10 Healthiest Snacks To Refill Your Energy After Workout | Physical activities slideshows | Well Being center

Post-Workout Nutrition: Why You Should Care

In general, post-workout nutrition is probably the most important part of our diet. When you finish training, you're tired and hungry. Your body needs fuel, building materials and vitamins and minerals, and you should look for post-workout eating options that provide this. Try to select based on your goals: if you're trying to put on muscle your post-workout snack should be large and contain a lot of protein, for instance. People trying to lose fat should eat a smaller snack post-workout, but make sure you plan to eat something. If you don't, you'll just end up eating something unplanned!

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Cereal With Skim Milk Is Convenient And Nutritious

Cereal with skim milk has the great advantage that it's convenient. It's a good choice if you're going straight home after the gym and it's probably more appropriate for someone trying to lose weight than for other trainees. Watch out for the very high sugar content of some cereals though: eating something that's over 60% sugar is never a good idea. Cereals with whole grains and little sugar are a better choice, and the fiber and long chain carbohydrates in them will help keep you feeling full longer. Your best choice among cereals is unprocessed oat.

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Fruit Yogurt Can Help With Weight Loss And Muscle Gain

Fruit yoghurt makes a great snack. It's convenient, can be inexpensive and you can tailor it to your needs by buying the right kind. Some half-liter tubs of yoghurt have as little as 90 calories in them; others have closer to 800 or even more. So choose the one that fits your goals! Yoghurt is a good way to consume dairy, since the fermentation process reduces the lactose content. As a result, people who are mildly lactose intolerant will have less trouble with yoghurt. It's also a good source of protein, healthy fat and minerals, replacing some of the trace metal salts lost in sweat during exercise. The fruit is a good source of fiber and of vitamins, particularly antioxidants.

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Fruit Smoothie: Vitamins, Carbs, Fiber, Water, Flavor

A fruit smoothie is a better choice than fruit juice. In juices, the pulp is discarded. But in a smoothie, you're getting the pulp too. That will slow the rate of absorption of the sugars in the smoothie, and help keep you feeling full for longer. As a result, fruit smoothies are a particularly good choice for people who are trying to lose weight. Besides some carbohydrates and fiber that also contain vital nutrients. Almost always there will be plenty of vitamin C but you can hope for other antioxidants, vitamin A and more. A fruit smoothie contains no protein to speak of, though, so it's a poor choice if you're trying to gain muscle.

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Veggie Omelets Can Be Filling And Nutritious - And Easy To Make!

An omelet has the great advantage of being quick and easy to make. A veggie omelet lets you get some fiber and vitamins along with one of the best protein sources in the world, eggs, and some healthy fats too. Omelets with vegetables are traditional in some cultures -they're known as Spanish omelets in some places - so check your cookbooks for tips. Mushrooms and bell peppers go well in omelets, as does a dusting of black pepper. Again, make sure that what you're eating meets your needs and fits your goals. If you're trying to lose weight eat a small omelet.

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Pancakes: Traditional Staple, Family Favorite, And Health Food

Pancakes are a good source of large amounts of carbohydrates. Endurance athletes often favor high-carbohydrate diets for the fuel they need and pancakes are a good place to stock up. If you're making them at home, try a fruit spread as a filling - it's tasty and it gets some vitamins into your post-workout meal. Making your pancake batter with skim milk will cut the fat content, but if you're trying to gain muscle or you've been training hard, it might be better to use whole milk.

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Rice Cakes Offer Fiber And Convenience With Low Calories

Rice cakes have a lot of fiber, so they're a good choice for those who are looking to lose weight, as they're very low in calories but will make you feel full. Usually, they're eaten with toppings or spreads rather than alone, so if you're trying to restrict your calorie intake you might want to be careful what you put on your rice cakes. Ham or other traditional sandwich meats make a good choice for meat eaters, and they're a lot less fatty and calorific than most cheeses. Some cottage cheeses, spreads and light cheeses are low in calories too.

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Cottage Cheese - Low Fat, Versatile And Convenient

Cottage cheese has a lot of the same advantages as yoghurts: it's less lactose-rich than milk and it has just as much protein and minerals. Cottage cheese is often less fatty than milk too. It's a good way to add flavor to a post-workout meal, and can be eaten alone or with fruit or vegetables as well. You can scoop it from the pot or use it in the kitchen with rice cakes or potatoes, for instance, to create a healthy and filling snack.

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Energy Bars Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

Energy bars come in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps the original energy bar is the flapjack, a bar of oatmeal held together with butter and syrup. Typical modern energy bars are often flapjack-like but boast even higher caloric contents. Check the label before you wolf one down: they can contain a couple of hundred calories, which can add up if you're trying to lose weight. On the other hand, an energy bar is convenient, travels well and often will be high in protein and fortified with vitamins and minerals. While that doesn't make it a substitute for actual food it's a lot better than stopping at a burger joint on your way home from the gym. Some people find that even though they don't plan on eating them, it helps to keep a couple of energy bars in the car or in their gym bag for emergencies.

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Lean Meat Sandwiches For Healthy Post-Workout Nutrition

A lean red meat sandwich is one of the best post-workout snacks you could pick. Plenty of protein, trace element salts, and fats in the meat, together with the carbohydrates from the bread. You can get a good one from some take-out places, so look out for one on your gym route. Alternatively you can grill your own at home. Whichever you choose, be sure to add plenty of salad to the mix so you're getting enough of the nutrients you need to properly absorb the macronutrients from your food. And the better quality the meat you use, the better.