POST WORKOUT SNACKS

 Nutrition plays a vital role in our health.  Think about what you are consuming every time you eat or drink and ask yourself whether it is going to have a positive or negative effect on your body.

The right food choices any time are key, but sensible selection before and after exercise can significantly help your workout & recovery.  Consider food your fuel.

No matter what exercise you choose, carbohydrates are vital for performance.  A diet low in carbohydrate can lead to a lack of energy during exercise, early fatigue, loss of concentration and delayed recovery.

Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles as glycogen & our body’s stores of glycogen are limited so we need to top them up everyday. When you exercise you deplete these stores faster and so in order to really benefit from a post workout snack and to refuel after your workout – aim to have something ready to grab within 30 minutes of your exercise session finishing, this is when the most effective refueling occurs, aids metabolism and helps improve your overall strength and well being.

You should aim for 1g of carbohydrate for each kg of body weight within the first 2 hours after exercise.  For light exercise 50g of carbohydrate is enough.  This would be something like 2 medium bananas, 2 slices of thick bread, a large bowl of cereal, 250g potato, 150g pasta, 500ml fruit juice, 15 dried apricots or a glass of chocolate milk.

Some of my personal favourite post workout snacks are fruit & veg smoothies with oats, fruit & nuts & apple and peanut butter! (see recipes below)

Everyone differs when it comes to what to eat & when around their workouts, so a bit of trial and error is needed to see what works best for you.

Before your workout I would recommend you have a light meal or snack that is low in fat & combines high carbohydrate with a little protein.  It’s worth experimenting with different meals, times and snacks to see how you personally feel with different foods. I would recommend a 2 hour window between meals and workouts to let your body fully digest.

Depending on when you workout, some of my personal favourite  pre-workout snacks are bananas, boiled eggs, fruit, porridge or overnight oats.

What is your favourite post workout snack or meal?

Apple & Peanut Butter

1 Apple
1/8 cup Peanut Butter

Slice Apple into thick sections width wise, remove the core
Spread peanut butter liberally over the top of each slice
Layer on top of each other placing the top of the apple back on the top
Yum!

Pink Smoothie

Half cup natural yoghurt
Half cup oats
10 almonds
Pinch chia seeds
Pinch cinnamon
Cup frozen berries
Half cup milk

Put it all in a blender, whizz until smooth & serve with a few more chia seeds on top.
Delicious

Green Smoothie 1

1 cup spinach
1 cup mixed berries (I used fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries & a few grapes)
1/2 cup semi skimmed milk
1/2 cup porridge oats
200g natural Greek yoghurt

Whizz it all up until smooth and it’s delicious and nutritious.
This one is enough for a filling breakfast for one or share with little ones 🙂

Green Smoothie 2

1 cup Raw Kale
1 cup mixed berries  & watermelon
1/2 cup semi skimmed milk
1/2 cup porridge oats
200g natural Greek yoghurt

Whizz it all up until smooth and it’s delicious and nutritious & perfect after an early morning distance run or HIIT workout