Post-exercise food is perhaps easier than at other times of the day. In general the key thing here is to eat, don’t starve the body at this time. If you have done moderate or above intensity exercise then the body will be looking for energy to prevent crashing and for the building blocks to recover.
Ingredients and method
1 – take 2-3 rice or lentil cakes
2 – apply a generous dollop of peanut butter or your nut butter of preference
3 – slice a banana on top
4 – pour a glass of milk (kids blue top ideally)
5 – enjoy
I’m not saying to raid the fridge as unfortunately certain rules still apply. Saying this if you have a bit of a sweet-tooth then this is the time to indulge a little. The sweater foods help to restock the muscle energy stores quickly. Much better than eating them at the end of the day!
There’s a huge range of products you can buy; bars, shakes, even gels, but if you’re like me and you’d rather use the cupboards then here’s a quick but nutrious alternative. It contains good protein sources to help rebuild. It has a balance of fast and slow acting carbohydrates and some good fats. It’s easy to eat, so getting it down within the magic 30mins post exercise is no bother. There’s good evidence that eating within 30mins of finishing helps you perform better in your next exercise bout if this exercise is within 24hrs. Therefore if you workout daily then the magic 30mins is relevant for you.