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Post workout you need food to help you recoup lost energy and to help you recover. These recipes are a good place to start.

I’ve left all quantities out as you’ll know whether you’re cooking for one, saving some for later or batch cooking etc. Use these recipes as a guide and tweak them to fit your needs and tastes. Remember, food doesn’t have to be bland or boring!

Mac & Cheese

So much better than instant or preservative-packed microwave macaroni cheese this recipe is packed with protein and tastes great.

Ingredients:

  •  Wholemeal Pasta
  •  Peas
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Flour (to thicken)
  • Milk
  • Cheese (choose something with a tangy taste)
  • A pinch of mustard powder
  • Cooked chicken
  • Breadcrumbs to top

Method:

This is a quick throw-together meal.

  1. Boil your pasta
  2. Cook your vegetables
  3. Make up a cheese sauce using the milk, flour, cheese and mustard powder.
  4. Combine the pasta, sauce, cooked chicken and the vegetables.
  5. Top with breadcrumbs
  6. Finish under the grill
  7. Serve with a green salad

Tuna Cups

If you want something fast, filling, protein-packed and tasty this is the recipe for you. Make sure you use best quality tuna for Omega-3 power.

Ingredients:   

  • Can of tuna (in water/brine not oil)
  •  Gherkins   Hummus (natural or flavoured to suit your mood)
  •   Lemon juice
  • Black pepper
  • Sweetcorn
  • Diced tomato
  • Lettuce (Little gem lettuce leaves make great cups or use round lettuce leaves and turn cups into wraps).

Method:

Another quick post-workout recipe.

  1. Drain tuna and break the chunks up with a fork
  2. Combine tuna, chopped gherkins and diced tomato, sweetcorn and hummus in a bowl.
  3. Season to taste with lemon and black pepper
  4. Fill lettuce leaves with your mixture (crunchy thanks to the gherkins) or make lettuce wraps.

*Substitute tuna for salmon if you fancy a change and experiment with different chopped vegetables.

Make Your Own Cheese-Bomb Meatballs

Perfect for grabbing post-workout and also easy to batch make and freeze.

Ingredients:

  • Top grade beef mince
  •  Minced onion (garlic and oregano work well)
  •  Herbs
  • Egg
  • Cheddar or another “melting” cheese of your choice.

Method:

Ridiculously easy to make….

  1. Combine all of your ingredients in a bowl
  2. Use your hands (floured if necessary to avoid sticking) to flatten the mixture into a burger-like shape
  3. Pile the centre with cheese
  4. Shape the “burger” around the cheese to make a meatball
  5. Continue until all of your mixture has been used up.
  6. Bake on a flat tray on baking paper at *180 degrees until properly cooked through
  7. Serve with a tomato-based pasta salad and remember that the cheese inside will be very hot when you cut into the meatball.

*All ovens vary so alter the temperature to suit your own.

What are your favourite tasty post-workout meals that give you the energy boost you need, help you recover and tick the fruit, veg and nutrient boxes?

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