Whether your goal is to get in shape or just to have fun, staying active can be quite draining if you are not eating well enough.
Exercise consumes energy, puts stress on joints and muscles, and causes the body to lose more fluids. If you are not adequately replenishing your body with the nutrients it needs, your workout routine could be doing more harm than good. This is where having a quality diet comes into play.
Good Nutrition is Essential for Fitness
Not surprisingly, you need energy to exert energy. For activities that are more intense or endure for longer timespans, even more is needed.
The body’s fuel for exercise comes from what you eat. Without adequate nutrition, you likely will not have much energy to begin with, let alone enough to replenish what you have used up.
This can result in symptoms such as:
- Loss of muscle mass
- Loss of menstrual periods in women
- Fatigue
- Extended recovery process
- Injury
Even if your goal is to burn calories, your health will only decline if you ignore your nutritional needs. So, what is the best way to replenish your nutrients and get the most out of your workout routine?
It all comes down to the quality of your food choices. This does not mean you need to start making yourself five-star meals; in fact, some of the best choices for post-workout snacks are quite simple.
All you need is a basic understanding of the three macronutrients and some recipe inspiration.
Carbs, Fats, and Protein
These three nutrients are where your body gets the majority of its calories, hence why they are called macro-nutrients. Let’s break down each one and show how they play a role in your exercise habits.
Carbohydrates
As your body’s primary source of energy, carbohydrates (carbs) are crucial for an active lifestyle. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends using carbs as the main supply of fuel for activities that involve short, intense bursts of energy.
This is because those exercises rely heavily upon muscle glycogen, which is the body’s stored form of carbohydrate. Good examples of these activities include sprinting, weight lifting, tennis, and volleyball.
These glycogen stores are used up when you work out, meaning you need to replace them afterward by eating plenty of healthy carbs.
Some mindful options for eating more carbs include Ezekiel bread, whole grain pasta, quinoa, peas, and beans.
Fats
Despite what the media say, there is no need to fear fats—only to be mindful of them. In terms of physical activity, fat is a good fuel for endurance exercises, such as running a marathon or hiking. This is because fat is not as fast at converting to energy as carbohydrates are.
In addition, fat needs oxygen to break down into energy. So, the best exercises for shedding any excess fat are called “aerobic,” meaning “with oxygen.”
The main advice given by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for fat consumption is to eat healthy fats. This means limiting your consumption of saturated fats to 10% of your daily calories, avoiding trans fats, and eating unsaturated fatty acids.
Some sources of healthy fats are avocados, nuts, salmon, eggs, and olive oil.
Protein
Protein is crucial for maintaining bones, ligaments, and tendons. It is involved in making enzymes and hormones, while providing your body with essential amino acids.
That being said, protein is a key component of the ideal post-workout snack. It helps repair your muscles, which helps ease the recovery process. Eating foods with high-quality protein throughout the day is a good idea, especially within 45 minutes after exercising.
Some examples of high-quality protein include soy products, Ezekiel bread, poultry, fish, lentils, and quinoa.
6 Simple and Healthy Post-Workout Recipes
Because working out naturally uses up the body’s glycogen stores and puts extra stress on muscles, it is important to replenish your body with the nutrients it needs.
These recipes provide plenty of healthy carbs, fats, and protein to ensure you are recovering effectively from your exercise routine.
Whole Wheat Pita and Hummus
Plain hummus with pita is a simple, yet delicious way to get enough carbs and protein.
If you want to make it interesting, however, this recipe for beet hummus from Choosing Chia is sure to provide plenty of color to your post-workout snack.
The carbs from the whole wheat pita will help replenish your glycogen, while the protein from the hummus will help your muscles repair and recover.
Check out the recipe for beet hummus here.
Vanilla Chai Protein Shake
Protein shakes and workout smoothies are great go-to’s, but this recipe from Jennifer Meyering really takes the cake!
With a flavor resembling that of a chai latte, this vanilla protein shake is a sweet treat to look forward to when you are working out.
It is packed with protein, which is great for helping your muscles recover from your exercise routine. Plus, it only takes 5 minutes to make.
Check out the recipe here.
Five Ingredient Egg White Frittata
With only five ingredients, this meal prep-friendly recipe from The Girl On Bloor is great to make ahead of your workout.
The egg whites are an excellent source of protein, while the olive oil provides a hint of healthy fats.
It is a colorful and delicious way to replenish your body after exercising!
Check out the recipe here.
Vegan Chickpea Omelette
If you are vegan and eggs are not an option for you, you may want to try this chickpea omelette from Choosing Chia.
Made with chickpea flour and ground flax seeds, this plant-based omelette is packed with protein and fiber, making it a great post-workout snack.
Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of ways for vegans to get enough protein from their diet. Sometimes it just takes a little creativity, which is exactly what this vegan omelette brings to the table.
Check out the recipe here.
Roasted Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Quinoa Salad
Sweet potatoes are not just delicious—they are also packed with plenty of vitamins and carbs to replenish your glycogen stores. And when you pair it with the protein from black beans and quinoa, you get an excellent post-workout combo.
This recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet puts all of those good things into one meal prep-friendly dish. Just make one batch ahead of time and dish it out when you are done working out.
Read about the recipe here.
Rice Cakes with Nut Butter
This one is a classic for a reason. It is simple, quick, and provides you with the protein and carbs you need to recover from your workout.
All you need are some rice cakes and a bit of peanut or almond butter spread on top. If you want to make it more interesting, however, there are plenty of creative ways to make this simple recipe more colorful.
Here are some ideas from Erin’s Inside Job to spark some inspiration!
Conclusion
Staying healthy is all about balance. When it comes to working out, it is not just about burning calories or getting toned; it is also about how you are fueling your body to reach those goals.
With a basic grasp of the three macronutrients (carbs, fats, and protein), and a few ideas about how to include them in your diet, you will have a good foundation for sustaining your activity levels.
And, with some recipe inspiration from the snacks listed above, giving your body adequate nutrition will be anything but bland.
