10 best post-workout meals
After a workout, replenishing your body with the right nutrients is key to a fast recovery and improved future performance. This is our pick of meals to give you a boost.
Whatever your sport, eating the right food at the right time is essential for optimum performance. What your meal plan should look like will depend on the type, intensity and duration of the activity you’ll be doing. But, broadly speaking, a good post-workout meal will feature carbohydrates to replenish muscle glycogen, high-quality protein for repairing damaged muscle tissue, and fluid and electrolytes to hydrate. Here are 10 meal ideas to inspire you…
Discover more exercise articles, from what to eat for a workout and how much protein you need to build muscle, to how to stay hydrated on a run and what to eat on heavy training days.
Meals if you exercise in the morning
High-protein breakfast
If you train in the morning and want a higher-protein breakfast after your session, this fry-up from Joe Wicks features steak, turkey bacon and spinach for a hearty and filling start to the day. Note that this is a particularly high-protein, low-carb meal, so could suit those following a keto diet – for a more balanced dish, you could easily swap one of the meat servings for a slice of sourdough toast to add a source of carbohydrate.
Discover more high protein breakfast recipes.
Protein pancakes with banana
Made with eggs, milk and protein powder alongside carbohydrate-rich oats and banana, these American-style pancakes are a good choice after a morning workout. Serve in stacks with a dollop of Greek yogurt for extra protein.
See more high-protein meal ideas.
Meals for a lunchtime workout
Tuna Niçoise protein pot
If you fancy something lighter that still delivers a protein fix, this tuna and egg Niçoise pot delivers 30g of protein per portion. It takes just 20 mins to make and is a great option to pack into a lunchbox. Supplement it with crackers or toasted pitta if you want to increase the carb content to replenish glycogen stores after heavier exercise.
Prawn tagliatelle with courgettes
Seafood is a good source of protein, and our top-rated king prawn and tagliatelle recipe is full of flavour and high in protein and carbohydrates to replenish your stores. It takes just 20 minutes from prep to plate, so is great for lunch.
Discover more healthy pasta dishes.
Post-workout dinner ideas
Slow cooker meatballs
The meatballs in this dish are made from lean turkey mince, which makes a healthier choice of protein after an intense workout. Serve over rice or pasta to get a source of carbohydrate too. The meatballs freeze well so you can batch-cook and save time when you're ravenous after the gym.
See more healthy slow cooker meals.
Chicken, leek & brown rice stir-fry
This substantial yet speedy dinner will fill you up after a workout and takes less than 20 minutes to make. It pairs the classic flavours of chicken and chorizo with rice to deliver a healthy meal that provides muscle-repairing protein and energy-replenishing carbohydrate. The kale in the dish also contributes a host of vitamins, minerals and immunity-boosting antioxidants.
See more healthy chicken and rice recipes.
Veggie protein chilli
This vegan chilli is packed with protein-rich mixed beans, plus fibre-rich sweet potatoes that can help to satisfy that intense hunger common after exercise. Sweet potatoes are a good source of carbohydrate too – and unlike carb-rich options such as pasta and rice, they also contribute useful micronutrients, including beta-carotene and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes also contain potassium, a mineral and electrolyte which is lost when we sweat. It is believed that low potassium levels can lead to muscle cramps.
Discover more healthy vegan recipes.
Curried spinach, eggs & chickpeas
While macronutrients protein and carbohydrates are the main stars of a post-workout meal, a dish which also packs in micronutrients – vitamins and minerals – is a real winner. This dish does just that, delivering four of your five-a-day and helping to increase your daily intake of vegetables. High in protein from the chickpeas and eggs, the dish is also low in calories, so could make a good meal choice if weight management is a goal.
Cheesy seafood bake
If you crave comfort food after a workout, try this healthy seafood bake. Delivering on protein from the cod, prawns and cheese, it also provides an impressive four of your five-a-day from the veg inside (broccoli, tomato, onion and red pepper), along with vitamin C and iron. Potato dishes such as this can make a good gluten-free option to supply energy-replenishing carbohydrate after exercise.
See more healthy fish meal ideas.
Healthy chicken pasta bake
Low in calories and fat, this dish is a healthier substitute for creamy pasta dishes so makes a good option if weight management is a focus for you. It also contains peppers, courgette and ricotta for a nutritious midweek dinner. Wholemeal pasta contributes more vitamins and minerals than white pasta, plus it contains more fibre, helping to support digestive health and fill you up.
Discover more healthy pasta dishes.
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