Eating healthy is essential for performing at a high level on the mats. However, people usually have jobs, school, families, etc in addition to training BJJ. Cooking healthy meals is hard enough but having limited resources to do it can make it seem impossible. BJJ nutrition doesn’t have to be expensive though. There are tips and tricks to help you eat healthily and be a better grappler on a budget. Here’s how
What we eat is important and we all know that. However, in the age of convenience we live in, we often forget about eating right. We’re used to showing up at a place and getting food without even leaving our cars. True food is devalued in our eyes due to modern living standards. Luckily, those of us that train the Gentle art, get a wake-up call in terms of food. BJJ nutrition is just as important as BJJ conditioning and all other aspects of the BJJ lifestyle off the mats.  The basic things we rediscover thanks to grappling are how to eat right and that it actually feels better than eating conveniently.
One of the biggest arguments against eating healthy though is often the issue of finances. Apparently eating the way a human being is supposed to be a luxury in modern times. At least this is a common perception. When you’re looking to build a BJJ nutrition plan for yourself, the first thing you’re going to consider are, of course, expenses. IF you’re listening to people that enjoy their double cheeseburger too much, you’ll think that eating healthy requires a fortune. The truth is that BJJ nutrition on a budget is not only possible but preferable to eating junk food. Let’s look at the evidence.
Careful Planning
The first step in developing a budget for a BJJ nutrition plan is understanding what you need. In order to do that you have to know what you’re planning to put inside your body. The goal should be to use foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. It’s not about these foods’ magical properties in terms of nutritional value. What really counts is their digestibility and their overall effect on your health. So, you need to know how much of what you’re going to need. This is the first step of planning your BJJ nutrition plan. Furthermore, you have to know the price of every product you’re buying. The best thing is to buy in bulk as you’ll get the cheapest options. Also, make sure you know when your favorite supermarkets tend to give discounts on products you might use.
A crucial step of planning your nutrition is prepping. Since you’re buying in bulk you need to make sure you don’t let any of the products go to waste. When you look to prep meals it is best to try and prepare for the better part of a week beforehand. Also, remember to cook at least a couple of old-school home-cooked meals, particularly ones that are not dry. In today’s world, it is very easy to overeat dry and extremely processed food. Prep your grandma’s top two recipes and divide them accordingly for at least a couple of occasions during the week. If you buy in bulk and think beforehand you’re going to spend less than what you need to eat out for a week.
Choice Of Groceries
The painful truth is that buying healthy food is actually not cheap. Organic produce is among the most expensive food items available. This is because growing stuff is easier with a bunch of chemicals than growing them the old-school way. However, if you know how to plan, you can get around most of the traps the food industry sets for you and your wallet.
Speaking of financials, let’s assume you’re eating at McDonald’s a couple of times a day. That is going to be more expensive than eating real food you’ve cooked for sure. If your argument is that cooking takes time, look at what we said about meal prep. The cold hard truth is that BJJ nutrition requires you to think and put effort into it. It is not as easy as just walking in and ordering. However, you can do it with way less money and in record time if you develop proper habits.
Let’s see how certain real food products fare compared to fast food options out there:
- 10 large chicken breasts cost about $17
- 12 pounds of pork chops are around $27
- 5 lbs of minute Quaker Oats is $3.99.
- A 6 count of 12 oz. bags of steamable mixed vegetables is $5.88.
- 3 lbs of bananas are $1.38.
- A package of 2, 40 oz, jars of natural peanut butter is $9.18.
- 3.75 lbs of Sun-Maid raisins is $7.16.
This totals at around $72. Throw in a sack of potatoes and a box of rice and you’ll get to a $100. However, the number of meals you can cook with just these products are going to last you a lot longer than spending the same amount of eating out.
BJJ Nutrition On A Budget
A $100 might seem like a lot of money, but when you think about how many meals you can make, it turns out to be cheap. BJJ nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A breakfast of oats, raisins, peanut butter, and some fruit takes only minutes to make and will cost you less than $2.
A lunch, as per our example above, with a pound of chicken and some mixed vegetables is going to cost no more than $3-4. Not only that but if you prep properly you only have to reheat it. One day’s lunch of a full pound of chicken and two ounces of baby spring mix is less than $3. If you really want to switch things a dinner of pork chops and some potatoes to help you recover after training is also less than $4. Throw in a banana and perhaps some more peanut butter as a snack and you’re all set. That’s around $10 a day for 4 healthy, satiating meals. Mind you, you can prepare the food using any recipe you want.
The only trick is getting into the habit of carefully working on your BJJ nutrition plan. After you know what it takes to eat properly in a week, or in 10 days do the math. Make sure you know how much you’re going to need each month to stay within your budget while eating as clean as possible. Remember that the above is only an example. Feel free to use whatever ingredients and recipes you want as long as they’re as close to natural as possible.
George Lockhart’s Nutrition And Weight Management System DVD/Book/E-Book.Â
If you’re interested in getting much greater performance through nutrition and weight management there is one name that can’t be forgotten, George Lockhart! George Lockhart is the nutritionist and he’s the main UFC guy responsible for the weight cuts of UFC fighters.
George Lockhart finally released a book. Actually, a DVD, book, and e-book. Nutrition And Weight Management System DVD/Book/E-Book. And that’s the place where you will find simply everything you need for your healthy sports life. There is a lot of stuff. From managing your goal settings, proteins, carbs, fats, and overall dieting for every aspect of your sports life. Either you’re cutting weight or gaining weight George tried to incorporate it all there.
Related Articles:
The Ultimate 6 Ingredient Post-Workout Shake For BJJ
The Paleo Diet For A Sustainable BJJ Lifestyle
George Lockhart Nutrition & Weight Management System DVD/Book
