Post-workout meals

Your post-workout meal should be one that maximises your body’s ability to restore, refuel and rebuild. During exercise your body breaks down the muscle (protein) and uses up the energy stored (carbohydrates). Post-workout the objective is to optimise the work you’ve done training by restoring the “damage” or breakdown of the muscle.

The optimum intake in a post-workout meal is 10-20g protein and approximately 40g carbohydrates, or 1g/kg body weight. After a workout the body can benefit from a carbohydrate source higher in the glycaemic index (GI), such as white carbohydrates and not one high in fibre and fat as these take longer to break down in the stomach and thus prolong the time of absorption. After a workout, we want to quickly send out energy to the muscles!

Do you always need to eat a post-work out meal?

It depends on your goals and how often you exercise and your level of intensity in the workout. If you don’t have the opportunity to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner after a session a post-workout snack is ideal. The ideal timing of a snack is within an hour of your workout, but preferably earlier than that, 20-30minutes after, if possible.

Smoothies

Smoothies are an easy and perfect post-workout snack. They can be prepared in advanced and tailored to your tastebuds. Store it in a flask with a couple of ice cubes and it will be cold and fresh even after a few hours.

Tropical smoothie

Ingredients:
150g quark 0,1-0,4% fat
½ cup skimmed milk
100 gram fresh pineapple
1 orange

Method: Peel the orange and pineapple. Mix it all together using a blender or hand-held mixer. If you find the smoothie too thick add some water.

Nutritional value: Energy: 258 kcal – Protein: 23 g – Carbs: 35 g – Fat: 0,3 g

Blueberry smoothie with a hint of vanilla

Ingredients:
1 cup skimmed milk
150g natural quark 0,1-0,4%
½ cup blueberries (frozen ok)
1 date
1 pinch vanilla extract (sugar free)

Method: Mix it all together using a blender or hand-held mixer. If you find the smoothie too thick add some water. Remember to remove the pip in the date first!

Nutritional value: Energy: 247 kcal – Protein: 27 g – Carbs: 28 g – Fat: 1 g

Raspberry and mango smoothie

Ingredients:
150g natural quark 0,1-0,4%
½ cup skimmed milk
½ cup raspberry (frozen)
½ cup mango

Method: Mix it all together using a blender or hand-held mixer. If you find the smoothie too thick add some water.

Nutritional value: Energy: 217 kcal – Protein: 23 g – Carbs: 25 g – Fett: 0,3 g

Banana- and chocolate smoothie

Ingredients:
0,5 banana
30 gram chocolate flavoured protein powder
0,5 cup oats
1 cup skimmed milk

Method: Mix it all together using a blender or hand-held mixer. If you find the smoothie too thick add some water.

Nutritional value: Energy: 275 kcal – Protein: 27 g – Carbs: 27 g – Fat: 3 g

Quark meals

Fruit and quark snack

Ingredients:
150g natural quark 0,1-0,3%
0,5 cups raspberries
0,5 cups blueberries
10 raisins
1 pinch vanilla extract (sugar free)

Method: Mix the quark with some cold water for desired consistency. Add the vanilla extract and sprinkle with berries and raisins, ready to enjoy!

Nutritional value: Energy: 198 kcal – Protein: 25 g – Carbs: 19 g – Fat: 0,3 g

Egg snacks

Egg White Omelette with tomatoes

Ingredients:
100g fat free cottage cheese
1 cup egg white (liquid egg white ok)
5 cherry tomatoes
Herb salt
Black pepper
Chilli paste or flakes (optional)
1 orange

Method: Mix the egg white, cottage cheese and chilli and cook in a frying pan. Halve the tomatoes and dress the omelette. Season to taste and serve together with an orange.

Nutritional value: Energy: 219 kcal – Protein: 31 g – Carbs: 14 g – Fat: 1 g

Egg White Omelette with cheese

Ingredients:
1 cup egg white (liquid egg white ok)
30 gram low fat cheese
Fresh basil
Herb salt
Black pepper
100 gram Galia melon

Method: Grate the cheese. Whip the egg white together with the seasoning.

Add it to a frying pan and cook until desired consistency, finish off with the grated cheese and basil.

Serve it with the melon, or other fruit.

Nutritional value: Energy: 187 kcal – Protein: 29 g – Carbs: 7 g – Fat: 3 g

Scrambled eggs with spinach and roast beef

Ingredients:
1 cup egg white (liquid egg white ok)
2 tbs skimmed milk
Handful fresh spinach
¼ brown onion
50 gram roast beef
1 orange

Method: Mix the egg whites with the milk. Fry the onion until soft then add the spinach and cook until it’s wilted. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and stir quickly.

Serve with roast beef and a fresh orange.

Nutritional value: Energy: 243 kcal – Protein: 34 g – Carbs: 14 g – Fat: 1 g

Chicken dishes

Chicken fillet with apple and cottage cheese

This meal needs to be prepared in advance – perfect to do in bulk! Try marinating the chicken in garam masala.

Ingredients:
1 chicken fillet (approx 125 gram) oven cooked
½ cup fat free cottage cheese
½ apple
Herb salt
Black pepper

Method: Dice the chicken and apple, mix it together with the cottage cheese. Season to suit your taste buds.

Nutritional value: Energy: 237 kcal – Protein: 39 g – Carbsr: 9 g – Fat: 2 g

Chicken fillet with salad and quark

This meal needs to be prepared in advance – perfect for batch cooking!

Ingredients:
1 chicken fillet (approx 125 gram) oven cooked
½ cup quark 0,1-0,4%
20 g spinach
Garlic powder or fresh garlic
Herb salt
100 g pineapple

Method: Slice the chicken and place it on a plate together with the spinach. Mix the quark with some water for a consistency of a dressing. Season the dressing with garlic and herb salt. Dress the chicken and spinach with the dressing. Serve with the pineapple or other fruit.

Nutritional value: Energy: 247 kcal – Protein: 38 g – Carbs: 15 g – Fat: 1 g

Cottage cheese meals

Banana and cottage cheese

Ingredients:
150g fat free cottage cheese
1 medium sized banana

Method: Add banana to the cottage cheese. Enjoy!

Nutritional value: Energy: 246 kcal – Protein: 23 g – Carbs: 28 g – Fat: 3 g

Cottage cheese with tuna and rice cakes

Ingredients:
75g fat free cottage cheese
100 g tuna (in water)
3 natural wholegrain rice cakes
Black pepper
Herb salt

Method: Mix the tuna with the cottage cheese and season to taste. Eat the mixture on top of the rice cakes.

Nutritional value: Energy: 265 kcal – Protein: 36 g – Carbs: 21 g – Fat: 2 g

Green beans with cottage cheese and apple

Ingredients:
100 g edamame beans
150g fat free cottage cheese
1 apple

Method: Defrost the beans and mix them with the cottage cheese. Add the diced apple.

Nutritional value: Energy: 283 kcal – Protein: 27 g – Carbs: 28 g – Fat: 7 g

Ice cream meals

Banana and raspberry ice cream

This meal requires some preparation time by freezing the banana.

Ingredients:
1 banana
0,5 cup frozen raspberries
150g quark 0,1-0,4%
1 pinch vanilla extract (sugar free)

Method: Slice the banana and leave in freezer for a minimum of 1 hour. Use a blender to mix all the ingredients to the right consistency.

Nutritional value: Energy: 235 kcal – Protein: 21 g – Carbs: 33 g – Fat: 0 g

Blueberry ice cream

Requires some preparation time.

Ingredients:
150g quark 0,1-0,4%
0,5 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 pinch vanilla extract (sugar free)
1 tsp sweetener