Best Recovery Foods to Eat Post-Workout

We’ve been talking a lot about increasing muscular flexibility, strength and overall mobility these days—with a focus on exercise, of course. But what about after you stop sweating? During a workout, you’re breaking down your body. After a workout, you enter rest and recovery and your body begins repairing the broken-down tissue, which results in a stronger and leaner bod.

Fueling your body well before a workout is important, but just as critical is how you’re fueling your body post-workout. The right foods will assist the repair process, reduce soreness, replenish glycogen stores and more. Grab your grocery list and a pen:

Whey Protein

Make a habit of having a post-workout shake that contains whey protein. The byproduct of cheese-making, whey is a complete protein that is chock-full of the nine essential amino acids—these amino acids help your body rebuild lean tissue. Other benefits include faster recovery, lowered blood pressure and reduced inflammation. Not all whey powders are created equal, though. Select a powder that has no trace hormones, pesticides or grain feed byproducts.

Blueberries & Tart Cherries

And all other dark berries! Filled with antioxidants, berries are the perfect post-workout snack—the darker and brighter the fruit, the higher the concentration of antioxidants. A critical part of the body’s defense against damage from daily toxins, antioxidants also help to rid the body of waste following a workout. Research indicates that blueberries can increase muscular energy, speed up the recovery process and improve performance.

Fermented Foods

On list after list, fermented foods are definitely the current IT health food. Touted for their incredible benefits to your gut ecosystem (yes, your belly has an ecosystem of sorts!), foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir support the growth of healthy bacteria (probiotics). This increase in your good bacteria has a whole heap of benefits for your body—improved nutrient absorption, metabolism and immune system function.

Leafy Greens

Serious contender for superfood of the century, leafy greens like spinach, watercress and kale are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Spinach is also a good non-heme (plant-based) source of iron, as well. There’s a bit of confusion when it comes to plant-based iron. Heme iron, found in meat and fish, is well absorbed by the body, while non-heme iron, found in animal tissue and plants, isn’t as well absorbed. Consume both for a proper dietary balance.