What To Eat After A Workout

A lot of people understand how important consuming the right fuel before you workout is but fail to eat after a workout or don’t make smart choices. While some workouts don’t require a small meal or snack, since they don’t burn many calories or challenge the body, working out at One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA definitely will. After a tough session of exercise or kickboxing you need to replenish the glycogen in the muscles, boost the protein to do muscle repair or for building muscle and restore fluid and electrolytes.

It should be a mix of carbohydrates and protein.

The more intense the workout the sooner you should eat and the more protein you require. If you’ve just finished a tough kickboxing session, try to eat a snack as soon as possible and make sure it includes about 20 to 30 grams of protein and 30 to 40 grams of carbs. If the workout was less stressful on the body and far lighter, like a jog, eat a well-balanced meal within an hour after the jog.

What are some protein foods to include in your post workout snack?

Eggs are always a good choice after a workout. It can be transported to the gym in its own container! You can also make it into a salad and put it between two slices of whole wheat bread for both the carbs and the protein. A hard-boiled egg and crackers also make a great choice. Peanut butter is the protein of choice for many vegetarians, but also great for the omnivores, too. Slices of cheese, a chicken breast, quinoa, Greek yogurt or an avocado make the list, too.

What are the carbohydrate options you can use.

Whole wheat crackers, fresh fruit, celery sticks and other raw veggies are a few. Consider a banana smothered in peanut butter or some fresh berries in Greek yogurt and you’ll see how flexible the options are. Cheese and crackers, cheese and apples or a cheese whole wheat sandwich make the list of a good snack. Roasted sweet potato slices are another good choice and add vitamin C and potassium to your diet.

• Freeze a banana on a stick, dip it in dark chocolate and roll it in walnuts, then refreeze. It’s the perfect after-workout snack that contains nutrients that help prevent pain better than ibuprofen and don’t cause inflammation.
• Some tuna salad made with tuna, onions, celery and your favorite healthy dressing, like part Greek yogurt, mayo and mustard, topped on 1 slice of whole grain toast can be a perfect topper for a tough workout.
• Chocolate milk seems simple enough and is a great after workout snack. It has twice the carbs and protein content as most sports drinks. The fluid content replaces those lost sweating and is high in nutrients.
• If you didn’t workout hard and eating a recovery meal, make sure it contains lean protein, such as a chicken breast, and carbs, like a big salad and some sweet potatoes.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club