Engaging in any kind of workout, be it moderate or intense workouts require a huge amount of physical activity and energy.
Hence, it becomes crucial for you to eat within two hours after your workout so that you can restore your energy levels for the optimum function of your body.
If you are looking out for the best post-workout foods then this is the right article you have come across.
You must use a whisk of different nutrition like protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins after your workout.
So if you’re ready to make the most of your workout, then here is a list of the best post-workout foods.
The following are some of the best post-workout foods-
Lean Protein
Sources of lean protein like fish and chicken should be on top of your list to include in your post-workout eating schedule.
You could eat them as your meal or even in the form of snacks.
Other than this, fish and chicken are also good sources of BCAA namely valine, leucine, or isoleucine, which can enhance muscle growth and foster muscle repair.
Besides fish and chicken, other sources of lean proteins like beans or skinless poultry can even help you to get all the nutrients required post-workout with less saturated fat and fewer calories.
All you have to do to include these food items in your diet is to either prepare grilled poultry or baked and steamed fish.
Luckily, these are versatile food items that could even be prepared a night before your workout.
Whole Wheat Toast With Egg
The combo of whole wheat toast with an egg is suitable for post-workout meals. The egg is a rich source of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and all essential vitamins that may defy LDL oxidation.
The simple reason behind this is that it has all the nine essential amino acids required to build muscle.
And then whole wheat toast can help to amplify your energy levels, and the fiber in it can help to regulate your blood sugar levels.
So all you have to do is to prepare scrambled eggs and enjoy them with whole wheat toast or you could even eat a hard-boiled egg with whole-grain toast.
Chocolate Milk
You could give yourself a treat of chocolate milk after your strenuous workouts because chocolate milk is a power-packed meal full of electrolytes, fluids, protein, and carbs.
The benefits of drinking this milk after workouts are numerous, some of which could include fostering protein synthesis in the muscles, relieving muscle soreness, and replenishing the glycogen stores in your body.
Water
One of the most crucial things you have to drink after your workout is water. Water is essential for maintaining optimum health.
Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated can help you to get the most out of your workout schedules and protect your body against dehydration.
Adding water to your best post-workout foods list is quite simple because when you work out your body loses a lot of water and electrolytes while sweating.
Hence you could replace this lost water and electrolytes by drinking other electrolyte drinks.
The amount of water that you could consume after your workout primarily depends on the type of exercise you indulged in and how much weight you lost.
Tart Cherry Juice
Adding tart cherry juice to your post-workout food regime is not just a trend because it has numerous benefits.
Packed with a host of anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, the tart cherry juice can help you recover from intense workout schedules.
Other than this, this juice can even help to lower your systolic blood pressure 90 minutes after your exercise regime, and hence it might even help you with disturbed sleep patterns.
Getting tart cherries is quite easy because you could order them online in different forms like dried, canned, frozen, or concentrated form.
Sweet Potatoes
Once you indulge in intense exercise and workouts, your immune system experiences a drawback.
However, food items like sweet potatoes, which are rich in carbs, may help to lessen the severity of this drop right after your workout.
What’s even better is that the carbs which you eat post-workout might not be stored as fat. Instead, they are used to amplify the used energy levels.
Hence all you have to do is to boil one sweet potato and Mash it up. Then you could sprinkle apple sauce and ginger powder on it to enhance its taste and flavor.
Quinoa
If you are looking out for the right food post-workout then quinoa is your answer.
Besides boasting fiber and protein, quinoa also has high levels of iron and magnesium which could in turn help to poster the protein synthesis process in your body.
Other than this, it is gluten-free and has all the nine amino acids which are crucial for building muscle post strenuous workouts.
And if you didn’t already know just a cup of cooked quinoa has 39.4 gm of carbohydrates.
Fruit And Greek Yogurt
Just a cup of Greek yogurt can help you to get sufficient protein, which could be essential to maintain your energy levels post your workouts.
What’s even great is that you can enhance the nutrition you get from your Greek yogurt by complementing it with certain fruits that can enhance the carbs and energy you receive.
Moreover, you could even use blueberries with your Greek yogurt, which is rich in antioxidants.
Jerky
Jerky is trimmed meat that has been cut into strips and dehydrated intentionally to avoid getting spoiled.
Since it is dehydrated to store, you can easily munch on it post your workouts. There are myriad reasons to include jerky in your post-workout regime.
First of all,l it can help you with muscle growth because it has healthy proteins.
Other than this, if you are working out then growing muscle may not be your sole objective.
Hence the jerky can even help in the weight management process for health enthusiasts. Besides this, jerky is a superfood that is rich in incomplete proteins, B vitamins, and Omega 3.
Smoothies
Smoothies are another power-packed drinks that you could add to your post-workout meal because they can help you from dehydration and provide you with all the necessary nutrition as well.
Smoothies can be prepared from coconut water, fruits, vegetables, and whey protein powder after your workouts.
The fruits and vegetables present in them are rich in antioxidants and protein which could help in muscle repair.
Other than this, whey protein in itself has a plethora of advantages because it can help to prevent muscle damage post-workout.
Waffles And Pancakes
Adding waffles and Pancakes to your post-workout meals is a great way to foster muscle growth and enhance tissue repair in your body.
Other than this, the flour-based waffles will help to balance and regulate your blood sugar levels and could even be combined with other healthy foods like yogurt, protein powder, or fruit.
So all you have to do is to prepare pancakes made with oat or wheat flour and top them up with Fruits or yogurt.
Oatmeal
Besides being scrumptious, oatmeal is a versatile and comforting food that can be prepared in different forms.
Other than this, this food is also rich in different minerals and vitamins like selenium, magnesium, and iron.
Additionally, since oatmeal is easy to prepare, you could get your daily requirements of protein and fiber from it post your workouts.
You might even enhance the nutrition levels of oatmeal by adding Greek yogurt, nuts, honey, or fruits to it.
Conclusion
You must choose a whisk of different food items that can provide you with the right amount of carbohydrates and protein.
Muscles develop small tears after working out and giving them the right nutritional balance is crucial to restoring your energy levels and reducing fatigue.
Hence, building strength for future workouts can only be possible when you focus on the right diet after your present workout.