian marathon meal plan. Below, you'll find suggestions what to eat and how much training you should do. For a full 16 week plan, have a look at the London Marathon's training programme. Also check out our best running hydration vests. Thursday training: Rest Thursday nutrition: Carbohydrate intake remains raised on Thursday, in prepar…

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