After you’ve had a great workout, it’s always a good idea to give your muscles the nourishment they need to rejuvenate, repair, and rebuild. Working out causes a lot of stress on the muscles, so it’s always good to nourish your body with something healthy and nutritious after you’ve exercised. The question is – what’s the best food to snack on post-workout?
Well, in our experience, we’ve found that post-workout snacks should have three components:
- Protein – this is essential for muscle building as well as restoring your amino acids.
- Carbohydrates – this gives you energy and is essential for keeping your body moving.
- Vitamins and Minerals – you want to make sure you’re choosing food that offers nutritional value, not just raw protein and carbohydrates.
Not sure where to start when it comes to finding a great post-workout snack? Here are some of our favorites:
- Fruit and low fat yogurt
- Cereal with skim milk
- Dried fruits and nuts
- Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato
- Vegetable omelet
- Fruit or protein smoothie/shake
- Baby carrots and hummus
- Mozzarella cheese stick with grapes
- Banana and a handful of almonds
- Apple with a spoonful of peanut butter
- Popcorn with nuts and dried fruit
- Cottage cheese and pineapple chunks
- Chocolate milk
- Cheese and crackers
- Whole grain waffle with peanut butter or almond butter
- Rice cakes topped with almond butter or peanut butter
- Greek yogurt
What’s your favorite post-workout snack?