Building up strength and endurance is not just about exercising more often. You also have to pay attention to what you are putting in your body. Eating the right foods at right times can help your body recover or perform better. Additionally, eating the right foods helps you to avoid injury and illness.
So what are these magical foods you should eat after a morning run? A lot of people don’t know what they should eat and often end up eating foods that negate the calories they burned while running. Some people don’t eat at all, which can lead to sugar cravings or lethargy later on in the day. After a run, you should ideally focus on solid foods that contain a little fiber and protein, which helps your muscles rebuild and recover.
Remember that you need to eat the appropriate foods after different runs. If you are going on an easy run then you may want to eat a banana, smoothie bowl, or steel cut oats upon returning. It is integral to replenish calories sooner (within 30 minutes) upon returning from a longer, more intense run. Walnuts or avocados are great because they help to reduce inflammation and speed up recovery. Try eating the following foods after your runs and let us know how you feel in the comments below.
Bananas
If you are running, you need carbohydrates, but you want to try and get them from healthy sources. One banana is made up of 23% carbohydrates. You may need to add two bananas to a smoothie, along with some raw almond butter, raw cacao powder, spinach, and homemade almond milk to replenish your carbs after a workout.
Almonds
Almonds are a favorite snack among runners because they are great sources of antioxidants, energy, and they help to lower cholesterol. We don’t recommend solely eating almonds after a run, but you can incorporate them or raw almond butter into a meal. Try adding almonds to chia pudding or makr a bowl of oatmeal with raw almond butter.
Oatmeal
Speaking of oatmeal, it is a great breakfast option after a morning run because it contains healthy carbs, protein, and dietary fiber. Make sure you are using steel cut oats and not oatmeal packets, which are typically filled with processed and enriched ingredients. You think they are healthy but they aren’t! You can have added benefits by adding bananas, almonds, or fresh blueberries to your oatmeal.
Green Vegetables
There’s nothing wrong with starting your day with some vegetables. Green vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, protein, complex carbs, and an array of vitamins and minerals. You may not fantasize about a kale smoothie upon returning from your morning run, but green vegetables help to boost immunity and build leaner muscles. Try adding spinach, kale, chard, or romaine lettuce to your fruit smoothies in the morning.
Berries
Whether you like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or all three, berries are great sources of antioxidants. Not only do they promote heart health, but they also provide you with a healthy dose of vitamin C, which works to nourish cells in the body. You can eat berries however you want, but we like them fresh or in smoothies.
