So, you have a great workout. It doesn’t matter whether it’s cycling, jogging or hitting the gym. While it’s important to stay hydrated with plain water or coconut water, you also need to fuel your body with the right foods. The reason? Sufficient post-workout fuel not only aids your recovery but also optimises your workout results. That said, here are the 8 best foods to incorporate into your diet.
1) Greek Yoghurt
You might be wondering why Greek yoghurt but not low-fat yoghurt. The simple answer lies in the former’s significant amount of protein, which is essential for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue after a workout. It also contains fewer calories and sugar and not to forget, probiotics for better digestive health. When choosing a Greek yoghurt, aim for the plain one since the flavoured one. If you can’t tolerate the tanginess of plain Greek yoghurt, consider sweetening it by adding a few berries for a more palatable, yet fulfilling post-workout snack.
2) Eggs
Consider adding eggs to your diet after a post-workout session. This quintessential food staple packs with lots of protein and it can make you feel full. There are many ways you can prepare your eggs as part of your meal. But your best bet would be to have them poached or hard-boiled for a healthier way of enjoying these eggs without losing most of their nutrients. To level up your cooked eggs, consider pairing them with whole-grain bread regardless of plain or toast.
3) Oatmeal
Complex carbohydrates and protein are part of the essential nutrients that define the goodness of oatmeal, making it an ideal post-workout food. Not to forget, it has plenty of fibre to keep you full for longer. It’s easy to prepare and the best thing about oatmeal is its versatility. You can pair your oatmeal with berries, nuts (e.g. almonds), sliced bananas and honey. When comes to the type of oatmeal, you can opt for instant, steel-cut or whole oats.
4) Bananas
This easy-to-snack fruit isn’t ideal for just post-workout but also a pre-workout snack since it’s easily digestible while providing a much-needed boost of energy for exercise. Not to mention its rich potassium content helps to prevent muscle cramps. As a post-workout snack, having a banana not only minimises inflammation but also helps to recover muscle tissues. You can enjoy it on its own or pair it with oatmeal or Greek yoghurt.
5) Sweet Potatoes
If you love sweet potatoes, here’s the good news: it’s an ideal post-workout snack since it packs with fibre, vitamin A and potassium. You can enjoy sweet potatoes by boiling, roasting, mashing or baking them, depending on your preferences. They taste good enough on their own but you can also level up your sweet potato consumption by pairing them with say, mashed avocadoes or salmon.
6) Nut Butter
Unless you are allergic to nuts, nut butter is one of the all-time snacks that you can enjoy on its own or spread thick on a piece of plain bread, toast, cracker or apple slices. It can be the classic peanut butter or almond butter, where the latter contains higher monounsaturated fats that can help with inflammation. If possible, go for the ones with no added sugar and salt. Just pure nutty goodness as it should be no matter if you love them creamy, smooth or chunky.
7) Chicken
Eating a protein-rich meal after a workout is essential to repair and rebuild muscles. One of them is eating chicken, ideally skinless chicken breast due to its lean source of protein. Not to mention enjoying it skinless prevents unnecessarily added calorie or fat intake. You can enjoy chicken breast in different ways from baking to grilling and pan-frying it, depending on your taste and cooking preferences. Best paired them with rice and/or mixed greens, namely roasted broccoli.
8) Black Beans
The key reasons for choosing black beans as your post-workout fueling lies in their high protein content, complex carbohydrates and loads of fibre, which in turn, helps with digestion and makes you feel full for longer. You can enjoy black beans in many ways from adding them to the protein-packed salad, tortilla wraps or burritos.
The post 8 Best Foods to Fuel Your Body After For Better Workout Results appeared first on TallyPress.
