In the past few posts I’ve made a lot of suggestions on adjustments you can make in an effort to make weight easier.
However, I haven’t shared many “concrete” meals. So I decided to bug my wife, Laura, for a couple of the recipes she’d make me if I were cutting weight.
So below are her top 2 choices if you are less than 2 days away from your next weigh-in.
Weight Cutting “Chili con Carne”
…On a completely different topic, the name of this made me think of the Scott Tennorman South Park episode (I’m a huge South Park fan), thus the picture above.
Ingredients:
1lb Ground Beef (85% lean, or leaner)
1 Can (No Salt added Diced Tomatoes)
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Cumin
Cayenne Pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Cook beef in non-stick pan over Medium heat. Stir frequently until meat has changed from pink to brown. Drain any fat from pan.
2) Add all other ingredients to pan. Mix together and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently.

Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 cup whole-grain mustard (brown or yellow mustard work well too)
6-8oz tomato paste (I can’t remember what size the can is, but I just use a can)
1 canned chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika (I like smoked paprika)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 pounds pork (butt, or whatever you have) trimmed of MOST visible fat
2 medium yellow onions, diced (or you can use a cheese grater and grate them so they’re even more fine)
***When not cutting weight, you can add 4 Tbsp Molasses or Honey or Brown Sugar for a flavor closer to BBQ sauce.
Directions:
1) In a crock pot, mix all of the wet ingredients together until they have an even consistency, then add all spices and mix thoroughly.
2) Add onions and pork. I like to cut the pork into strips so it has more surface area to absorb flavor. Mix together to cover pork with sauce.
3) Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and use 2 forks to shred it. Put the shredded pork back into the crock pot, and stir until all pork is coated in sauce.
So there you go, 2 recipes that will provide you with some fuel without promoting water retention before your next weigh-in.
If you want more sample recipes or tips on how to improve meals you like to eat, leave me a comment below and I’ll be sure to pass them on to Laura.
Finally, since you’re reading this post, you’re probably in the market for some info on how to make weight for wrestling. If that is in fact the case, check out some of these posts:
6 Comments. Leave new
I have 2 sons who are wrestlers plus am active in their Club wrestling. I share your articles with their coach and he is very interested in more information on specific meal plans, weekly menus, etc. I like your apporach to nutrition and keeping it safe and realistic. Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll definitely pass this along to Laura. Is there anything specific you’d like me to address in future posts?
Great recipes would live to see more of yours. I have a son wrestling and is allergic to a lot of foods so this was a big help.
What foods is he allergic too?
Info for young wrestlers. Mine are 9 & 14. Staying strong but not over training at a young age. It’s all good stuff though. Thank you!
I’ll definitely do my best. To get you started, here are some posts that may help:
Wrestling Workouts For Youth Wrestlers
Weight Training For Young Wrestlers 1
Weight Training For Young Wrestlers 2
Youth Wrestler Q & A