The workday is finally over and you have just finished 45 minutes of sweat-drenching, stress-busting exercise. Now your stomach is rumbling and the burning question is, “What’s for dinner?”
Ideally, a post-workout meal is a mix of muscle-building protein and energy re-fueling carbohydrates, but your late-day meal should have slightly less carbohydrates than one you would eat after a morning or noon workout. The reason: We are less active at night, and while we need enough carbs to replenish our glycogen stores, we don’t need extra energy when we go to sleep. Try these seven quick and easy meal ideas to get the perfect balance of protein and carbohydrates and boost your exercise recovery.
Ginger Stir-fry with Chicken & Bell Peppers over Brown Rice
Making a stir-fry is a no-brainer , and a great way to pack a lot of nutrients into one tasty meal. Start by sautéing some lean protein, such as diced chicken. Then toss in some fresh ginger for flavor. Another plus: Studies show ginger has a thermic effect, so it cranks up metabolism while promoting satiety. Stir in a sliced bell pepper for a healthy dose of vitamin C. Pour it all over brown rice and you get a nice kick of dietary fiber.
Nutritional Information: 3 oz. chicken, 1 cup bell peppers, 1/3 cup brown rice with 1 tsp shredded ginger: 230 calories, 3g fat, 0g saturated fat, 23g protein, 20g carbs, 5g fiber
Spinach Salad with Black Beans, Corn, Egg Whites, Tomato, & Onion
This hearty salad is meatless, yet it still serves up 30 grams of protein! Egg whites do the trick because five of them contain as much protein as a whole chicken breast. Beans are a complex carbohydrate that provide protein, too, as well as fiber that helps fill you up.
Nutritional Information: 2 cups spinach, 1/3 cup black beans, 1/3 cup corn, 5 chopped egg whites, 1 small tomato: 215 calories, 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 30g protein, 26g carbs, 11g fiber
Chicken Sausage over Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce & Broccoli
Pre-cooked, low-fat chicken sausages (with 3g fat or less) are a quick and tasty way to treat your muscles to the protein they need. Wind-down and dig-in Italian style by throwing sausage pieces over a cup of whole-wheat pasta, topped with tomato sauce and bits of broccoli. Broccoli is key, because this vegetable powerhouse is a great source of a sulfur compound that eases post-workout inflammation and helps relieve joint pain.
Nutritional Information: 1 Chicken Sausage, 1/3 cup Whole Wheat penne pasta with 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup broccoli: 280 calories, 5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 21g protein, 30g carbs, 8g fiber
Egg White, Feta, & Tomato Omelet with Cayenne Pepper
How about some breakfast for dinner? This Greek-inspired egg dish comes together in minutes and offers the perfect protein-carb combo, which is great for promoting muscle growth. Notably, feta cheese is rich in conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid and antioxidant that may promote abdominal fat loss. And cayenne pepper is known to raise your heart rate and metabolism by about 25% for up to three hours. Serve with whole-wheat toast for a healthy fiber boost.
Nutritional Information: 5 egg whites, 1 oz. feta, 1 small tomato, 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 slice whole-wheat toast: 250 calories, 9g fat, 4g saturated fat, 23g protein, 19g carbs, 9g fiber
Turkey, Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese, & Tomatoes on a Whole-Wheat Wrap
What meal isn’t better with melted cheese? Try this adult grilled cheese: Take sliced turkey, shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, and chopped tomatoes. Stuff into a whole-wheat wrap, and you get a hefty post-workout meal that tastes like comfort food. Turkey and low-fat cheese are great sources of lean protein for muscle growth. Whole-wheat wraps are healthy carbs—and some varieties pack as much as eight to 10 grams of belly-filling fiber.
Nutritional Information: 3 oz. sliced turkey, ¼ cup low fat shredded cheese, 1 small chopped tomato, 1 medium-sized high fiber whole-wheat wrap: 260 calories, 5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 33g protein, 18g carbs, 9g fiber
Grilled Salmon over Spinach & Whole-Wheat Couscous
Salmon is a light and lean protein that comes with a perk: Omega-3’s, which support heart health and have anti-inflammatory agents that help muscles recover following intense exercise. Paired with two high-fiber carbohydrates and vegetables, this kind of meal goes down easy and keeps you feeling full late into the night.
Nutritional Information: 4 oz. grilled salmon over 1 cup spinach, 1/3 cup whole-wheat cous- cous: 270 calories, 6g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 28g protein, 20g carbs, 7g fiber
Banana Peanut Butter Dream Shake
Here is how to have dessert for dinner—and not feel guilty about it. Make a creamy, sweet, and satisfying shake with a banana, Greek yogurt, milk, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, cinnamon, and honey. The milk and yogurt provide a potent one-two punch of carbs and lean protein. With bananas, you get a healthy complex carb that’s high in potassium, magnesium, and electrolytes, all essential for muscle function. Blending in some peanut butter gives your shake extra thickness and flavor and a boost of protein along with healthy fat.
Nutritional Information: 1 small banana, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup low-fat milk, 1 tbsp Peanut Butter, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp honey: 280 calories, 5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 16g protein, 30g carbs, 4g fiber
The workday is finally over and you have just finished 45 minutes of sweat-drenching, stress-busting exercise. Now your stomach is rumbling and the burning question is, “What’s fo