There is no hunger like the one you feel after exercising. These post-workout meals are both tasty and nourishing, making them ideal for your hunger pangs after an intense sweat session — and without putting your efforts to waste.
A very important part of your fitness journey is your diet, and you have to fuel it with the proper nutrients it needs to perform optimally. All your exercise efforts will otherwise prove futile, or you might suffer an energy crash later. That is why we have listed the best post-workout meals that will replenish your strength and get you going.
Best post-workout meals to have after an intense workout
Mexican tuna avocado salad
Your post-workout meal can’t get better than this! With black beans and tuna and good guacamole, this recipe goes from a snack status to a full-blown meal. It is gluten-free, dairy-free and uses avocado instead of a mayo dressing. It is perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner when you don’t want to invest too much time in getting your meal ready. The best part? It is packed with proteins, so you can binge on this salad guilt-free.
Brown rice summer rolls
You might be thinking that this is not an ideal post-workout meal to have, but the nutritional value it packs in will convince you otherwise. It has enough carbohydrates, sodium and fat to replenish you and protein to aid in muscle recovery for your sore muscles. It is also light and refreshing, making it ideal for hot summer days. Made with brown rice papers and served with peanut lime dipping sauce, this recipe scores high in the taste department as well.
Passionfruit pomegranate bars
This pomegranate bar is fat-free, low in carb content, and rich in muscle-building protein. The more protein you have in your body, the speedier your metabolism. Prepped in less than five minutes, this recipe is healthy and delicious. If youa er craving something sweet post your workout, this is the best natural sugar replacement you can enjoy. Your ideal post workout meal portion should be three pieces of this.
Berry yogurt popsicles
If you are working towards your summer body goal, pop these in the freezer for some refuelling after your workout. These popsicles are made from all of the same healthy ingredients that you would find in a classic yoghurt parfait. But these are frozen in popsicle form so that you can just take them out of the freezer post an intense workout and be on the go.
Loaded hummus
Load up your hummus with some cancer-fighting red onion, muscle-building feta, antioxidant-boasting pomegranate, and belly fat-fighting chickpeas. Chickpeas are rich in resistant starch, which means that they keep you full for longer. This hummus is smooth and airy and perfectly seasoned and loaded with other ingredients that make this the ideal post-workout meal.
Sweet and savoury energy bites
Loaded with health-boosting ingredients, these energy bites are so much better than your store bought options. Flaxseeds fight cancer and disease, boost your mood and lower your blood pressure, while almond butter keeps your waistline in check. Oats, toasted coconut, chopped almonds, vanilla and honey are just some of the other ingredients that go into these super healthy bites.
Healthy sweet potato skins
Don’t worry about undoing all the health benefits that you earned from your workout. This recipe will actually restore your low sodium and carbohydrate levels and provide just enough fat, fibres and protein to keep you full long after consumption. The skins are stuffed with a creamy sweet potato and shallot filling with spinach and chickpeas and then topped with a tiny bit of cheese and baked to perfection.
Chicken parmesan zucchini boats
Instead of having a fried piece of chicken on a bed of pasta, this recipe calls for sautéed ground chicken served in hollowed-out zucchini and is the perfect low-carb alternative to pizza or pasta. All you need to do for this filling post-workout meal is cut a zucchini in half, scoop out the contents inside, stuff some cooked ground chicken, top it off with cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.
Slow-cooked salmon with chickpeas and greens
All you need is 30 minutes in the oven to get the salmon flaky and tender and absorb the garlicky juices from the greens and chickpeas. But don’t worry about the salmon being dry, as the vinaigrette in the recipe will keep the fish soft and moist. Top it off with crispy capers, and your protein-rich post-workout meal is ready!
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
