7 Most Effective Post-Workout Meals For Fitness

When most people prepare foods for their exercises, they tend to focus more on pre-workout meals and not enough on post-workout meals. Planning out your pre-workout meal is important, but what you have post-workout is equally as essential. 

Post-workout meals are important because what you eat after exercising can either complement or destroy all the energy and time you spend in the gym. There has been a long time debate on whether snacks should be consumed after working out or not. Having a healthy snack should be an important part of your workout routine and there are a lot of reasons why.

The muscles get sore and fatigued after working out. The body also gets dehydrated and tired. It is crucial to have post-workout snacks to give your body and muscles a little boost after your workout session. The consumption of healthy snacks helps the muscle repair and grow, builds up energy, and aids in fighting off body fatigue. They also go a long way in restoring glycogen in the body to prevent protein damage in the muscles. 

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These snacks take less than five minutes to prep and are portable. So grab one of these when next you hit the gym. 

1. Fruits.

Eating fruits like watermelon, oranges, etc, is an effective way to rehydrate after working out. Apple aids in starting up muscle repair and also restore glycogen. Grapes are not just amazing because of their cotton candy taste.  They also help muscle function and are a great source of electrolytes. 

2. Coconut milk or yogurt. 

These provide carbs, healthy fat, and protein. Fruits low in sugar like raspberries are perfect for a top-up to your coconut milk or yogurt. 

3. Nuts. 

Nuts are rich in protein and provide amino acids the muscles need for recovery. If you have extra time on your hand to do some meal prep, try these snacks that do not take long to make.

4. Eggs and toast.

These are perfect for muscle repair and energy build-up because they contain a healthy amount of carbs and proteins. 

5. Avocado toast. 

This is very nutritious and doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. Also, the addition of boiled or fried eggs to balance it out is not a bad idea. 

6. Strawberry-banana shake. 

Strawberry banana shake blended with milk is the yummy liquid your body craves. Not only because of how great it tastes but because it helps repair muscle tissue and restores energy. Mix two spoons of protein with slices of banana and strawberry with either milk or water then blend them.

8. Oatmeal.

Oatmeal is perfect for any time of the day and after your workout session is no exception. Oats are rich in carbs and high in protein which is needed to build up muscle. Slices of banana can be added to oatmeal to make it taste even better. 

If you want to lose weight or maintain your fitness levels, make sure to eat a balanced mix of macronutrients after your workout. Carbs will replenish your energy levels while proteins will give you strong muscles and repair damaged ones. Don’t leave out the high-quality fats as well!