The Most Epic Side Dish EVER: Oven-Baked Crispy Green Beans

We're primed to hack it on the race course after a helluva long year. Are you? Sure, true to your unstoppable grit, determination, and perseverance, you've done your best to stay OCR-ready while sheltering at home. But with Spartan races back in full swing, it's time to clean up your nutrition program and ditch poor pandemic habits once and for all. In partnership with Renaissance Periodization, we created a four-part MACROS 101 series to optimize your nutrition so you can get faster, stronger, and prevent injury. Download the free nutrition plan and use these healthy recipes to inspire your next meal. We've got you covered for your most EPIC return to racing ever. AROO!

You've probably cooked green beans a million ways—broiled, sautéed, boiled, you name it—there's all kinds of ways to cook 'em. But this recipe for baked green beans is our new favorite, hands down. Why? Because they're easier than all hell (set it and forget it!) and when you time it right, they come out crunchy, flavorful, and chock-full of vitamins and minerals to support your training.

Pair them with a protein and carb-rich veggie for a complete meal, or eat them as a standalone snack. "These green beans are truly a crave-worthy veggie recipe," says Nick Shaw, co-founder of Renaissance Periodization and nutrition coach to OCR elites, CrossFit champions, UFC fighters, Navy SEALs, Olympians and more. "Consider this dish completely clean eating, and a perfect staple if you’re deep into your nutrition plan."

Plus, this recipe is super scalable so you don't have to make a ton if you're eating for one—simply do the math backward to ensure your desired portion (determined by the number of cups of raw beans) sync with the rest of the ingredients.

Pro Tip: "As long as the beans aren't burning, you can leave them in the oven," says Shaw. "The flavor just gets better and better the longer they bake."

Ingredients: (Total recipe = 6 portions)

6 Cups Raw green beans, trimmed
EVOO Cooking spray
Fine sea salt, to taste
Chinese five spice powder, to taste (optional)
Carb/fat free popcorn seasoning, (optional)

MACROS: Protein = 12 grams; Carbohydrates = 24.6 grams; Fat = 0.6 grams

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Place a cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Spray rack lightly with cooking spray.
Wash and dry green beans well.
Once dry, spread beans out on the sprayed rack—don’t overlap them.
Spray beans with cooking spray and sprinkle with spices.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they shrivel and darken in color.
Finish with a little popcorn seasoning as soon as you pull them from the oven for an extra kick.