Getting stronger, increasing your energy, getting a better night’s sleep, growing smarter. There are plenty of great reasons to get in shape, but are you doing it right?
We’re not talking about having perfect form during squats. We’re talking about your nutrition.
Eating the right meal before you work out helps fuel your sweat session. A bowl of oatmeal at the latest 45 minutes before you work out is one great idea.
What you eat afterwards is just as important. Here are some perfect post-workout meal ideas to finish your gym time the right way!
Why You Need to Refuel
Let’s talk about why you need to refuel. During exercise, your body uses up glycogen.
To build up your muscles again, they need to replace their glycogen stores. Your muscles will repair themselves and come back even stronger if you feed them right.
Here are the best foods for muscle recovery. Put them on your grocery list!
Proteins
Proteins provide amino acids, the building blocks your muscles rely on to grow stronger. Here are the best ones to keep in your kitchen:
- Cottage cheese
- Greek yogurt
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Tuna
Always keep your proteins lean and low sodium.
Carbs
Carbs get a bad rap if you’re doing something like the keto diet. If you eat the right kind, they’re actually good for you.
Stick to whole grains that aren’t over processed. Here are some ideas:
- Sweet potatoes
- Chia seed pudding
- Quinoa
- Fruit, like bananas, berries, apples, oranges, etc.
- Whole grain bread
Most of the items on our list aren’t processed and are sugar-free. Keep that in mind when searching for your post-workout snacks.
Post-Workout Meal Ideas
So what kinds of meals are best for finishing your workout the right way? Here are the recovery foods and meal ideas you can whip up in no time:
- Oatmeal made with protein powder, almond milk, bananas, and almonds
- Tuna salad made with fat-free coconut oil based mayo on sprouted grain bread
- Whole grain toasted pita with spicy red pepper hummus
- Greek yogurt smoothie with vanilla protein powder sweetened with mixed berries and topped with low sugar granola
- Rosemary and olive oil roast chicken and veggies
- Egg omelette topped with roasted red peppers and avocado
- Low fat cottage cheese mixed with fresh pineapple chunks and a sprinkle of cinnamon
- Roasted sweet potato and salmon
- Tofu scrambled with veggies
- Savory quinoa bowl with black beans topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt
Is your mouth watering? As you can see, you can eat healthy, fuel your workout recovery, and eat tons of delicious foods, too.
Eat Healthy, Make Gains
Have you ever heard that phrase “abs start in the kitchen”? It’s true, and if you try these post-workout meal ideas, you’ll start seeing results.
You don’t have to sacrifice great taste to be healthy. We know you’ll be running to the grocery store as soon as you finish this article!
Getting healthy both in and out of the gym makes a big difference in your life. If you want to do it right, get started with our nutrition coaching service today!
