Marathoner’s Meal

I created this meal while training for a half marathon; the fuel and nutrients it provides were unparalleled by anything else I was eating.

If this meal is outside of your budget, too high in Calories, or just takes too much time – fear not – I created a specific section below to navigate these hang-ups. It’s called “savvy alternates”. Give it a go.

This recipe is all about “putting it together”. There are essentially 3 of my recipes in this one meal (plus alternates).

Marathoner’s Meal

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 806kcal

Author: Dana Ketter

Cost: $4.45

Combine 3 favorite recipes into this harmonious blend of delicious nourishment.

Print Recipe

Equipment

• See Crispy Spirally Sweet Potatoes & Tangy Beet Salad, plus: mixing bowl, measuring cup and spoons, spoon, fork, skillet or grill

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Crispy Spirally Sweet Potatoes serves 6
• 1 recipe Tangy Beet Salad serves 6
• 1.5 lbs Grass Fed/Grass Finished Ground Beef organic
• 6 oz Goat Cheese burger topping

Beef Burger Flavoring

• 1.5 tbsp Lea & Perrins Reduced Sodium Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tbsp Chopped Garlic
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute Trader Joe's
• 2 tsp½ Black Peppercorn ground
• ½ Lemon
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil we like California Olive Ranch

Instructions

• Begin by preparing and cooking the beets for the Tangy Beet Salad. Next, create the Crispy Spirally Sweet Potatoes and bake them while preparing the remaining ingredients for the Tangy Beet Salad. Each of those recipes have in-depth instructions with time saving tips.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the "beef burger flavoring" ingredients.
• In a large bowl, add the ground beef and mix thoroughly with the flavoring blend.
• Form into 6-8 patties. Either cover and refrigerate until ready to cook them (no more than 4 hours) or fire up the grill.
• I often use a skillet to cook these with minimal or no added oil. If you go this route – flip regularly and ensure you don't turn the heat too high that the oils begin to smoke. If you suspect uneven cooking, turn down the temperature and cover intermittently.
• Timing Tip: When the spiralized sweet potatoes have about 20 minutes left to cook, I recommend grilling the beef patties. You can make the beet salad before hand and wait to combine the ingredients until you're ready to serve the salad.

Notes

WHOLE RECIPE: Total Calories – 4,836 .  Total Cost – $26.70  .  Grade – B  .  *Monthly Cost – $650

Note: If you have a history of cardiovascular disease or are on a low sodium diet, omit the beef burger and substitute my Black Bean Burger instead. This also helps save money and a few calories.

*This refers to the monthly grocery bill if TWO PEOPLE ate cumulatively 4,000 Calories per day, and only ate this meal all month long. If you’re running calculations for ONE person – divide the monthly cost in half.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Marathoner's Meal

Amount Per Serving

Calories 806 Calories from Fat 378

% Daily Value*

Fat 42g65%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 98mg33%

Sodium 475mg21%

Potassium 1784mg51%

Carbohydrates 71g24%

Fiber 14g58%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 33058IU661%

Vitamin C 25mg30%

Calcium 298mg30%

Iron 8mg44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Alternates:

You may be thinking there are so many calories here! Yes there are. Hence the name. Athletes training for incredible events like a marathon, half marathon or Iron Man need the extra energy.

Maybe you’re not training and so you’re looking for a few less Calories. Alternatively, you might just want a less expensive option or to feed more people. Here’s a table that breaks down a number of different ideas to help achieve your meal goal.

Plating: I love to layer this dish: crispy spirally sweet potatoes then goat cheese and topped with the burger. I prefer the salad on the side and sometimes on the same plate to save myself the trouble of washing extra dishes!

Here’s a table with external links for each recipe ingredient. As previously mentioned, prices vary per region, season, city, store and personal preference for brand or specific type of food item.

TJ’s = Trader Joe’s