Making nutritious, pre-workout, protein-rich snacks in the post-workout helps stimulate hypertrophy and improve repair of muscle fibers, accelerating their development. This strategy should be used primarily by those who want to gain weight and increase the amount of muscle mass.
On the other hand, those who want to lose weight can also use this same strategy, but consuming a smaller amount of food to control their calorie intake.
Pre-Workout Snacks
In pre workout, the ideal is to have a meal rich in carbohydrates and with a little protein or good fats, which will help maintain energy throughout physical activity.
1. Yogurt with fruit and oats
A mixture of yogurt with 1 fruit and 1 or 2 tablespoons of oats provides a good amount of carbohydrate and protein to maintain energy before training. Natural yogurt, for example, has 7 g of protein in each unit, the same amount found in 1 egg.
For those who want to lose weight, the best choice is to take only the natural yogurt or mix it with fruit or oats, without putting everything together in one meal.
2. Milk with cocoa and toast
Cocoa milk and whole-grain toast is a great pre-workout snack because it provides protein from milk and carbohydrates of bread that will supply the energy muscles throughout the workout. In addition, cocoa is rich in antioxidants that will help in muscle recovery and prevent strong pains from appearing even after heavy workout.
To lose weight, milk with cocoa is enough to give energy and face the training. Another good option is to eat the brown bread toast with ricotta.
3. Banana Vitamin and Peanut Paste
Taking a vitamin from banana, milk and peanut paste is another pre-workout option that provides plenty of energy. Peanut paste is rich in protein, good fats and B-complex vitamins, which will increase energy production during physical activity. To get even more caloric, one can add oats to the vitamin.
For weight loss the best option is to make the vitamin only with milk and fruit as this reduces the calories while still maintaining a good amount of energy for the workout. See the benefits of peanut paste and how to use it.
Post-Training Snacks
In post-workout, a greater amount of protein, antioxidants and general calories are required to promote a rapid recovery of muscle mass and stimulate hypertrophy.
1. Sandwich with tuna pate
The tuna pate should be made by mixing the tuna with cottage cheese or natural yogurt, which can be seasoned with a pinch of salt, oregano and a string of olive oil. Tuna is rich in protein and omega-3, fat that has anti-inflammatory action and helps reduce muscle pain.
You should preferably use whole wheat bread, and you can also accompany this meal with a glass of natural unsweetened fruit juice. To lose weight, the sandwich is also a good option, but you should avoid taking the juice.
2. Have lunch or dinner
Lunch or dinner are great post-workout meals because they are complete and have large amounts of protein. By adding rice and beans, for example, in addition to having carbohydrate this combination also brings amino acids and proteins that will regain muscle mass.
In addition, in these meals one usually puts in good amounts of meat, chicken or fish, which foods rich in proteins. To complete, one should add vegetables and a strand of olive oil on the salad, which will bring good fat and antioxidants.
Who wants to lose weight can use as a meal only salad and meat, for example, or a vegetable soup with chicken or making pasta from zucchini. See 4 substitutes for rice and pasta.
3. Protein Omelet
Making an omelet is also a great choice for post-workout because it is fast, full of protein and gives a lot of satiety. A good way is to use 2 eggs for pasta, which can contain 1 or 2 tablespoons of oats to give more energy, and stuffing with shredded chicken, ground beef or grated cheese plus vegetables, for example. To accompany, you can have coffee with milk or a glass of natural fruit juice, without sweetening.
To lose weight, a vegetable or cheese omelette is an excellent choice, accompanied by a black coffee or tea without sugar.
Other protein-rich foods
See in this video more examples of high-protein foods and how to combine rice with different vegetables and grains to form an excellent source of protein:
