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What to eat

What to eat after a workout

The post-gym window gets talked about as a supplement problem. Treated as a restaurant problem it is simpler: you want a lot of protein, a real portion of carbohydrate, salt, and for it to arrive quickly, because you are hungrier than you expected and you are standing in a car park.

That combination is more common than it sounds, and it maps onto whole categories of restaurant rather than onto special “healthy” menus. A Korean bibimbap, a Turkish grill plate, a burrito bowl, a Japanese teishoku set, a Greek souvlaki plate, a rotisserie chicken with rice — all of these are a large grilled protein, a substantial starch and something sharp on the side, which is exactly the brief.

What you generally do not want is the salad-bar version, which is priced as a health product and leaves you hungry ninety minutes later. The useful filter is whether the portion of carbohydrate is a real one. A protein bowl with a spoonful of quinoa is a snack with a marketing budget.

Speed matters more than usual because appetite after training is sharp and short. A kitchen with a twenty-five minute wait will have you eating bread before the food arrives.

What to look for:

  • Grilled protein as the centre of the plate — Not a garnish on a salad. Chicken, beef, lamb, fish, tofu, eggs — cooked simply and in quantity.
  • A real portion of rice, bread or potato — The thing most “fitness” menus skimp on and the thing that actually ends the hunger.
  • Salt, and something sharp — Pickles, lemon, hot sauce, kimchi, salsa. You have lost salt and dull food will not satisfy.
  • Fast and counter-service — Appetite after training does not wait well.
  • Portion size mentioned in reviews — “Huge portions” in a review is the most reliable signal you will get for this.

What usually goes wrong

Small-plates restaurants, anywhere described as delicate, and the pre-made protein bowl at the front of a cooler. Also avoid eating in gym clothes somewhere formal — you will rush, which defeats the purpose.

What to eat

Worth considering here: Korean food, Mediterranean food, Mexican food, Japanese food, barbecue.