The Purpose of a Post-Workout Meal

First, I apologize I’ve been absent lately. For those of you that follow my other blog, you know that I’ve been bogged down with my new project at Farm to Table. Nevertheless, I’m back and I’ve got plenty of useful info for fit living on a budget. Without further ado, some tips on convenient, whole food items to munch on after one of our intense workouts.

In terms of recovery and maintaining high energy, a meal immediately after a workout is a great idea. You don’t need to eat right after exercising, and if your aim is weight reduction, you might skip it. I personally have always had trouble maintaining weight, and muscles are primed to absorb protein and carbohydrates immediately after a workout, so for the purposes of building strength and to avoid feeling really, really groggy all day afterwards, I found it useful to eat as soon as I could stomach food. As a general rule of thumb, if you’ve got that gnawing tired hungry feeling, chow down. If you don’t feel hungry at all after a workout, then don’t worry about it.

The Meal

The purpose of a post-workout meal is to get proteins and carbs to the muscles ASAP. We are still trying to avoid insulin spikes caused by starch and sugars, as this can lead to inflammation and will actually increase your recovery time, so when I say carbs, I mean savory veggies like squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, or tubers. This is in contrast with potatoes, pastas, etc. Protein should be lean and easily absorbed. For the purposes of this particular meal, you can skip the fats, since they only slow digestion and absorption. That said, a bit of light fat can go a long way in improving recovery.

Carbs

My favorite post-workout carb is half a roasted sweet potato. Despite the sweet flavor, sweet potatoes have lower glycemic scores than the pure starch in a regular potato, and are rich sources of Vitamin A (really, really good source), Vitamin C, B6, Manganese, and Potassium, which helps in muscle recovery. They also provide complex carbs that are absorbed slowly and avoid that dreaded insulin spike that will leave you nodding off a few hours later.

Just throw three in the oven at 400F for a couple hours at the beginning of the week, and wrap what you want in foil.

Other good sources of complex, nutrient-rich carbs include pretty much any fresh vegetable. Carrots are a favorite because they are convenient and you can eat them raw. I used to carry a carrot, some sticks of celery and an apple in my backpack along with…

Protein

Finding a good source of convenient protein is going to be the hardest part for a portable, cheap post-workout meal that you can tote to the gym. Protein shakes are pretty ubiquitious, and their convenience is hard to beat. But since we are a whole foods only program, I’m going to try to come up with other ideas. Getting enough protein from veggie sources is pretty hard; you have to carry a lot of it, making it less convenient, and it is less efficiently absorbed by the body.

• Canned fish is my personal favorite. If you can stand the smell and taste (for me, the fishier the better) sardines are perfect. A can of sardines has between 14g and 20g of protein, lots of heart health, anti-inflammatory Omega-3s, and a ton of calcium if you don’t get boneless. They are also really convenient, coming in small, handy cans. Sardines are almost always wild-caught, are not overfished, and fishing methods are on the less detrimental side. Gram for gram, they are about equal to most protein shakes, and cost about the same. Take the time to find a brand and variety that you like; there is a lot of variability, and this is one food item where you get what you pay for.
• Chicken is another good source, but requires some advance preparation. Roast or boil a whole chicken on the weekend, and tear up the meat, store in tupperware, and take it with you for lunches. Chicken is a really dense source of high-quality protein. Just make sure to be aware of the quality of the bird and its origins.
• Dried meat, such as jerky, is a great source of tasty, high-quality protein. It’s also technically raw, which for some is a selling point. Finding good quality jerky is hard though, as most is chock full of artificial flavors and sweeteners. You can make your own with any oven, or find an online supplier (here’s one, and another), but these can be expensive, though convenient. I had the benefit of having access to a freezerful of venison. You can also make jerky out of salmon.
• Nuts and Nut Butters are relatively good sources of convenient vegetable protein, though gram for gram more expensive than chicken or sardines. Almonds have between 4g and 6g of protein per 1/4 cup, or 2 tbsp almond butter. Most other nuts are either lower or about the same. Carrying a bit of nut butter in a small tupperware to go with your celery or apple is a tasty, easy way to work in some healthy fats and proteins. Making up trailmixes that you can munch on all day, and really devour after your workout, can help you get the protein you need. Be careful though; nuts are easy to overdo, a problem since they are expensive.

Water

Water is really important, both for performance in workouts and recovery afterwards. It does, however, interfere with digestion. This poses a problem; you’ll likely be very thirsty after working out, but you don’t want to chug a ton of water while you eat as it slows digestion and dilutes nutrients (you’re basically diluting all the acids in your stomach). If you can, consider simply wetting your throat right after exercise and waiting an hour after eating to completely rehydrate. If you’re eating plenty of veggies, thirst should be less of an issue anyway.

Let me know of any additional ideas for easy-to-carry, cheap, or convenient ways to get those all-important post-workout meals in. Convenient sources of protein are always the trickiest part, so share your tips and ideas in the comments.

Image source: Racerman24 on Flikr

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