The Best Foods To Eat After A Workout For Building Muscle

We’ve all been told from a young age that breakfast is the most important meal of the day… But for a hard training bodybuilder or athlete your post workout meal is actually the most important food you eat in terms of maximizing muscle recovery and growth.

During a hard workout your body breaks down muscle tissue and burns glycogen that’s stored in the muscle cells for energy. However, for about 45 minutes after a workout your body is most responsive for absorbing carbohydrates and protein.

Most serious bodybuilders will drink a post workout shake with fast digesting protein and simple carbs right after their workouts to help replenish their depleted muscles – which is great – but proper post workout nutrition doesn’t end with a shake. The food you eat after training is important as well for optimizing your muscle recovery and growth.

Watch the video below to see a sample Post Workout Meal…

Post Workout Nutrition 101:
– Focus on lean protein and complex carbohydrates
– Keep fat intake low, because fat slows digestion
– Eat up to 25% of your calories in your post workout meal
– Shoot for a 2 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein
(i.e. 100 grams of carbs & 50 grams of protein)
– Ovoid excessive fiber intake, too much fiber slows digestion

Here are some of the best foods to eat after your workouts to fuel and reload your depleted muscles.

Good Sources Of Post Workout Protein:
– White Fish (i.e. cod, flounder, haddock, tilapia, mahi mahi, etc.)
– Chicken Breast
– Turkey Breast
– Egg Whites
– Very Lean Red Meat (i.e. eye of round steak)
– Protein Powder

Good Sources Of Post Workout Carbohydrates:
– Rice
– Potatoes
– Yams / Sweet Potatoes
– Pasta / Noodles
– Quinoa
– Oatmeal or Cream Of Wheat
– Fruit (all types)

If you would like to learn more about bodybuilding nutrition, than I recommend that you download a copy of my Bodybuilding Nutrition Made Simple PDF Report.