How to Choose Vegetarian Post‐Exercise Meals
Eat a protein snack immediately after exercising., Consider adding a protein or meal-replacement drink., Include at least 10 grams of protein in your post-exercise meal., Follow a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein., Eat carbs during...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Eat a protein snack immediately after exercising.
As soon as possible after your workout ends, you should eat a snack or drink a protein shake that contains at least 15 to 25 grams of protein to aid your body's recovery.Consuming enough protein is essential if you want to continue to work out at the same intensity over successive days.
Keep in mind that as you exercise, you actually are creating micro-tears in your muscles.
Protein is essential for rebuilding your muscles after any amount of exercise.
If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, a hardboiled egg or a cup of plain yogurt can be a good protein snack after exercising.
However, if you're a vegan or do not consume dairy products, you may need to go with a protein bar or soy product to get the protein you need.
A handful of almonds, edamame, or roasted chickpeas are all high-protein snacks that are easy to pack in your gym bag. -
Step 2: Consider adding a protein or meal-replacement drink.
Particularly if you're body building or engaging in intense strength training, your body may need more protein more quickly than you can get it from food.Protein contains amino acids that your body can't produce itself, and that are essential to rebuild your muscles after exercise – particularly relatively intense exercise.
Protein powder made from whey or milk protein is the best source of complete protein.
However, if you are a vegan who does not consume dairy products, you will have to get your protein from a soy source. , Sufficient complete proteins are essential for your post-exercise meals.
Unfortunately, plant-based protein sources don't always include all the amino acids you need for muscle development.Soy and quinoa are perhaps the most common of the few plant-based protein sources that provide a complete source of protein to help repair and rebuild your muscles.
One of the simplest vegetarian post-exercise meals is a stir fry with pasta, tofu, and plenty of vegetables.
Include beans, lentils, and spinach for iron.
Combine them with peppers or broccoli to enhance your body's absorption of the iron.
Broccoli also is a good source of calcium, which you need for strong bones as you recover from exercise.
Generally speaking, this meal should be the largest meal you eat all day – particularly if you're doing intense exercise such as body building or marathon running. , Generally, you should consume four to five times more carbohydrates than protein after you exercise.
For example, if you are eating four grams of protein, you should have 20 grams of carbs.As a general rule of thumb, you should generally eat around 15 to 30 grams of carbs after exercising.
To doublecheck that your meal provides this ratio, you can divide the number of carbs by the grams of protein.
It should equal four or five.
Thai, Mexican, or Ethiopian food generally provide this ratio, and typically includes vegetarian options.
If you're making your own stir fry or other meal, keep in mind that 4 ounces of tofu has about 9 grams of protein.
Therefore, if you needed 20 grams of protein in your post-exercise meal, you would need between 8 and 10 ounces of tofu, along with other whole foods. , If you're participating in endurance sports such as long-distance running or biking, you should include a carbohydrate snack at some point in the middle of your workout.Consuming carbohydrates while exercising can increase both the length of time you can perform, and the intensity at which you can exercise.
Between 30 and 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour while exercising can delay fatigue.
If you're a marathon runner or biker, you might try gels, which are concentrated carbohydrates.
Check the ingredient labels to ensure they are plant-based rather than animal-based.
An energy bar or similar snack also can provide the carbohydrates your body needs.
As with gels, check the ingredient labels carefully to make sure they fit within your diet.
Bananas also are good sources of carbohydrates and are easily portable.
One banana has approximately 30 grams of carbohydrates, along with additional nutrients such as potassium that prevent cramps and fatigue in working muscles. , Eating something rich in carbohydrates as soon as possible after exercising will give your body the energy it needs to rebuild muscles and recover.Peanut butter toast, chocolate milk, banana and peanut butter, or crackers and cheese are all great snacks to eat after a workout.
Following a more casual or low-intensity workout, a meal-replacement drink or a piece of fruit should be sufficient to provide you with the carbohydrates your body needs.
If you choose packaged recovery bars or drinks, check the ingredient labels and nutrition information carefully.
Your snack should contain around 30 grams of carbohydrates.
You'll want to increase this amount if your exercise is of a longer duration or higher intensity. , Within two hours of the end of your workout, prepare a meal with whole foods that are high in carbohydrates, including vegetables and pasta or rice.Check ingredient and nutrition labels to plan food combinations and portion sizes that will provide the amount of carbohydrates you need.
Choose foods with complex carbohydrates, such as rice and pasta.
These carbohydrate forms are best for recovery, particularly after intense exercise.
If you're in heavy training or are participating in endurance sports, plan on consuming additional carbohydrate snacks every two to four hours following your meal. , Vegetarian diets typically are also high in fiber.
Unfortunately, if you eat foods with too much fiber as part of your post-exercise meal, your body may not absorb enough nutrients before the food leaves your body.Some of the foods you generally should avoid in your post-exercise meals may be foods that you're accustomed to eating regularly, such as raw fruits and vegetables or whole wheat bread.
Balance high carbs with low fiber by including white rice in your meal, rather than pasta or whole grains. , Regardless of the level of intensity of your exercise, steadily replenishing the fluids you lose during your workout is one of the most important things you can do.Try to drink at least a half-cup of water every 10 minutes you exercise.
You need up to 2 cups if you're exercising outside in a hot environment.
Consistent fluid retention is essential to ensure that your body can regulate its temperature correctly.
This is another reason drinking a lot of water is important if you're exercising outside.
Adequate hydration also helps maintain adequate circulation, and can help prevent cramps and other injuries, as well as fatigue. , Fluid replacement doesn't end when your workout ends.
Fluid-rich foods such as oranges keep your body hydrated so it can recover efficiently after your workout.When you're choosing foods for snacks or meals, avoid those such as bread that absorb fluid.
You also want to avoid sugars and caffeine, which can dehydrate you.
After your workout, continue to drink at least a cup of water every half hour or so to ensure your body remains well hydrated as it recovers. , If you're engaging in body building or other intensive exercise, a sports drink may be a better choice for you to replace fluids during and after exercise than plain water.This is also true if you are exercising outside in a hot or humid environment.
Heat and humidity impact your body's ability to retain water and cause you to lose fluids faster than they can be replaced by water.
However, many sports drinks include sodium that promotes water retention, which will help your body retain necessary fluids despite the weather.
If you're doing a brief, low-impact workout, sports drinks aren't necessary.
Plain water should meet your hydration needs just fine. -
Step 3: Include at least 10 grams of protein in your post-exercise meal.
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Step 4: Follow a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein.
-
Step 5: Eat carbs during extended workouts.
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Step 6: Have a carbohydrate snack within 30 minutes of exercising.
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Step 7: Include at least 100 grams of carbohydrate in your post-exercise meal.
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Step 8: Choose carbohydrate sources that are relatively low in fiber.
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Step 9: Drink water throughout your workout.
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Step 10: Include sufficient fluids with your meal.
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Step 11: Consider a fluid-replacement drink.
Detailed Guide
As soon as possible after your workout ends, you should eat a snack or drink a protein shake that contains at least 15 to 25 grams of protein to aid your body's recovery.Consuming enough protein is essential if you want to continue to work out at the same intensity over successive days.
Keep in mind that as you exercise, you actually are creating micro-tears in your muscles.
Protein is essential for rebuilding your muscles after any amount of exercise.
If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, a hardboiled egg or a cup of plain yogurt can be a good protein snack after exercising.
However, if you're a vegan or do not consume dairy products, you may need to go with a protein bar or soy product to get the protein you need.
A handful of almonds, edamame, or roasted chickpeas are all high-protein snacks that are easy to pack in your gym bag.
Particularly if you're body building or engaging in intense strength training, your body may need more protein more quickly than you can get it from food.Protein contains amino acids that your body can't produce itself, and that are essential to rebuild your muscles after exercise – particularly relatively intense exercise.
Protein powder made from whey or milk protein is the best source of complete protein.
However, if you are a vegan who does not consume dairy products, you will have to get your protein from a soy source. , Sufficient complete proteins are essential for your post-exercise meals.
Unfortunately, plant-based protein sources don't always include all the amino acids you need for muscle development.Soy and quinoa are perhaps the most common of the few plant-based protein sources that provide a complete source of protein to help repair and rebuild your muscles.
One of the simplest vegetarian post-exercise meals is a stir fry with pasta, tofu, and plenty of vegetables.
Include beans, lentils, and spinach for iron.
Combine them with peppers or broccoli to enhance your body's absorption of the iron.
Broccoli also is a good source of calcium, which you need for strong bones as you recover from exercise.
Generally speaking, this meal should be the largest meal you eat all day – particularly if you're doing intense exercise such as body building or marathon running. , Generally, you should consume four to five times more carbohydrates than protein after you exercise.
For example, if you are eating four grams of protein, you should have 20 grams of carbs.As a general rule of thumb, you should generally eat around 15 to 30 grams of carbs after exercising.
To doublecheck that your meal provides this ratio, you can divide the number of carbs by the grams of protein.
It should equal four or five.
Thai, Mexican, or Ethiopian food generally provide this ratio, and typically includes vegetarian options.
If you're making your own stir fry or other meal, keep in mind that 4 ounces of tofu has about 9 grams of protein.
Therefore, if you needed 20 grams of protein in your post-exercise meal, you would need between 8 and 10 ounces of tofu, along with other whole foods. , If you're participating in endurance sports such as long-distance running or biking, you should include a carbohydrate snack at some point in the middle of your workout.Consuming carbohydrates while exercising can increase both the length of time you can perform, and the intensity at which you can exercise.
Between 30 and 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour while exercising can delay fatigue.
If you're a marathon runner or biker, you might try gels, which are concentrated carbohydrates.
Check the ingredient labels to ensure they are plant-based rather than animal-based.
An energy bar or similar snack also can provide the carbohydrates your body needs.
As with gels, check the ingredient labels carefully to make sure they fit within your diet.
Bananas also are good sources of carbohydrates and are easily portable.
One banana has approximately 30 grams of carbohydrates, along with additional nutrients such as potassium that prevent cramps and fatigue in working muscles. , Eating something rich in carbohydrates as soon as possible after exercising will give your body the energy it needs to rebuild muscles and recover.Peanut butter toast, chocolate milk, banana and peanut butter, or crackers and cheese are all great snacks to eat after a workout.
Following a more casual or low-intensity workout, a meal-replacement drink or a piece of fruit should be sufficient to provide you with the carbohydrates your body needs.
If you choose packaged recovery bars or drinks, check the ingredient labels and nutrition information carefully.
Your snack should contain around 30 grams of carbohydrates.
You'll want to increase this amount if your exercise is of a longer duration or higher intensity. , Within two hours of the end of your workout, prepare a meal with whole foods that are high in carbohydrates, including vegetables and pasta or rice.Check ingredient and nutrition labels to plan food combinations and portion sizes that will provide the amount of carbohydrates you need.
Choose foods with complex carbohydrates, such as rice and pasta.
These carbohydrate forms are best for recovery, particularly after intense exercise.
If you're in heavy training or are participating in endurance sports, plan on consuming additional carbohydrate snacks every two to four hours following your meal. , Vegetarian diets typically are also high in fiber.
Unfortunately, if you eat foods with too much fiber as part of your post-exercise meal, your body may not absorb enough nutrients before the food leaves your body.Some of the foods you generally should avoid in your post-exercise meals may be foods that you're accustomed to eating regularly, such as raw fruits and vegetables or whole wheat bread.
Balance high carbs with low fiber by including white rice in your meal, rather than pasta or whole grains. , Regardless of the level of intensity of your exercise, steadily replenishing the fluids you lose during your workout is one of the most important things you can do.Try to drink at least a half-cup of water every 10 minutes you exercise.
You need up to 2 cups if you're exercising outside in a hot environment.
Consistent fluid retention is essential to ensure that your body can regulate its temperature correctly.
This is another reason drinking a lot of water is important if you're exercising outside.
Adequate hydration also helps maintain adequate circulation, and can help prevent cramps and other injuries, as well as fatigue. , Fluid replacement doesn't end when your workout ends.
Fluid-rich foods such as oranges keep your body hydrated so it can recover efficiently after your workout.When you're choosing foods for snacks or meals, avoid those such as bread that absorb fluid.
You also want to avoid sugars and caffeine, which can dehydrate you.
After your workout, continue to drink at least a cup of water every half hour or so to ensure your body remains well hydrated as it recovers. , If you're engaging in body building or other intensive exercise, a sports drink may be a better choice for you to replace fluids during and after exercise than plain water.This is also true if you are exercising outside in a hot or humid environment.
Heat and humidity impact your body's ability to retain water and cause you to lose fluids faster than they can be replaced by water.
However, many sports drinks include sodium that promotes water retention, which will help your body retain necessary fluids despite the weather.
If you're doing a brief, low-impact workout, sports drinks aren't necessary.
Plain water should meet your hydration needs just fine.
About the Author
Shirley Allen
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow crafts tutorials.
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