# Post workout meal: what to eat, how much, and when

You don’t need a special recovery food. You need a meal that fits the session you just finished, and most of the math is already done below.

Source: https://nourishandstrong.com/post-workout-meal
Published: 2026-11-07
Updated: 2026-11-07
By: the Nourish & Strong team
General information, not medical advice.

**The short answer:** a good post workout meal gives you 20g to 40g of protein plus some carbohydrate, within a few hours of training. That’s usually an ordinary meal, such as chicken and rice or eggs on toast. If you trained on an empty stomach, eat soon after. Long endurance sessions call for more carbohydrate.

Below you’ll find 12 meals with the numbers worked out, then the amounts that suit your kind of training.

## What is a good post workout meal?

It’s one with enough protein for the muscle you worked, carbohydrate that matches the fuel you burned, and food you’ll actually want to eat. We worked out these 12 meals from USDA food data, using the portions shown. They’re sorted from lowest to highest carbohydrate. The top half suits most strength sessions. The bottom half suits long runs, rides and swims.

| Meal | Protein | Carbs | Calories |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Salmon (4 oz), a medium baked potato, 1/2 cup peas | 33g | 48g | 456 |
| 3 hard-boiled eggs, 2 slices whole-wheat toast, an apple | 27g | 52g | 480 |
| Tuna sandwich (1 can tuna, 1 tbsp light mayo, 2 slices whole-wheat bread), an apple | 41g | 53g | 446 |
| Chicken breast (4 oz), 1 cup white rice, 1 cup broccoli | 43g | 56g | 446 |
| Cottage cheese (1 cup), 1 cup pineapple, 2 slices whole-wheat toast | 33g | 58g | 419 |
| Firm tofu (1/2 cup), 1 cup white rice, 1/2 cup mixed vegetables, 1 tsp sesame oil | 29g | 60g | 486 |
| Nonfat Greek yogurt (9 oz), a banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 tbsp honey | 28g | 64g | 361 |
| Lean ground turkey (3 oz), 1 1/2 cups spaghetti, 1/2 cup marinara | 36g | 67g | 541 |
| Oatmeal (1 cup cooked), 1 cup 1% milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, a banana | 23g | 74g | 565 |
| Black beans (1 cup), 1 cup brown rice, 1 oz cheddar | 27g | 93g | 590 |
| 2 cups low-fat chocolate milk, a banana, 1 slice toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter | 26g | 94g | 597 |
| Lentils (1 cup), 1 cup white rice, 1/2 cup mixed vegetables | 25g | 96g | 494 |

Brands and cooking methods will shift these numbers a little. Treat them as a guide.

## Should you eat before or after a workout?

Either can work, and the two meals affect each other. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) says the size and timing of your pre-workout meal may change how much you need protein afterward. A meal eaten 1 to 2 hours before training can still be digesting well into your recovery, so it can do part of the job.

Session length is the best guide. A 2018 meta-analysis of 46 studies found eating beforehand improved prolonged aerobic exercise, but not shorter aerobic sessions. So eat first before a long run or ride. Before a short gym session, go with what feels right.

The trials on timing are covered in our guide to [protein before or after a workout](https://nourishandstrong.com/protein-shake-before-or-after-workout), and the same logic applies to food.

## How much protein and carbs should you eat after a workout?

It depends on the session. These amounts come from two ISSN position stands, with examples for a 154lb (70kg) person.

| Your session | Protein | Carbohydrate | At 154lb / 70kg |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Strength training | 20g to 40g, or 0.25g to 0.40g per kg | No set target. Eat your usual portion | About 20g to 30g protein, with the rice or potato you’d normally have |
| Regular cardio, with a day to recover | Same 20g to 40g, every 3 to 4 hours through the day | No timed target if your daily food matches your training | Your normal next meal |
| Exhausting endurance, training again within 4 hours | 0.2g to 0.4g per kg an hour, added to the lower carb amount | 1.2g per kg an hour, or 0.8g per kg an hour with protein | 84g carbs an hour, or 56g carbs with 14g to 28g protein |
| 8 or more hours of training a week | 1.4g to 2.0g per kg a day | 8g to 12g per kg a day | 98g to 140g protein and 560g to 840g carbs a day |

Why does strength training get no carb number? Lifting does burn stored carbohydrate. In one study, 6 sets of leg extensions cut it by 39% in a thigh muscle. Still, the ISSN calls these drops modest next to exhausting endurance work, and several studies of extra carbs around lifting found no boost in performance. One exception was a second lifting session on the same day, so carbs may matter more if you train twice.

Adding protein to carbs may refill stored fuel faster, though mainly when carbs are low. A 2018 review found the clearest gains at 0.8g per kg an hour or less. For endurance, the ISSN also suggests about 0.25g of protein per kg for each hour of exercise, to ease soreness and muscle damage.

Keep the bigger picture in mind. The ISSN puts total daily protein ahead of timing. If you’re unsure of your number, start with [how much protein you need](https://nourishandstrong.com/how-much-protein-do-i-need). The ISSN also notes that most carbohydrate advice is based on male endurance athletes, so adjust to how you feel and perform.

## What should you eat if you train fasted?

Have protein and carbohydrate soon after you finish. The case for eating quickly is strongest here. A 2013 review explains that after an overnight fast, your body is short of amino acids going into the workout, and muscle breakdown climbs in the hours after. The authors say it makes sense to eat promptly.

Today, try this: keep one no-cook option ready. The yogurt bowl or the eggs on toast work well, and our [high-protein breakfast ideas](https://nourishandstrong.com/high-protein-breakfast-ideas) give you plenty more.

**If you have diabetes, get specific advice first.** MedlinePlus says exercise can lower blood sugar for up to 12 hours afterward, and it can drop too low if you take medicines that lower blood sugar. Keep a fast snack nearby, and ask your care team how to manage your medicines around training.

## Should you eat after a workout at night?

Yes, if you’re hungry or you haven’t had dinner. Your choice mostly comes down to how close bed is.

| Time until bed | What to eat |
| --- | --- |
| 3 hours or more | A full meal from the table above |
| 1 to 3 hours | Something smaller: 1 cup cottage cheese (24g protein, 183 calories) or 9 oz Greek yogurt (26g protein, 150 calories), plus fruit |
| You get heartburn | Eat earlier and lighter. The NHS advises no food within 3 or 4 hours of bed |

Protein near bedtime still counts toward your goals. The ISSN says 30g to 40g of casein before sleep can raise overnight muscle protein building. In a 12-week lifting trial, young men taking casein at night gained more muscle and strength, but they also ate more protein overall. When a later trial matched protein, morning and evening doses gave similar results. So a night snack is simply a useful way to reach your daily total.

Sleep is the other thing to protect. In one study reviewed in 2016, higher fat intake close to bedtime was linked with worse sleep in men, so a lighter plate may suit you better. In a wearable study of 14,689 people, hard workouts ending within about 4 hours of sleep were linked with later, shorter sleep. That study can’t prove cause, but an easier session may be worth trying on late nights.

If you’re following a [push pull legs routine](https://nourishandstrong.com/push-pull-legs-routine) or just starting [strength training](https://nourishandstrong.com/strength-training-for-beginners), pick 2 or 3 meals from the table and rotate them. If you’d rather have the planning done for you, [The Menopause Meal Plan](https://nourishandstrong.com/menopause-meal-plan) lays out 4 weeks of high-protein meals with grocery lists and prep plans.

## Quick questions

### How long after a workout should you eat?

Within a few hours is fine if you ate beforehand. The ISSN says muscles stay sensitive to protein for at least 24 hours after lifting, and that waiting several hours offers no benefit. If you trained fasted, eat soon after you finish. Your next normal meal usually covers everything else.

### Does a post workout meal matter?

Yes, but it matters less than your whole day of eating. The ISSN ranks daily protein, at 1.4g to 2.0g per kg for exercising people, above any timing strategy. One late meal won’t undo a session. A regular post workout meal simply makes your daily target easier to reach.

### What is the best post workout meal for muscle gain?

Choose a meal with 20g to 40g of protein, the range the ISSN links with strong muscle protein building, alongside regular strength training. Chicken with rice and broccoli gives 43g, and a tuna sandwich with an apple gives 41g. Spacing similar meals every 3 to 4 hours helps too.

### Can I eat a banana after a workout at night?

Yes. A medium banana has about 27g of carbohydrate and 105 calories, based on USDA data, but only 1g of protein. It works better with a protein food, such as Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. If you get heartburn, the NHS advises not eating within 3 or 4 hours of bed.

### Can I eat rice after a workout at night?

Yes. A cup of cooked white rice has about 45g of carbohydrate, based on USDA data, and it pairs well with chicken, tofu or lentils. Small studies have linked higher-carbohydrate evening meals with falling asleep faster, though results are mixed. Leave a few hours before bed if a large meal disturbs your sleep.

### Can I eat eggs after a workout at night?

Yes. Two large hard-boiled eggs give about 13g of protein and 155 calories, based on USDA data. That falls short of the ISSN’s 20g to 40g range, so add a third egg and some whole-wheat toast, as in the table above, if this is your main recovery meal.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, kidney disease, reflux or another health condition, or you’re pregnant, talk with your doctor or dietitian about what to eat around exercise.

## Sources

- [Kerksick CM et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4)
- [Jäger R et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8)
- [Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2013](https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-5)
- [Aird TP et al. Effects of fasted vs fed-state exercise on performance and post-exercise metabolism. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2018](https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13054)
- [Alghannam AF et al. Restoration of muscle glycogen and functional capacity: role of post-exercise carbohydrate and protein co-ingestion. Nutrients, 2018](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020253)
- [Leota J et al. Dose-response relationship between evening exercise and sleep. Nat Commun, 2025](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58271-x)
- [St-Onge MP et al. Effects of diet on sleep quality. Adv Nutr, 2016](https://doi.org/10.3945/an.116.012336)
- [USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy data](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/)
- [MedlinePlus: Diabetes and exercise](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000083.htm)
- [NHS: Heartburn and acid reflux](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heartburn-and-acid-reflux/)