You made it to the gym, now it's time to refuel

You beast! That workout you just crushed isn’t gonna crush you. Now replenish your muscles and help them recover with these foods. It’s a list full of quick ideas so you can easily keep variety in the rotation. All call for minimal ingredients which means they’re ready super quick. After a workout your body is ready for fuel. Grab some protein and the right type of carbs to treat your muscles right. Here are five different post-workout foods that are easy to throw together when you’re done with your sweat fest.

Protein shake

Start with a clean protein powder. Equip is a favorite brand for meat eaters and Vega is great for vegetarians. Blend it with water, coconut water, non-dairy milk if you avoid dairy or dairy milk if not. Add in a handful of spinach or kale to increase the micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals), and if you’re not working on weight loss, add in up to a cup of fruit (berries, banana or cherries are great options).

White rice

Now is the time to choose white rice over brown! Can you even remember someone recommending that? Post workout we want simple carbs so your muscles get the glycogen back your workout just zapped from them. Help them recover and build stronger by opting for this treat. A rice cooker is the easiest way to make perfect rice. Don’t go run out and buy a rice cooker though, stovetop is fairly easy as well! Cook a large batch at one time and store it in the fridge to eat throughout the week. Add some herbs, salt and pepper, a little protein and dig in!

Tuna salad

Ok, you may have added lemon to tuna before but have you tried including some of the zest? That’s the yellow outer rind and there’s a ton of flavor in it! Just make sure you don’t add too much because it can be bitter. Use a zester or chop it up super fine and don’t add in the white pithy part. That will mess with the flavor. Mix one can of tuna with 1T avocado mayo, juice from ½ a lemon and zest from ¼ lemon. Eat as is or add any veggies on hand, chopped apple, grapes, almonds.

Sandwich meat rolled up in a lettuce leaf

This is almost the easiest idea. Choose a clean deli meat brand (avoids nitrates and nitrites, is organic, antibiotic free with no MSG or sugar). Basically, look for the least processing and the most minimal ingredients you can find. Applegate Farms is a great, clean brand. Roll a green, leafy piece of lettuce around it. See? Easy.

Starchy veggies

Grab some carbs so your muscles reap the full benefit of your workout. Potatoes and corn are two great options and can be ready after a few minutes in the microwave. Here’s how to prep them. Wash your potato, poke it on all sides with a fork and microwave for 2-3 min then flip it and zap it again for another 2-3 min. When it’s soft, it’s done. Top it with salsa and dig in! If you’d rather choose corn, wet it in the husk and pop it in the microwave for 4 minutes on high. Add salt and pepper but stay away from fats like butter and ghee for this snack.

Hopefully these will give you good go-to’s and will help keep things interesting. Having ways to keep post workout foods from getting boring and have them taste good always helps me increase my motivation to get the work done. Give these a try and let me know what you enjoyed the most!