6 Tasty Muscle Recovery Foods to Snack on Post BJJ

Muscle recovery foods shouldn’t be rocket science, getting good at bjj is hard enough. 

In this article, we’ve done our best to make post workout nutrition a little bit easier for you. The better you eat, the better your body will perform and recover, and that means you can spend more time on the mats.  

Here are 6 foods to add to your grocery list for post workout snacks, as well as 4 cookbooks and 3 nutrition YouTube channels to help you grow your understanding of how to eat to maximize muscle recovery for bjj. 

So, sit tight, grab a snack (a healthy one, please), and keep reading! 

Top 6 Muscle Recovery Foods You Should Snack on Post Workout

These are 6 of the best foods to maximize muscle recovery for bjj (in no particular order). Eat them separately, combine them – just try to get them in post workout and you’ll be back on the mats in no time, fueled, recovered, and ready for more hard training!

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal can be a great base to start with when building your post workout meals. A good source of complex carbohydrates, oatmeal can be paired with fruits, nuts, and nut butters to make a delicious and healthy snack. 

What’s more – oatmeal is extremely cost-efficient per serving, and one heaping scoop of dry oats gives your body a lot of carbohydrates to work with. 

You can also add protein powder to your oatmeal to make a quick, tasty, and easy to consume snack post workout. Some people use this type of mixture to make protein pancakes or even a type of healthy protein cookie. 

With oatmeal, your options are almost endless. 

2. Bananas

Bananas are one of the easiest sources of carbohydrates post workout. They’re easy to transport, they’re inexpensive, and they’re packed with important nutrients like Potassium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C. 

On their own, bananas prove to be a great post workout snack. But they’re also great to add in to other meals too. Throw one into your oatmeal and see how the textures and tastes combine and thank us later!  

Smoothies are another great option for post workout nutrition, and bananas are often found at the base of these delicious fruit concoctions. 

If you’re not already, make sure you start to put bananas on your grocery list. The nutrient density of this awesome fruit will do wonders to maximize muscle recovery for bjj. 

3. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are definitely a staple of post workout bjj nutrition. Just a spoonful of this superfood comes packed with valuable Magnesium, Iron, and Calcium. Not only that, but chia seeds are also a great source of polyunsaturated fat, protein, and dietary fiber. 

If you don’t have chia seeds at home already, I bet you’re considering why it’s taken you this long to jump on the chia train! 

Building on our list of awesome foods, chia seeds can be easily added to an oatmeal or smoothie mixture. The seeds will absorb water and grow slightly, creating a softer texture. 

Pick up a bag and see how just a spoonful can boost the quality of your post workout snack. 

4.Blueberries or Raspberries

Great sources of antioxidants, berries can be a great way to consume important carbohydrates post workout. When it comes to muscle recovery for bjj, antioxidants are crucial for making sure the body is repairing damage from difficult workouts – and that starts with quality post workout nutrition. 

Blueberries and raspberries are great on their own or mixed with other fruit. Likewise, these two berries are a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or a smoothie. 

Buy fresh and local when they’re in season, or get some frozen and find different ways to incorporate them into your post workout snacks. 

5. Spinach

Ok, so spinach may not be that tasty if you add it into your oatmeal. But spinach can act as a great addition to your post workout smoothie, along with fruits, oats, protein powder, and more. 

The leafy green vegetable comes packed with important nutrients, such as Potassium, and Vitamins B, C, and A. 

Make a quick salad, add it into a smoothie, or throw your spinach in the frying pan with some eggs. Just find a way to get that spinach in post workout and your body will thank you! 

6. Taro Root

Taro Root is a purple root vegetable that you may not be too familiar with. Similar to a sweet potato, this can be a great addition to any hot protein meal post workout, such as meat, fish, or tofu. 

A source of carbohydrate and fibre, taro root can be the base of a quick and healthy post workout meal. 

Pick some up today and see how you can integrate it into your diet to maximize your muscle recovery for bjj. 

Bonus: Acai

How could we not mention Acai in a list of the best foods for muscle recovery for bjj?!

The Brazilian super-fruit comes in the form of a small purple berry that is often made into a type of puree or juice. Acai is incredibly popular in the bjj community, and is a staple of the post workout diet for the bjj lifestyle. 

What’s more, acai is loaded with antioxidants. This berry is nutrient dense and delicious, and needs to be on your post workout snack list if it isn’t already. 

4 Cookbooks and Diets for Muscle Recovery Post Workout

Don’t have any old dusty cookbooks at home to guide your eating habits post workout? We’ve got you covered – check out these 4 books for some great information on eating for muscle recovery. 

1. Fit Men Cook by Kevin Curry 

Fitness influencer Kevin Curry adds to his already extremely popular app, FitMenCook, with this awesome cookbook. In the book, Curry shares more than 100 simple yet delicious recipes that make meal prep a breeze. 

Curry gives you a clear outline of how to handle the ins and outs of your diet – from grocery shopping to being prepared for common obstacles that can get in the way of healthy eating. 

Don’t be fooled by the title – men and women alike can benefit from Curry’s nutritional advice. Likewise, this can be a great tool for learning how to eat post workout for optimal muscle recovery for bjj.  

Learn how to make your next meal prep quick, easy, inexpensive, and tasty with Fit Men Cook – get your copy here.

2. Run Fast, Eat Slow by Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky

Shalane Flanagan is a long-distance runner, a 4-time Olympian, Olympic silver medalist, and NYC Marathon champion, and she knows a few things about nutrition and diet. Put her with chef and writer Elyse Kopecky, and out comes a New York Times Bestselling cookbook. 

Filled with more than 100 mouth-watering recipes, Run Fast, Eat Slow also includes nutritional tips, anecdotes, and stories from the two authors. What’s more, all of the recipes are made without any refined sugar or flour! Post workout meals, snacks, and drinks just got a whole lot tastier, healthier, and easier to make. 

Get your copy of Run Fast, Eat Slow here, and see all the ways it can improve your post workout eating habits. 

3. Intermittent Fasting by Sebastian Beach

Besides acai, intermittent fasting appears to be one of the most popular dietary trends in bjj and martial arts athletes lately. This type of diet emphasizes reducing the amount of time an individual spends eating each day. Some people reduce their eating window to 8 hours, while others fast for even longer, only allowing themselves to eat during 4 or 6 hour windows each day. 

Author Sebastian Beach walks you through the science of intermittent fasting, and explains why you can continue to eat the foods you love while also losing weight and living a healthier life by following this eating pattern. 

In this case, post workout nutrition for muscle recovery for bjj may have more to do with how you’re eating for the rest of the day. 

Check out Intermittent Fasting today – get your copy here and see how this style of eating can change your post workout recovery and overall performance. 

4. Plant Based Cookbook for Athletes by Charlie Lambert

Ready to leave meat behind? Or, do you just want to start adding some more plant-based meals into your diet? Plant Based Cookbook for Athletes is a great place to start, whether you’re a die-hard vegan or someone just looking to eat a bit healthier. 

Author Charlie Lambert provides more than 100 protein-packed recipes ideal for meeting an athlete’s dietary needs. The question of whether or not a vegan athlete can build muscle without eating meat is far in the past! 

Take your nutrition to the next level with these awesome plant-based meals. See what whole-foods can do for your post workout muscle recovery for bjj. Get your copy of Plant Based Cookbook for athletes here. 

3 Nutrition YouTube Channels for Muscle Recovery Post Workout 

Cookbooks can be great tools, but not everyone wants to flip through food-stained pages to learn about how to eat well. Instead, check out these 3 awesome YouTube channels to learn more about cooking, eating, and muscle recovery for bjj. 

1. Fit Men Cook (Kevin Curry)

Kevin Curry is out here giving us awesome nutrition advice, recipes, and diet hacks on multiple platforms! You can learn from him by getting his bestselling app FitMenCook, his cookbook Fit Men Cook (reviewed above), and his popular YouTube Channel of the same name.  

Curry’s on-screen charisma makes his channel a must-follow. Check his videos out to find all sorts of recipes for healthy and delicious meals, snacks, and treats. 

Try some of these out post workout and see how it helps your recovery and performance. You can’t beat healthy, simple, and inexpensive meals like these for muscle recovery for bjj. Check out the Fit Men Cook YouTube channel here.

 

2. Simnett Nutrition (Derek Simnett)

Vegan nutritionist Derek Simnett points you in the right direction when it comes to at-home plant-based cooking.  Leave out the meat – not the flavour – with these tasty and nutritious vegan meals. 

Simnett offers dozens of meal recipes, along with videos that track his daily eating habits. Follow along so that you can get a full view of how to put together an athlete’s diet without relying on meat and animal products for fuel. 

Put your protein shaker aside and try some of these plant-based meals to have better muscle recovery for bjj. Check out the Simnett Nutrition YouTube channel here. 

3. Built With Science (Jeremy Ethier)

Jeremy Ethier offers the perfect blend of training and nutritional advice videos on his YouTube channel, Built With Science. Certified by NASM and FMS, and with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Ethier takes a methodical approach to breaking down the important elements for successful training and diet.  

Take the confusion out of eating and begin to understand how to ace your post workout nutrition with these great videos. Use the principles you learn here to increase your knowledge about fueling your body for muscle recovery for bjj.  

Check out the Built With Science YouTube Channel here. 

There’s a lot of information out there on nutrition, especially with access to the internet at our fingertips. Be critical of what you read, see, and hear, and make sure you’re trying things for yourself to see what works best for you. And as always, be safe and reasonable with things. If you’re ever really not sure about something, seek out the help of a trained professional. For those looking for an additional way to help their muscle recovery, we strongly suggest yoga for bjj. 

Enjoy content like this? Check out this article from The Amino Company on muscle recovery recipes, which we think you will truly appreciate! 

 

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