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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
27/02/2026
High-performance professionals must begin their meal-planning for Ramadan early, with the use of prepared, pre-cooked, or batch-and-frozen sources of protein to eat during Suhoor, and the ability to consume foods that can be made in less than 10 minutes in order to maintain their level of energy and productivity during fasting.
High-performing professionals who have busy jobs and fast during Ramadan must plan their kitchens well. Suhoor (the meal eaten just before dawn) needs to provide enough energy for a long day of fasting, so that stress around preparing meals is minimised by using strategies like batch and freeze protein, meal prep using super-efficient nutrient-dense meals that do not require stove cooking, and prioritising the most important macronutrients. Plenty of research supports that having a complete suhoor meal that is high in protein, long-lasting carbohydrates, good fats, and will hydrate you helps to ease the discomfort of fasting and build up reserve energy during the fast.
Balanced Macronutrient Planning for Suhoor
The combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and saturated fats will provide the energy you need for your fast. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, oats, legumes, and lean meats, will keep you full longer through the long hours of fasting by releasing energy gradually into your system. Proteins also help support your lean body mass and provide you with a source of energy, while fibre and saturated fats slow the digestion process and can help to prevent energy crashes in the middle of the day.
Batch-and-Freeze Proteins for Time Savings
Batch-cooked chicken skewers and/or soy-lentil burgers are an example of how to save time daily by preparing a meal option ahead of time using the batch-cook-and-freeze method. You can pre-pack and freeze the chicken skewers and the soy-lentil patties and take them out to cook and eat during Suhoor and Iftar, reducing the amount of time you spend cooking on those particular days and making sure you have high-quality protein available for both meals. In addition, this will reduce the number of last-minute food decisions you have to make and help you achieve your daily macronutrient goals.
Pre-dawn breakfast options that can be prepared without using a stovetop can be especially helpful for people who wake up really early and need to be out of the house before it gets light. Savoury overnight oats have complex carbohydrates, protein, and fibre all in one container that you can grab and go. High-protein smoothie bowls made with Greek yoghurt, protein powder, fruit, and seeds provide quick energy and nutrition in 5 minutes or less. Keeping these meals portioned into grab-and-go containers makes it easy to prepare healthy meals that help you achieve your performance targets for Suhoor.
Fluids are very important for maintaining energy while you’re fasting each day. Ensuring an adequate intake of fluids, especially those with water and electrolytes in them, from Iftar to Suhoor, will assist with replacing lost fluids due to heat or sweat, and keep your cognitive functioning and productivity from being impaired by dehydration. You should include fruits that contain a lot of water, herbal teas, and sources of electrolytes in your meal prep so that you can restore those fluids and improve your overall well-being.
The first step to successful meal prep is to have a weekly meal plan. When you are a high-performance professional, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time so that you can purchase staple foods in bulk. Furthermore, you should set aside time to batch cook proteins, grains, and accompaniments so that they will be readily available whenever you need them. By creating a structure with good routines, you will decrease the amount of time spent in the kitchen and eat a healthier meal every day for the entire week. This will also give you more time to work or reflect.
