THE CARNIVORE DIET BENEFITS
Whether you’re training for your sport or just trying to pack on some healthy weight, you need the best post-workout snacks - otherwise, your time in the gym is a waste! After all, muscles grow through nutrition. You can’t get bigger, stronger, faster, or better without diet dialed in.
The best recovery snacks for athletes check two boxes:
- Plenty of protein to support muscle repair
- Enough carbs to restore glycogen and refuel energy
We’ve handpicked the best recovery foods for athletes, from easy grab-and-go options like meat chips to Greek yogurt with nuts and fruit, cottage cheese, simple sandwiches, eggs, and much, much more. Tap into your full athletic potential with our nutritional insights below!
Key Takeaways
- The best post-workout snack combines protein and carbs from whole food sources.
- You want 20-40g of protein within 30-60 minutes of finishing your workout.
- Whole foods are always better than protein bars or shakes. Those are loaded with processed junk, and their only appeal is convenience.
- Carnivore Snax meat chips are convenient AND made from just two whole-food ingredients - meat and salt. They’re the best recovery snacks for athletes by far.
A Quick Word on Pre-Workout Nutrition
We know you came here looking for the best recovery foods, but it all starts with pre-workout nutrition. You want to eat something light yet nutrient-dense 1-2 hours before training to fuel your body for what’s to come.
Carbs are the essential macronutrient here. Make sure you’re plenty hydrated going into the workout as well. But recovery is where the real progress comes from. And while your workout sets the stage, your post-workout nutrition is what actually ensures you get the results you want.
Best Recovery Snacks For Athletes After a Tough Workout
You’d think it’s as simple as drinking protein powder or chomping down a protein bar. They check the protein box, after all. And it doesn’t get a whole lot more convenient than these options. But they’re NOT the best recovery snacks for athletes.
Our biggest gripe with them is the processed junk you’ll see on the label. Most of that protein is either incomplete (so your body can’t actually use it) or synthetically formulated (gross). You deserve better. Here are some of the best unprocessed snacks to buy for after your workout.
Meat Chips
These carnivore chips are the best post-workout snack without question. You get a heap of protein and healthy fats to jumpstart recovery, and they’re just as convenient as protein bars - and even more convenient than protein shakes.
Carnivore Snax consist of just two ingredients - regeneratively raised meat and Redmond Real Salt. No preservatives, artificial flavors, or any other nonsense. Just real food ingredients your body recognizes.
They’re absolutely delicious, too. We see a lot of people call them meat pastries because they start out light and airy before melting in your mouth as the umami flavor takes over your taste buds. Plus, there are a ton of varieties to choose from, so you never get bored!
You get 10-21g of protein per serving (depending on cut). Pair them with some carbs for energy and you have a complete post-workout meal that fuels your body’s natural recovery process.
Greek Yogurt With Nuts and Fruit
You can’t go wrong with greek yogurt after a workout, especially when you add some nuts and fruit into it for extra flavor, texture, and nutrition. A cup of greek yogurt on its own has 15-20g of protein alongside carbs. You get even more well-rounded nutrition by adding your own toppings.
The protein-to-calorie ratio makes Greek yogurt one of the top cutting snacks around if you’re looking to shed some unwanted fat without sacrificing lean muscle mass.
Any Sort of Eggs
Eggs are a superfood, and they’re also one of the best snacks for athletes on any budget. You get 6g of complete protein per egg, healthy fat, and choline alongside other fat-soluble vitamins in the yolk. You can get in the habit of hard-boiling a batch at the start of each week and eat 3-4 after your workout for rapid nutrition.
Clean Protein Shakes or Bars
We already told you our beef with protein shakes and bars in general. But there are some really good options out there if you look hard enough. You just have to be willing to pay the premium for them, too. Clean protein bars and shakes are super expensive, but this is the only variety worth adding to your regimen if you’re going this route.
Cottage Cheese Bowl
It’s definitely not for everyone - the texture is tough to stomach. But cottage cheese is packed with powerful nutrients you need to recover. Casein protein slowly feeds your muscles over the course of a few hours, compared to whey protein that digests pretty much right away (and may not get fully used by your body by the time it’s excreted).
Half a cup gives you about 14g of protein. Mix in berries or pineapple for carbs and flavor. Not glamorous, but few things match it for a post-workout snack under $2!
DIY Trail Mix
Don’t bother with the glorified candy from the store. You want to make your own so you can control what goes into the trail mix. Nuts and jerky for protein, dried fruit for carbs and flavor. This is one of the better shelf-stable options on our list of the best recovery snacks for athletes.
Deli Meat Sandwich
Maybe you need a little more food than a quick snack. You can’t go wrong with a quick sandwich, made from turkey, ham, roast beef, salami, whatever you prefer from the deli.
Just don’t confuse deli meat for whole meat. A lot of it is loaded with nitrates and preservatives, so eat it sparingly - and consider buying from a good butcher instead of your local supermarket.
Cheese Stick With Nuts and/or Fruit
String cheese gives you about 7g of protein per stick. Pair it with an apple or a handful of almonds for a balanced recovery snack that gets the job done when you don’t have anything else on hand.
Timing Your Post-Workout Snack
We want to be clear that the “anabolic window” gets way overhyped. You’re not going to shrivel up and lose your gains if you don’t chug a whey protein shake within 5 minutes of finishing your last set. But timing does matter to some extent.
You just want to get protein and carbs within 30-60 minutes of training if possible. Especially if your last meal was 3+ hours before your workout.
What if I’m Not Hungry?
It’s not uncommon to end a workout with zero appetite, which sounds strange - but hard training can sometimes dull your appetite. Unfortunately, that’s not an excuse to skip your recovery nutrition. You have to get your post-workout snack in no matter what it takes.
Bottom Line on the Best Recovery Foods
There you have it, the best recovery snacks for athletes! You don’t need anything exotic or expensive. Protein and carbs from real food sources within an hour of training - it’s really that simple.
Our blog has more resources on snacks for carnivore diet, anti-inflammatory snacks, healthy salty snacks, and more if you’re curious. Otherwise, all that’s left to do is get the best post-workout snacks at Carnivore Snax today!
