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35 episodes

Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition

Simple meals, meal prep, and what to eat before and after workouts.

From Nikkiey Stott and the WarriorBabe coaching team · Updated Oct 25, 2026

You know protein matters and you know lifting changes your body, but at lunchtime you are standing in a gas station hunting for something that looks healthy, or at the end of a long day you order takeout because you are too tired to think about dinner. Maybe you lift first thing in the morning on an empty stomach because there is no time to eat. On The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey Stott treats this as a planning problem, not a willpower problem. When food decisions are left to the last minute, a tired brain reaches for whatever is easy and familiar.

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The full guide

The show's answer is to make food simple. Nikkiey openly says she doesn't love cooking. In Simple Meal Prep Ideas With 5 Ingredients or Less, she explains that she only preps her protein, which takes about 25 minutes, and everything else comes from a bag or the pantry: microwave brown rice, tortillas, bagels, oatmeal, fruit. In Is Eating the Same Meals Every Day Good for Fat Loss?, she makes the case that repetition builds rhythm, rhythm builds consistency, and consistency builds results. If boredom worries you, keep the base of each meal the same and change the sauces, seasonings or cooking method.

The second theme is fuel. Nikkiey's position is that you shouldn't train on an empty stomach if you want to build muscle. In What to Eat Before and After a Workout to Build Muscle, she explains that carbohydrates give you the energy to lift challenging weight and protein supports recovery, while fats and large amounts of fiber are better kept small before training. Her go-to options are as simple as a banana and a protein shake, or oatmeal cooked with egg whites in the microwave. After training, she recommends protein and carbs to repair muscle and refill glycogen. What to Eat After a Workout for Muscle Recovery adds 20 to 40 grams of high-quality protein and a reminder that hitting your daily targets consistently counts for more than the exact minute you eat.

Protein anchors every meal. In How Much Protein Do Women Over 40 Really Need?, Nikkiey gives a target of 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight and explains why spreading it across three or four meals beats saving it for dinner. If you are cooking for people who eat differently, How to Eat Healthy When Your Family Eats Differently shows you how to cook components separately so everyone builds their own plate, with protein at the center.

Where to start: if meal prep is new to you, begin with Meal Prep for Beginners: How to Save Time and Stay on Track, then move to How to Meal Prep Faster: A Week of Food in Under an Hour once you have the basics. If you already prep but your training feels flat, start with What to Eat Before and After a Workout to Build Muscle. Pick one change, practice it, and build from there. As Nikkiey puts it, this is about progress, not perfection.

What women ask

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  • Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition

    Should I eat before a morning workout?

    Yes. On The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey says to eat something before you lift, however early. A small protein-and-carb snack is enough, like a banana and a protein shake. Dr. Stacy Sims suggests about 15g protein and 30g carbs. Then have a real breakfast with protein and carbs 30 to 45 minutes after training.

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  • Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition

    How do I meal prep when I cook for my family?

    You don't need separate meals. Nikkiey recommends cooking modular components, a protein, a carb and a vegetable, in one session. Everyone builds their own plate, and you build yours heavy on protein and vegetables. Your family adds butter, cheese or sauces, and you adjust your portions and sauce choices to fit your macros.

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  • Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition

    How soon after a workout do I need to eat?

    You don't need to rush a shake within 30 minutes. On Ep. 364, Nikkiey explains that the post-workout window is real but wider than people think, with muscle protein synthesis elevated for up to 24 to 48 hours. She recommends a protein-containing meal within about an hour to an hour and a half after training, and never four hours later.

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  • Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition

    How long should meal prep take?

    Meal prep should take about 30 minutes to an hour, according to Nikkiey, and under 45 minutes to an hour even when you're cooking for a family. It should not take two or three hours. At first she suggests blocking one to two hours, because it gets faster each time you repeat it.

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  • Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition

    What should I eat after a workout?

    After a workout, eat a protein source plus carbohydrates. Nikkiey explains that protein supplies the amino acids that repair and rebuild the muscle you broke down, while carbs refill depleted glycogen. Broadly, she suggests 20 to 40 grams of quality protein, ideally within about 30 minutes, with fast-digesting carbs like rice, sweet potatoes or fruit.

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Every Meal Prep & Workout Nutrition episode

Common questions

What should I eat before a workout?

In What to Eat Before and After a Workout to Build Muscle, Nikkiey Stott recommends carbs for energy plus protein, keeping fat and fiber low. Complex carbs like oatmeal or whole wheat toast work 60 to 90 minutes before training, and simple carbs like fruit, rice cakes or an English muffin 30 to 60 minutes before.

What should I eat after a workout?

Nikkiey recommends protein and carbohydrates after training, such as chicken and sweet potatoes or a whey shake with frozen fruit. In What to Eat After a Workout for Muscle Recovery, she suggests 20 to 40 grams of high-quality protein, a 3:1 or 4:1 carb-to-protein ratio, and leaving fat out of that meal.

Do I need to eat within 30 minutes after training?

Nikkiey coaches a 30-minute window in What to Eat Before and After a Workout to Build Muscle, while How Much Protein Do Women Over 40 Really Need? explains the window is real but much wider than 30 minutes. Either way, she stresses that hitting your daily macros consistently over weeks and months matters more than the exact minute.

Is it okay to lift weights on an empty stomach?

Nikkiey's view, explained in How to Build Muscle After 40: What Actually Works, is that lifting fasted puts you in a catabolic state that works against muscle building. If you intermittent fast, she suggests doing your resistance training inside your eating window.

How long should meal prep take?

In How to Meal Prep Faster, Nikkiey preps a full week of food in under an hour by starting the protein first and using every burner, the oven and other appliances at once. In her five-ingredient approach she preps only her protein, which takes about 25 minutes.

How do I meal prep when my family eats differently?

Nikkiey suggests cooking components separately so everyone builds their own plate, with protein as the anchor of every family meal. She also recommends modular dinners you portion differently for yourself, plus prepped or frozen protein for nights when dinner doesn't go your way.

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