It’s the most important meal of the day. What you eat after your workout is going to determine how quickly you start to recover from exercise. The faster you can recover and rebuild muscle, the sooner you can retrain those muscles. And the sooner those muscles are at full functionality, the faster they can start metabolizing fatty acids at their full potential.
In order to determine what you need to eat after a workout, you first need to understand the purpose of your post-workout meal. Your post-workout meal serves 3 main purposes:
- To replenish the energy used during your workout
- To provide the protein needed for protein synthesis in order to rebuild muscle
- To provide all the essential vitamins and nutrients necessary for growth
What you choose to eat should address all three of those factors. If you do that your performance and recovery will be optimized.
Eat Carbohydrates Post Workout
If you’re working out with a high intensity your muscles are going to be using muscle glycogen for energy. Muscle glycogen is synthesized from glucose, and glucose comes from carbohydrates. This fuel needs to be replenished.
In addition, your insulin sensitivity is at its highest after a good workout. That means this is one of the few times you can eat carbohydrates without any real fear of them being stored as fat. It’s also a nutrient timing strategy I implement with clients who run into weight loss plateaus.
The benefit of this carb timing is even though your muscles have a limited capacity to store carbohydrates, this post-workout window can lead to muscle glycogen super-compensation. This simply means that after you work out, your muscles have the potential to store more carbohydrates (glycogen) than they otherwise would have if you didn’t work out first.
And since your insulin sensitivity is higher after you work out you technically could be a little looser with the types of carbs you eat. However, I personally prefer to eat the same foods I eat at any other time, as making consistent eating choices helps to better form healthy habits. But if you wanted to optimize a cheat meal scenario, this would be the most opportune time to do it.
Other than the glycogen super-compensation benefit, how many carbs you eat after your workout isn’t as important as the total carbs you eat over the course of the day. Unless you’re an endurance athlete or someone who trains more than once per day, enough glycogen will be synthesized by your next workout so long as you hit your daily carb goals.
Eat Protein After Your Workout
Your muscles are primarily made up of protein building blocks called amino acids. During exercise, you tear down your muscles so that they can be rebuilt bigger and stronger so they are more resilient to stress. This happens through a process called muscle protein synthesis. In order for protein synthesis to occur, you need protein.
Studies have shown that eating 0.4–0.5 g/kg of lean body mass (LBM) both before and after your workout is sufficient for getting all the potential anabolic benefits of building and/or maintaining muscle mass [1]. For a person who carries 150lbs of LBM that comes out to between 27-34 grams of protein in each meal.
The longer or harder you work out the greater the teardown of your muscles, which means the demand for protein will be greater than say completing a simple walk around the block. In addition, there are benefits to consuming additional protein while in a calorie deficit – namely conserving muscle so you can lose fat and not just weight.
Stick With Nutrient Dense Foods After Training
There are a lot of post-workout supplements on the market that essentially provide all the carbs and protein you need. However, I don’t like these products for one very important reason – they tend to be void of any real nutrition.
We don’t eat carbs and protein – we eat food. And food contains vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants that provide the framework for your metabolism to function optimally.
That’s why, as I mentioned earlier, I eat the same foods post-workout as I do at any other time of the day. These meals are based around whole foods and have a balance of carbs, protein, and some fat too. They are nutrient dense and tend to contain a lean protein, a starch, and a veggie.
Post-Workout Meal Ideas
To give you a better idea of what to eat after a workout I created a spreadsheet with around 20 meals that I find to be well-suited for optimizing your performance and recovery while also keeping you on the healthy habit train.
I’m giving you a handful of different options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because I know everyone works out at a different time and not everyone can eat breakfast for dinner even though it’s all just food. 😜
Just click here to get your free bonus and get some ideas going for your post-workout nutrition.
I broke all the meals down in LoseIt so you can see their calories, fat, carbs, and protein too. Some of them I modified so they are better suited for reasonable portion sizes.
What If I Work Out at Night?
Good question and one I receive often. It doesn’t matter when you train – eat in a way that supports your performance.
Weight loss is a function of energy balance over a prolonged period of time. Just because you’re eating a meal at 9pm it doesn’t mean it’s going to be stored as fat. It’s only stored as fat if you eat more than you burn over the course of days, weeks, and months.
So if you work out at night, please come home and have a meal. It’s possible that the meals you had earlier in the day will be used for your recovery if you don’t eat post-workout, but I’m willing to bet you’re going to be hungry, so please eat guilt free and stop thinking of your weight loss in hourly increments.
Performance, recovery, and satisfaction are priorities. Keep overall calories in check for the day and you’ll be fine.
What are some of your own meal ideas that you like to eat post-workout?
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A huge bowl of porridge is the first thing I have after a workout…just made with plain water. I sometimes add some honey but I tend not to bother. Works for me. Great article.
Thanks for the comment Matt. Have you ever tried adding a scoop of protein powder to your porridge/oatmeal? I currently add it to my bowl of oatmeal.
I have added protein powder to my porridge but I prefer to make a separate shake…could be something to do with the flavours I use…great tip though. Possibly the best post-workout you could get I would think.
Before I moved away from the flavored protein powders (because of the artificial sweeteners), I used to put chocolate protein powder in my oatmeal. Was pretty good, but taste is individualistic obviously. Now I mix in a half a cup of oats, 1 cup of skim milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, cinnamon, and a half a scoop of unflavored whey (recipe in the free bonus in the article).
Hi can u tell me if i should be wating chicken before working out..i am trying to loose weight..and how many hours before i should eat food and what should i eat after workout? Oats?
Nothing wrong with chicken. My advice is to not worry about meal timing right now. Get your overall calories and macros right for the DAY. Once you consistently do that for a few months you can tinker with those details.
I like to eat toast with either tuna or a hard boiled egg. It gives me the carbs and protein I need. I also eat some veggies to go along with it.
Thanks for your suggestion Jonathan. Sounds like your meal fits all the requirements. 🙂
Interesting you should mention artificial sweeteners. These things are everywhere nowadays. Did you stop using them because of the health risks associated with sweeteners? (Aspartame in particular) and if so which protein supplements would you recommend/use now? Thanks for any response again.
I stopped using them both for the health risks, both known and unknown. I’m just of the belief that there’s no such thing as a free lunch with fitness. Eating chemicals in order to save calories just sets off my common sense alarm.
These days I just use plain unsweetened whey protein isolate. I put it in a shake and sweeten it with frozen fruit. My current protein recommendation can be found here.
I must admit, I enjoy the odd Diet-Coke now and again which I know is not the greatest choice of beverage…but I haven’t personally noticed any hunger pangs afterwards…but that could be just down to my discipline with food which I guess is what it boils down to if your going to keep yourself from loading up with bad food choices. Again, thanks for the replay & advice.
Now and again isn’t the end of the world. I’m more concerned with daily habits. 🙂
I used to have oatmeal and protein powder afterward too. But, we use a recovery drink now which is basically sugar and whey 4:1. I get nervous to have it sometimes because I feel like there is no way I should be having it but it seems to work. Aren’t oats slow-digesting? I usually see the oats and whey combo though so it must work.
Oats are slow digesting. But unless you need your glycogen replenished within a short period of time, simply eating enough healthy carbs over the course of the day will have you ready for your next workout.
I’m like Jonathan I too eat tuna and hard boiled eggs after I workout and I love carrots also….
Interesting combo. You and Jonathan must talk. 😉
I knew about protein post-workout, but I didn’t know about the carbs! I usually cheat and just drink a protein shake/drink since my pouch is so small, I can get my protein and quench my thirst at the same time…. but I’ll have to re-think my strategy a bit.
As always, I’m grateful for not only the information, but the explanation/science behind it. Thanks for another great article!
Yeah you’ll definitely want to replenish the fuel you used during your workout. And glad you find the articles useful, Donna. 🙂
I eat hard boiled eats and toast too, glad I’m doing something right, lol. Great article!!
I start every day by combining oatmeal, broccoli or spinach mixed with the whey protein & a couple frozen strawberries as a smoothie. I’m grateful for the post work out advice on carbs. Wish I had known earlier
I’ve definitely mixed spinach with frozen fruit and oats in a smoothie but I don’t think I’ve ever put broccoli in there. That’s brave!
Sounds like a good breakfast option. Probably a little light on calories for me unless I have a few eggs and pieces of toast, but nothing wrong with the combo.
Just wondering if eating protein after a hard work out helps recover from doms, and if any thing else helps with sore muscles ?
Protein will help you rebuild muscle, but it’s not going to do much for DOMS, at least not directly. A few things you could try are active recovery, massage, NSAIDS, or just plain rest.
I have recently purchased Choc Protowhey and was introduced to a delicious breakfast smoothis comprising, whey,water,ice,greek yoghurt,frozen berries,half banana , 1/3 cups oats which have been left soaking overnight and 1/2 TBS Physillium husk. I do a before breakfast Fat burning walk on an empty stomach other than lemon water and have the smoothie upon return. I usually exercise twice more in tthe day with a 15-17km bike ride with a 13.5kg toddler on the back and a weights workout later in the afternoon/evening. After reading your info should I be just having my egg white omlette with green s and nuts for breakfast and leaving the smoothie minus the banana (don’t think I could remove the berries too ) until after weights? I try not to eat fruit after lunch as it’s usually green apples or a banana. I work hard in my bike ride as sometimes I stop every km and do 2 sets of lunges/sprints/squats,dips on a park bench etc) Sorry, just trying to pinpoint where best to put the smoothie and the other exercise times I can actually use food such as eggs,nuts,rye bread/mountain bread etc. Is it considered a weights workout more strenous/depleting if I’m lifting high weights/low reps? so better for smoothie after weights?
I would definitely be having a carb/protein meal after your intense workout. As to whether you should have it after your walk, I personally do, but it might take some experimenting in your case.
If you are carb sensitive it might be beneficial for you to have a protein/fat/veggie meal after your walk instead. But I still wouldn’t go under 100 grams of carbs per day. So factor that into your decision.
My go to post work out meal is always egg whites, frozen spinach, and a piece of whole wheat dry toast. 🙂
Sounds good, Paige. A little light on the calories, but if that’s what fits your calorie budget for the day it’s a good combo and nutritious.
tony, i have loved every one of your posts. ever! and i frequently repost them on fb. i appreciate your no gimmick, healthy mindset so much. one of my pwo favs is whole grain berry waffles with a little almond butter and some berry greek yogurt. im super carb-sensitive so its my big splurge of the day!
Thanks Janita. Glad the articles help. And your meal sounds delicious.
protein and carbohydrate after a workout. I workout during the week at 830 pm for an hour do you still advise the carbohydrate. Thanks for listening.
I always recommend some carbohydrates after your workout whether you work out late at night or not. Your body doesn’t function hour to hour or day to day for that matter. Weight loss is a function of energy balance over a prolonged period of time – weeks, months, and even years.
Brilliant article! I work out in the AM and have a power shake post workout. It has whey
protein powder, ice, water, spinach, 1/2 banana, natural peanut butter,
chia seeds and honey. It tastes so great that it feels like I’m
‘cheating’. Good to know I’m doing the right thing!
That sounds like a good shake. Might have to give it a try!
Hey , I do HIIT workout for burning fat 4 times per week , for 30 mins when I finish I wait 20 mins till I get relaxed then I eat tuna with light bread or hard boiled eggs with light bread , I know that the light bread contains carbs and the eggs contain proteins . I wanna know if eat the right meal . thanks
I don’t see any real issue with that. Only thing I don’t know about is serving size and calories. If you’re only having a piece of light bread and an egg that might be only 130 calories. Not much energy to build muscle and recover with. But the combo is good.
Good article! quick question for you… i have 1/2 cup oats and two egg whites pre-workout. Once im finished i have a protein shake and about an hour after that i have two more egg whites, pb2, and a sweet potato on leg day or a banana on upper body days… am i over-eating around my workouts? the rest of my meals are protein/veggie/fruit/fats… thanks!!!
Hi Paige, I don’t think you’re overeating around your workouts. If you feel good and not uncomfortably stuffed, and you aren’t hungry the rest of the day, then continue what you’re doing.
Hi my names Stuart I have difficult in trying a post workout drink, here all these stories about which ones the best. I weight train in the morning and I have a whey protein shake and mix it with instant oaks. Which gives me 55 grams of carbs and 40 grams of whey protein. Is it good to have oats with your protein shake after a weight training session to build muscle, thank you for finding the time to read this any advice would really help.
Hey Stuart, your shake sounds fine and there is nothing wrong with having oats with your shake after a workout. In reality, you could have just about anything post-workout. It really just depends on your goals. As a beginner you will get results no matter what so long as you get sufficient fat, carbs, and protein at the end of the day. As an elite athlete the timing of those macros will matter more.
First thing after an intense workout – I have one banana and Protein shake and about an hour or two later have spinach and eggs (2 whole eggs & 2 egg whites – scrambled)..
Can you advise if this is okay
Looks good to me Neil.
Hi,
Great article Tony.
I do HIIT Mon, Wed & Fri mornings with 2 x 50km bike rides Tues & Thurs mornings. I have 2 scoops of super greens post workout with 1 slice of rye toast and 1 egg every morning for breakfast. I also drink 3 litres of water a day. Is this enough post workout? I am feeling a little muscle fatigued when I do my rides. Thanks Have a Great day Liesa 🙂
If you’re feeling fatigued I’d be looking more at your overall intake for the day, especially carb intake to make sure you’re getting enough total calories to fuel your activity.
Hi my name is Mike and i have been doing research upon research on what carbs are best post workout? I have lost around 100lbs in a year and i am now back at the gym adding muscle and still trying to burn fat. I am finding the more i research the more confused i am getting with all the different articles out there! As of right now i ALWAYS have a Whey protein shake after my workout with Silk Light, PB2, and 5g Creatine. Shortly after that I eat anything from raisins, sweet potato, and i even have Jolly Ranchers as i heard candy as those were excellent post workout??
I think your choices are just fine, Michael. Don’t get too caught up with the details. Keep doing what you did to lose 100lbs but just focus more on strength training.
Great tips.
I also workout after 7 PM for 1 hour.
Just one question: 1 banana mixed with 100g of oats after workout in the evening is it OK?
Or do you suggest 2-3 boiled egg whites, lettuce and 2-3 pcs brown rice cakes?
Thanks
Any of the options sound fine to me. There will always be ways to make it better, but getting your calories and macros right for the day/week will give the biggest effect on your results.
Thank you so much for the mail. I get to learnt a lot from that. I would like to appreciate your effort and would like to expect more information like this.
And I also have question and would like you to answer
According to you sir we use carbohydrates as a source to store energy so i want to ask that why can’t we use dietary fat as an energy source because dietary fat also has many benefits apart from providing energy.?
We do use fat as an energy source too. It just depends on the type of exercise we’re doing.
High-intensity exercise requires glycogen or the ATP-PC system. Low-intensity exercise requires the oxidative system, which is where fat metabolism takes place.
Depending on how hard you’re training there will be a certain percentage of each being used for fuel.
Hi Tony, I read your e-book and I have been reading your posts, and I have found all of them most helpful. Regrettably, I do not see any nutritional advice aimed at those of us following a vegan diet. Any chance that you will be adding any such recipes or advice for vegans/vegetarians?
Hi Kathleen, honestly, it’s unlikely. It’s not my specialty so I think you’ll find better meal planning advice elsewhere for the vegan lifestyle. However, most of the articles I write are behavioral and mindset related and apply to any eating style.