3 Easy (and Tasty) Ways to Refuel After a Workout This Summer

Summer officially started last Friday, but it’s been underway in my house for a few weeks now. There’s something about a juicy nectarine, a plump heirloom tomato, and the smell of fresh basil that just pulls me into the kitchen at this time of year. And while it seems fun and exciting to utilize the bountiful summer harvest, I don’t blame you if you don’t quite know where to start, especially when it comes to eating for recovery after a workout.

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), I believe the path to building a balanced diet starts with nourishing your body throughout the day - including after a workout. And there’s plenty of research that shows the benefits of refueling your body properly after exercise and, for that matter, understanding key goals of recovery.

My strategy around recovery nutrition is fairly simple: Build post-workout snacks or meals to rebuild, refuel, and rehydrate - the 3 R’s, if you will. And while each workout session differs in how much it causes an individual to stimulate protein synthesis, to deplete muscle fuel stores, and to sweat, each of these areas needs to be addressed with recovery nutrition after every workout. You’ll find my favorite tips on building a plate to rebuild, refuel, and rehydrate with below.

1. Rebuild muscle and stimulate protein synthesis for muscle repair and adaptation by incorporating protein.

Choose your preferred, easy-to-prepare protein - rotisserie chicken, canned tuna, beans, cottage cheese - and build your recovery meal around this. Whether you’re using leftover meat you prepared for dinner the night before or you’re grabbing some tofu from the Whole Foods salad bar, consumption of protein after exercise is imperative in building and repairing muscle through stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Some of my favorite post-exercise protein options to rebuild with include:

• Eggs

• Garbanzo beans

• Canned tuna

• Leftover chicken

• Greek yogurt

• Cottage cheese

• Hummus

2. Refuel and restore muscle and liver glycogen stores by incorporating carbohydrates.

If all you can think of when you hear “carbohydrates” is bread, pasta, and pizza - you wouldn’t be wrong - but you may think you’ve found the best this macronutrient group has to offer. However, the carbohydrate-verse has juicy, fresh regions that are worth exploring too, especially in summer when fresh fruits and vegetables, containing natural sugars, are at their peak. No matter what you choose to incorporate - a fluffy cinnamon raisin bagel or fresh fruit and granola - make sure you aren’t skimping on the carbohydrates. In order to replace muscle glycogen stores that were depleted during exercise, we need to refuel our bodies with carbohydrates. Some of my favorite carbohydrates to refuel with are:

• Toast (whole wheat, sourdough, cinnamon raisin - whichever you prefer)

• Fresh fruit

• Granola

• Tortilla

• Pita

• Crackers

3. Rehydrate and replace fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat.

Rehydration after exercise is always important, but it’s especially important in the summer when the temperatures are higher. Most individuals finish an exercise session in the summer at least mildly dehydrated because their fluid intake is less than their rate of sweat loss. And let’s face it, few things taste better than a cold drink after a sweaty workout. While plain water is an excellent tool for rehydration, it’s important to remember to replace electrolytes - like sodium and potassium - that were lost in sweat as well. I like to use a variety of different options to rehydrate and replace electrolytes:

• Gatorade (or any sports drink - just make sure it has sodium and potassium)

• Water (about 4 cups) + salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) + lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon) + honey ( about 2 tablespoons)

• Coconut water

Once you’ve established some protein, carbohydrate, and fluid options, you’re ready for the fun part - building your recovery plate. First choose your protein source. Pair that with a carbohydrate that sounds tasty. Finally, choose an electrolyte-containing fluid to sip on. Wasn’t that easy? You’ve got yourself a high-quality recovery plate that will support you in rebuilding, refueling, and rehydrating. Some of my favorite recovery meal/snack combinations are:

• Eggs + toast + coconut water

• Greek yogurt (or cottage cheese) + fresh (summer!) fruit and granola + Gatorade

• Canned tuna + crackers + homemade electrolyte drink