Many of us leave the gym feeling drained and hungry after a workout. After putting in effort and burning calories, who wouldn’t want to dive into a big juicy burger right after your workout. Remember, the ultimate workout goal is to eat lesser calories than you burn and get rid of. The myth is that since your metabolism is all revved up, you can eat anything after a workout; it will burn up real fast.

Well, all of that can’t be untrue because after a workout and that also if you have been lifting weights, your metabolism is probably all tuned up, so if you want to indulge yourself with a fat cheese burger, this is probably the best time to do it.

But for the rest of us who don’t want to abuse their hard labour in doing a strenuous workout, there are plenty of healthy options to pick from if you feel like eating after a bout of exercise.

Quick and healthy snack ideas for cravings after you have worked out

Fruit and low-fat yogurt

Yogurt provides a good dose of protein with a small amount of fat, while the fruit provides you with carbs, vitamins and fibre. Have peaches, strawberries, apples and bananas; mash ’em up and add to yoghurt. Add honey if you don’t like the tangy fruit flavour.

Cereal with skim milk

Choose a high-fibre cereal like Weetabix or muesli. It is a good idea to keep it low sugar and low fat because we don’t want to pump in so many calories back into our system. Top it with low-fat milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk like almond, rice milk or soy milk available in super markets now) and you’re set!

Dried fruit and nuts

Nuts give you a protein punch as well as healthy fats. You can mix up raisins, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, dried, sliced coconut, pistachios, some salty and some not as long the total quantity is not more than a quarter cup. The salty and sweet mix is quite nice to satisfy cravings like toffee and salty popcorn available in cinemas!

Turkey / chicken sandwich

A simple turkey or chicken sandwich can often be the most satisfying snack to eat after a workout. Meat gives you protein and bread gives you carbs. Choose your bread wisely, be it brown, multigrain, oat and honey and add plenty of cucumber and tomato slices, romaine, iceberg or regular lettuce, which is a great way to sneak in veggies in your sandwich.

Veggie omelette

Nothing better than a quick omelette to give you a taste of protein and carbs; using yolk or whites is again a choice you can make. Both are an excellent source of protein. To add carbohydrate value, you can add tomatoes, spring onions, spinach and mushrooms. You can choose from an endless choice of flavours like dill, paprika, jalapenos or green chilli. Eat on its own or with a slice of wholegrain bread.

Fruit smoothie

Perhaps the easiest snack to prepare after a workout is to pop some low fat yoghurt in a blender with some protein powder if you like, and some frozen fruit. It is a great idea to save some bags of frozen strawberries, chopped up bananas, or even mango. The pretty colour, thick texture and refreshing taste will hook you to smoothies for sure.

Cheese and crackers

A plate of cheese and crackers works rather well, especially if you are craving for something salty after your work out; the trick here is to choose whole wheat crackers and low-fat or cottage cheese. You could add veggies, olives or smoked turkey or some shrimp for an ultra treat.

Energy bar

There is a huge variety of energy bars available that you can keep in your gym bag. It is usually a complete meal that you can carry around with you for an instant energy boost. It gets tricky since energy bars might offer lots of fibre which is really good but usually these also contain trans fats and a high-sugar content when brown sugar pairs with dried fruit, and then negate things with trans fats (really bad). And sugars, even dried fruit, do add up. Pick one with a high protein and carbohydrate content, healthy fat and low sugar.

Rice cakes

Rice cakes are an interesting way to get in your much-needed carbohydrates. Rice cakes generally are either loaded with sodium and artificial flavours or come bland and tasteless. However, the flavourless cakes are better as you can add proteins and fats to these snack cakes by topping them with peanut or almond butter, cottage cheese, pineapple chunks or bits of grilled chicken and roast beef. The best thing is that rice cakes are low in calories but very filling to eat.

Stir fry

There is no issue whatsoever if you want to pile in on veggies; go ahead, take your pick, use a few drops of olive oil and your favourite flavour like soy sauce, Sriracha sauce or peri-peri and cook up a wok full of goodness, colour, health and flavour in just a few minutes. It is a good idea to chop up veggies and keep them ready at hand. Button mushrooms and corn work well as they are small bits and can be used without the hassle of chopping.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 10th, 2016