You’ve done your workout and you wonder, what do I eat?
You may have heard that it’s good to eat protein after a workout but have you ever questioned why? Does protein really work?
If you exercise on a regular basis, you may want to consider adding more protein to your diet.
During an intense workout, muscle protein breaks down and then under-go repair during the post workout. In short, protein helps your muscles recover and grow therefore beneficial to add protein in your post workout diet.
A WORD OF CAUTION:
A lot of “energy” items may contain high calories such as protein shakes and bars. If you just burned off 300 calories on a run, you may not want to drink a 280 calorie sports drink, however; do consider the lite versions which may contain 120 calories or less. Same goes for energy bars.
Do:
- Consume protein within 30 minutes of post activity
- Explore with different protein options
Post Work-Out Protein Snack Options:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake
Shake up a smoothie with a delicious scoop of whey protein to add in extra protein. Don’t worry, you won’t even taste it! I use Cabot Whey Protein and mix in some cocoa powder for a delicious dessert time shake.
Ingredients:
- 1 Scoop Cabot Why Protein
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 banana
- 2 Tbs creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tbs cocoa powder
- ice (optional)
2. Hummus and Pita
Hummus is made from chickpeas which a great source for natural protein. Looking for a change? Change the pita to veggies!
3. Apples and Nuts
This option is great for on-the-go. Apples and nuts are portable and can be kept in your gym bag to be eaten on the way home.
4. Hard boiled egg and some fruit
Eggs (boiled or not) are a great source of protein. Add some fruit for carbohydrates!
5. Whole wheat toast with peanut butter and banana.
I enjoy this for breakfast as well. Pair it up with Greek yogurt and it may just hold you over until your next meal!
If you don’t have any time to make a post-snack and you had an intense work out, try a protein bar such as Pro Bar.
These bars not only taste fantastic but the Peanut Butter Chocolate bar (my favorite) has 20 grams of protein! Their products are organic and GMO-free so clearly my go to choice for a bar. They are made with real food (healthy plant-based food products) and real tasty! You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. (Psss! It’s a must try!)
Disclosure: I was given some samples of Pro Bar to try for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This Blog is for information purposes only. The blogger (Amber Poole) will not be held accountable for the use or misuse of the information contained on this site. I am not a doctor or nutrition professional, and do not provide medical advice. As such, the information you read cannot be taken as medical advice or substituted for one. Nothing on this blog is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. I shall not be held liable for the decisions made by readers of this blog.