F45 Meal Prep

F45-style training is a 45-minute circuit format alternating resistance and cardio stations in a group setting. It is short, frequent and time-pressured, which makes the nutrition problem practical rather than exotic: most members train three to five times a week around work, and the meals that decide their results are the ones eaten in the 30 minutes after class. Keep protein consistent, keep total energy matched to your goal, and put carbohydrate around your hardest sessions.

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What F45-style training actually demands

The defining features are short duration, station-based circuits mixing resistance and conditioning, and high weekly frequency. Because sessions are brief, single-session fuelling is rarely the limiting factor — weekly consistency is.

Where people go wrong is at the edges: training early on nothing and then eating nothing until 11am, or finishing an evening class starving with no food in the house.

• 45 minutes of alternating resistance and cardio stations, often with short work-to-rest ratios.
• Attendance is typically high frequency, so cumulative recovery matters more than any single class.
• Resistance stations create a real, if moderate, muscle-building stimulus — protein counts.
• Class timing, not macronutrient detail, is the dominant real-world constraint.

What the evidence says

There is no meaningful body of F45-specific nutrition research, and this page will not invent one. What applies is general evidence: the ISSN position stand supports roughly 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day of protein for exercising people, and pooled resistance-training data show benefits of added protein plateauing near 1.6 g/kg/day.

For the conditioning stations, carbohydrate availability supports high-intensity work (PMID 42070893), and a systematic review of high-intensity functional training describes the mixed aerobic-anaerobic stress of this style of session while noting the limited quality of nutrition research in it.

How strong is this evidence? Branded challenge programmes often bundle aggressive calorie targets with class attendance. Those targets are marketing constructs, not validated protocols — be cautious, and get individual advice before following an aggressive deficit.

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A practical eating framework

Before an early class

• Little or nothing is fine for most people at 45 minutes. A small carbohydrate snack helps if you feel flat.

After class

• Protein plus carbohydrate. For 6am classes this is breakfast; for evening classes it is dinner, and it should already exist.

Across the week

• Protein at every meal is the single highest-yield habit.
• Match total energy to your goal rather than trying to out-train an unplanned diet.

Real SmashMeals examples

Real SmashMeals menu-snapshot items with published macros — protein-forward plates that reheat quickly, which is the whole game for a 45-minute-class schedule. Menu availability rotates weekly.

Saved catalog examples; recipes and nutrition may change before a meal is offered again.

• Turkey Taco Cauliflower Bowl — 7 oz — 300 cal, 38g protein, 8g carbs, 15g fat — Lean seasoned turkey served over cauliflower rice with peppers, onions, salsa, and a light sprinkle of cheese. Big taco flavor in a smaller, lower-carb bowl.
• Lemon Herb Chicken & Cauliflower Mash Plate — 7 oz — 290 cal, 36g protein, 12g carbs, 8g fat — Tender lemon herb grilled chicken served with creamy cauliflower mash and roasted green beans. A smaller, high-protein, lower-carb plate built for customers who want something clean, filling, and easy to digest.
• Hard Boiled Eggs — 234 cal, 19g protein, 2g carbs, 16g fat — 3 hard boiled eggs .

These examples are not a live inventory or price list. Check the ordering menu for current availability and prices before deciding. Explore the menu guide.

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An example F45 week

Morning class day

• Optional small pre-class snack; protein-and-carbohydrate breakfast straight after; balanced lunch and dinner.

Evening class day

• Normal breakfast and lunch; light afternoon snack; ready-made protein dinner afterwards.

Off day

• Same protein pattern; fewer starch-heavy sides if fat loss is the goal.

An example framework, not a prescription.

Where gluten-free actually fits

Everything is cooked in a dedicated 100% gluten-free kitchen, which matters if you need or choose gluten-free meals. It is not a performance benefit for people without a medical or individual reason to avoid gluten.

Frequently asked questions

Should I eat before a 6am F45 class?

Most people are fine without food for a 45-minute session. If you feel weak in the last rounds, try a small carbohydrate-containing snack beforehand and see whether it helps.

How much protein do I need doing F45 five times a week?

General guidance for exercising adults is roughly 1.4–2.0 g per kilogram of body weight per day. Frequency does not change the range much; consistency does.

Are challenge-programme calorie targets safe?

They are generic by design and may be too aggressive for some people. If a target feels extreme, or you have a health condition, check it with a dietitian or clinician before following it.

What is the easiest meal-prep setup for class-based training?

Cover the two meals that follow your classes and leave the rest flexible. That is usually enough structure to change results without turning eating into a second job.

Sources

Independent research

• ISSN position stand: protein and exercise (Jäger et al., 2017) — PubMed / JISSN. This professional position stand describes roughly 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight per day as sufficient for most healthy exercising adults; it is not an individual prescription.
• Morton et al., 2018 — meta-analysis of protein supplementation with resistance training — PubMed / BJSM. In healthy adults undertaking resistance training, supplemental protein produced small additional gains; meta-regression estimated a 1.62 g/kg/day breakpoint (95% CI 1.03–2.20), not a universal cap.
• Systematic review of CrossFit / high-intensity functional training (2021) — PubMed. High-intensity functional training imposes substantial mixed aerobic and anaerobic stress, but nutrition-intervention evidence in this population is limited and generally low-to-moderate quality.
• 2026 consensus discussion on carbohydrate availability in endurance sport — PubMed. Adequate carbohydrate availability remains the consensus approach for supporting endurance and high-intensity performance.

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Nutrition needs vary with body size, training volume, goals, health conditions and competition demands. For individualised performance or medical nutrition, work with a qualified sports dietitian or clinician.

Editorially reviewed by SmashMeals for source accuracy in September 2026. This page is written from published research and official format documentation; it is not medical or individualised sports-nutrition advice, and no clinician reviewed it.

SmashMeals is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by F45 Training. This page describes circuit-style class training generically and cites independent research only.

Last reviewed September 2026.

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