There’s a good chance you’re going to be hungry after you finish working out. Especially if you worked your body out harder than usual, maybe by strength training or heavy cardio. It’s time to refuel your body and feed those muscles all the nutrients that they need. It’s important, pretty much vital, for keeping your body healthy and in great shape. You’ll also feel a whole lot better post-workout if you eat something, simply because you’re giving your body what it wants (and deserves after such a tough workout).
So, if you’re looking for a variety of post-workout snacks that are healthy yet still yummy, then continue on reading!
This one is a classic and for good reason. It will refuel your body and give it the protein and carbs (yes, carbs) that are needed after working out. It’s even better when you use bread that comes packed with healthy ingredients (sprouted bread or whole-grain work best for that). You can use whatever brand of peanut butter you like, but make sure that you’re reading the ingredient list. The less random ingredients, the better. And keep in mind that you can be creative with your toast too! As pictured below, you can throw on a topping or two of your liking to give it a little something extra. For example, cacao nibs or a drizzle of honey. Or both. I’m not judging.
This snack right here is probably one of the easiest you will ever make hands down. All you really have to do is grab some turkey slices, some cheddar or American cheese, and pair that with a few slices of an apple. If you’re not the biggest apple fan around, then no problem. You can just pair the turkey and cheese with another high-carb fruit like a pear, grapes, or even a banana. Anything involving turkey makes for a great post-workout snack because of all the health benefits it holds. Turkey is high in protein, zinc, potassium, and is also a source of vitamin B6, which is just one of the many vitamins our bodies need in order to function properly and stay healthy.
If you want to spice things up, you could roll some string cheese into one of the slices of turkey to eat it that way instead of individually. Maybe even try the roll-up with a thin slice of apple inside for added sweetness. Keeping an open mind and staying creative with your foods can be fun!
It can be hard figuring out what to eat pre and post-workout, but with easy recipes around like this one, basically everything is made simple for you. Dates are perfectly sweet and make for a great ingredient in a little protein ball like such. They are high in fiber, full of antioxidants, can help reduce blood pressure, and are great for brain health. They also contain healthy fats! This recipe in particular calls for shredded coconut flakes, which although have healthy vitamins and minerals, are high in saturated fat. No worries though, everything eaten in moderation is perfectly alright. Another great thing about making energy balls like this (which usually end up tasting like a dessert) is the fact that you usually never have to prep or bake anything. All you have to do is add the ingredients into a food processor or blender until a clump-like dough forms. When this happens, you can start forming the dough into small balls, rolling them in shredded coconut afterwards.
Get the full recipe here:
Smoothies are a great way to get an abundance of nutrients in your body rather quickly. They’re also perfect candidates for those who would rather avoid putting too much time in making a snack and opt for something easy yet tasty to make and benefit from. Green smoothies, in particular, are a great way to get your body moving and feeling energized. One of my favorite things to do when I’m making a green smoothie is to add frozen mango or pineapple inside to balance out the taste of all those leafy greens. There’s nothing wrong with adding a bit of sweetness after all! You can make your green smoothie however you like and the recipe below can be used for a mere representation of a great post-workout smoothie. It has pineapple chunks, coconut water, chia seeds, spinach (of course), and even almond milk in it. It’s seriously delicious.
Get the full recipe here:
This snack is my all time favorite, post-workout or not. No, seriously. I could eat avocado toast for days, probably even for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in one day. Avocados are incredibly high in potassium (they have more potassium in them than bananas do), they are loaded with fiber, and contain healthy fats. Thanks to all of these benefits they reap, they can keep you feeling full longer, mainly since foods high in fiber and fat take our bodies longer to digest.
There are a bunch of ways you can eat it too! I personally love mine with an egg on top, whether scrambled or sunny-side up, a little bit of pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. It might sound weird or even the slightest bit unappetizing, but I promise you your taste buds are going to thank you. If you like tomatoes, you can add them on top of the mashed avocado toast with pepper (or any seasoning of your choice), or even just eat the avocado toast straight with no topping. They make for a great tool of getting your veggie intake in since you can top them with just about anything. For example, if I’m eating mine with eggs, I like to add spinach into the mix.
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