When planning out a workout regime, planning out the food you consume is equally important. If you are already on a keto diet, you may be unclear about an ideal meal to fuel your body after strenuous exercise. So, what can you eat after a workout when on keto?
After a workout on keto you should start with 3-4 ounces of protein (salmon, chicken, etc.) accompanied by 25-30 grams of fat and non-starchy veggies (broccoli, zucchini, etc.). It would help to have a balanced meal even while on keto after a rigorous gym session to get the most out of it.
It may appear simplistic; however, you may have to put a lot of thought into how you pair the diet with your workout routine. Read along to unravel more about the post-workout meal plan you can follow while on keto.
Keto Foods to Help You Recover After a Workout
Keeping a check on your post-workout nutrient consumption is almost as essential as the workout itself. Limiting your body from having micronutrients can cause severe damage and can cause malnourishment.
Hence, you must ensure that you involve micro-nutrient-rich ingredients in your meal or snack after a super-charged exercise session.
This becomes more important if you follow a keto diet. Planning your nutrient intake on keto can be a tad bit challenging. Here are some foods to energize your body post-workout:
- Fish and Meat: These food sources are high on protein and are highly recommended for keto dieters. If you're allergic to dairy or eggs, you can always opt for fish or chicken to meet your daily protein intake.
- Eggs: This high fat and high protein superfood is an excellent choice to help your body recover its strength after hitting the gym. What more? Eggs have anti-inflammatory omega-3s that helps to remove any soreness in your body after a rigorous workout.
- Whey Protein: They are considered the most significant source of leucine and are completely rich in protein. So, if you want to enhance your metabolism and strength after a tough day at the gym, then whey protein should be your go-to buddy.
- Veggies: Greens in any diet is always a great choice. Veggies such as spinach, kale, chard are rich in micronutrients, making them an excellent alternative for refueling your body after a workout.
- Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews are rich in both macro and micronutrients. Hence, these make a good keto snack after your gym session.
Why Is Post-Workout Nutrition Important?
While you may be already following your pre-workout keto meal diligently, are you focusing much on your post-workout diet?
When you exercise, the muscles utilize the glycogen present, which is energy storage for our body. With high-intensity workouts, you are likely to exhaust these glycogens topped with loss of proteins too.
Thus, it becomes crucial to nourish your body with the required nutrients post a workout to help muscles recover and regain body strength. Post-workout nutrition would assist your body in restoring the glycogen levels, repairing muscle proteins, and preparing your body for quick recovery.
What Nutrients Do You Need After Working Out?
Now that you know why post-workout nutrient is vital, let us focus on the nutrients needed for recovery.
Protein
Even though protein isn't consumed much while on a ketogenic diet, it is required for repairing your muscles post-workout. According to research, your body consumes 20% of calories from protein while exercising, which in turn leads to muscle loss.
With about 40-50 grams of protein in your diet, your body is more likely to recover rapidly after a workout. So, next time do not hesitate to treat yourself to a keto-friendly protein shake after your gym workout.
Carbohydrates
Glycogen, our body's energy storehouse, gets exhausted while we perform extreme workouts and cardio. If you are a keto dieter, carbs may be a strict no for your diet. However, we need these for quick recovery post-workout.
While performing a routine to regular workouts, you can consume 7-10 grams of carbs per kilo of your body weight. However, if your workout sessions are extreme, you should raise the intake of carbs to replenish the glycogen levels.
Fat
There are common misconceptions about the consumption of fat after a workout. However, all fat isn't bad, and hence you can plan out a diet chart that helps you attain calories throughout the day. In fact, a keto diet is all about consuming fats and eliminating carbs.
Few food sources such as nuts, avocados, and whole milk are an excellent choice for your dose of fat post-workout if you're on keto.
Keto Meal Ideas After a Workout
To make your life simpler, we have hand-picked meal ideas you can follow post-workout. As you are aware of the importance of nutrition, let's jumpstart and discuss a few meal ideas based on your workout schedule:
Morning Meal Ideas
- Keto-friendly Frittatas: Cooked with a few eggs, veggies, bacon cream, and cheese, frittatas are an excellent breakfast option to meet your nutrient goals.
- Avocado Omelette: This easy-to-cook keto meal should be your go-to option, keeping you charged for the entire day.
- Veggie Lox Pizza: With the tasteful flavors of zucchini and the goodness of veggies and lox, pizzas have never been such fun breakfast options before.
- Keto Sandwich: Prepare these high on macro sandwiches added with the goodness of egg, avocado, and cheese.
- Pancakes: These most-loved breakfast options can also be your on-the-go breakfast option after the workout. Top it up with low-carb veggies and cream cheese to make it more nutrient-rich.
- Beef sausage and eggs: Prepare a bowl of eggs, beef, and veggies that will fuel your body after a tough workout session.
- Sausage and Egg Bowl: Prepare a bowl of goodness with radishes, sausages, cheddar cheese layered with egg for instant energy.
Ideas for dinner
- Cauliflower Rice: Added with low-carb veggies, egg, and chicken, these healthy rice meals are a booster for your post-workout recovery.
- Keto Lasagna: With micronutrient-rich mushrooms, you can make a keto-friendly lasagna with sugar-free marinara and cheese.
- Butter Chicken Bowl: A perfect meal combination of chicken and a dash of butter and jalapenos.
- Chicken Salad with Avocado: Stuffed chicken salad with avocado is a great post-workout meal to build your lost strength.
- Cauliflower Breadsticks: You can get the much-required protein and fat from cheese and eggs added to these cauliflower breadsticks.
- Chicken Lettuce Wrap: This wrap would be ideal for raising the protein level in your diet chart.
- Fried rice with Pork: A fried rice loaded with veggies, pork and eggs is a classic meal choice for all keto dieters.
Keto Snack Options After A Workout
A healthy keto snack is sometimes all you need for boosting your lost energy after your gym classes. If you are searching for an on-the-go snack option, here are a few for the post-workout session:
- Keto Snack bars: Infused with a perfect blend of protein, fat, and carbs, keto bars are a great snack option for all fitness freaks.
- Mixed Bowl Nuts: Rich in protein, fiber, and fat, these simple snack options are ideal for a quick bite after your gym.
- Fat Bombs: Constituted coconut oil, avocado, nut butter, these portable snacks can be added to your keto snack list.
- Flax Crackers: Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, these keto-friendly snacks are not just delicious but also invigorate your body.
Keto Shakes and Drink Options After a Workout
Hydrating your body before and after your workout while on keto is quite essential. Dehydration is the most frequent occurrence while on keto; hence it becomes doubly important to focus on your fluid intakes:
- Bone Broth: Infused with amino acids, this warm and healthy drink is an excellent source of nutrition post your workout session.
- Smoothies: A keto smoothie with a combination of mint or avocado with berries and whey protein is a great refreshing drink after a tiring workout day.
Next Steps
Post-workout refueling is imperative to retrieve the lost energy and glycogens. If you are a keto dieter or planning to be one, then post-workout nutrition should be your top priority to reap the health benefits and desired fitness.
Selecting the right amount of food intake would also depend upon your daily training volume. With portioned meals and keto-friendly snack options that involve a mix of micro and macronutrients, you can achieve maximum results in your workouts and keto diet.
FAQ
If you are a keto dieter and enjoy running, focusing on your overall wellness should be your priority. Foods like a veggie omelet, whey protein shake, grilled chicken with veggies, avocado egg salad are ideal for your post-run keto meal.
Yes, you can replenish glycogen without the use of carbs if you are on a ketogenic diet. Since you would follow a diet high in fat and low in carbs, your body reaches a state of ketosis. In such circumstances, your body would rely less on glucose and more on stored fat for energy.
Yes, to an extent. You can lose a pound a day while on keto. It would usually occur in the initial days of your keto diet and would require you to curb your food intake.
Ensure to add more veggies and fibrous food like broccoli, mushrooms, and greens to check your weight. You should also avoid processed foods and include snacks that have fresh and whole ingredients.
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