Post-Workout Meals, Snacks and Smoothie Recipes

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What to Eat After a Workout

A healthy diet is important at all stages of working out. This includes several fundamental rules cited by Mayo Clinic: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, consume lean proteins, eat healthy fats, get your whole-grain carbohydrates, and drink plenty of fluids, especially water.

For proper workout recovery, you need to replenish the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body used – especially after strenuous exercise. Nutritious foods like blueberries can give you a boost in post-workout meals, snacks and smoothies.

Why Blueberries for Workout Recovery?

Blueberries offer all kinds of healthy benefits to complement an active lifestyle. At just 80 calories per cup, they’re a good source of fiber, and they’re low in sodium, with virtually no fat. However, blueberries are especially good to eat after exercise thanks to three key nutrients that are critical to workout recovery.

  • Manganese: can help support energy production; can protect cells from oxidative stress (causes inflammation and metabolic damage, which can slow down recovery from muscle strain and injury).
  • Vitamin C: has antioxidant properties that help support immunity and promote healthy skin and connective tissue.
  • Anthocyanins: give blueberries their beautiful blue color.

Now that’s a boost of blue! And, we’re not the only ones talking about blueberry nutrition. New research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition explores the effect that blueberries may have on enhancing exercise performance and workout recovery.

Honestly, you can feel good about enjoying blueberries every day, whether you’re refueling at the gym or just relaxing on the couch. But, if you’re striving for a healthy diet to support endurance and proper workout recovery, we can help you get started. These 6 blueberry recipes are delicious and nutritious – perfect to eat after workouts.

Post-Workout Meals

When you’re considering what to eat after a workout, these recipes offer a hearty option for a meal or component of a meal, depending on your individual needs.

Blueberry Balsamic Chicken Wrap

Blueberry Balsamic Chicken Wrap
Try this Blueberry Balsamic Chicken Wrap, and your workout recovery time might just be your favorite time of the day. Packed with fresh ingredients, this wrap combines tangy balsamic vinaigrette with sweet blueberries, savory feta, and crisp basil. It’s easy to assemble, easy to pack and easier to love.

Calories per serving: 300

Macro nutrients per serving:

ProteinFatCarbs
26g11g27g

Blueberry Pistachio Parfait

Blueberry Pistachio Parfait
You may not be on the beach right now, but you can channel the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean with a Blueberry Pistachio Parfait. Layering salty pistachios, creamy Greek yogurt, sweet-tart blueberries, and fragrant honey gives you a dish that’s pleasing to the eye and your taste buds. Enjoy as post-workout meals at breakfast time – or delicious, anytime snacks or desserts!

Calories per serving: 320

Macro Nutrients per serving:

ProteinFatCarbs
21g11g39g

Post-Workout Snacks

Blueberries make nutritious – and delicious – post-workout snacks. Just rinse a handful and enjoy! No peeling or slicing required. For more inspiration, the following recipes offer equally packable, snackable options.

5 Ingredient Blueberry Protein Muffins

5 Ingredient Blueberry Protein Muffins
Looking for a workout recovery boost? Just want to sneak more protein in your diet? We’ve got the most yummy solution. These 5 Ingredient Blueberry Protein Muffins combine fresh, sweet-tart blueberries with the warm flavors of almond butter and vanilla Greek yogurt. You’ll love that they’re oh-so-easy to make – and take on the go.

Calories per serving: 140

Macro Nutrients per serving:

ProteinFatCarbs
5g7g18g

Easy No-Bake Glazed Blueberry Oat Bars

You don’t need packaged bars for post-workout snacks. You’re a kitchen genius. And you’ll love these easy no-bake glazed blueberry oat bars! They’re healthy and a good source of fiber. Kids and adults are into them. And they make a tasty, on-the-go treat. Whip up easy no-bake glazed blueberry oat bars for the gym, school lunch, or your next road trip. Anytime, really!

Calories per serving: 90

Macro Nutrients per serving:

ProteinFatCarbs
2g3g15g

Post-Workout Smoothies

For a quick, easy boost, you can’t beat post-workout smoothies! These recipes are simple to make and take on the go, helping you get the nutrition you need after exercise even on the busiest of days.

Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie

Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie
For a creamy, comforting treat, you’ll love this Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie. The starring flavors come from fresh ginger and turmeric, but bananas and blueberries bring the sweetness (and just a pop of tart). With almond milk as the base, this smoothie is perfect for anyone looking for dairy-free options to start their day – or considering what to eat after a workout.

Calories per serving: 190

Macro Nutrients per serving:

ProteinFatCarbs
4g3g39g

Blueberry Milk

Take your beverage game to the next level with Blueberry Milk – yes, we count this in the category of post-workout smoothies! The smooth, creamy combination of milk, blueberries, maple syrup and vanilla offer delicious motivation to get your serving of dairy – or just add a little variety to your glass. To really mix it up, try adding Blueberry Milk to your cereal, smoothie or even a creamy cocktail. You can also grab a boost of blue with nondairy options; we recommend soy, cashew or coconut milks.

Calories per serving: 170

Macro Nutrients per serving:

ProteinFatCarbs
9g3g30g

More Blueberry Recipes

Looking for more ideas on what to eat after a workout? We have many more options in our blueberry recipe library. Even better, if you’re looking for a little help figuring out the best blueberry recipe to make with the ingredients you have on hand, you can try our Blueberry Recipe Matchmaker! All paths lead back to tasty boosts of blue with nutritious benefits.

Boost your workout throughout the year by visiting this site, where we’ll keep serving up new blueberry health information, recipes, ideas and hacks. As you make new blueberry recipes to eat after workouts – or anytime, really – share with your fellow blueberry fans and health-conscious friends! Just tag your social media posts and pics with #boostofblue and @blueberries (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) or @blueberrycouncil (TikTok).