Top 6 Keto Post Workout Foods to Help You Build Muscle

The ketogenic diet is all about keeping those carbs limited. For the diet to work, your carb intake must be extremely low. That said, what you eat plays a major role in the quality of your life. If you don’t include the right ingredients in your meals, you might be cutting yourself short—both physically and mentally. Feeling drained and tired all the time is awful, especially if you’re on a hard exercise regimen. You need proper post workout food if you want to build muscle, but it gets tricky when you need to stay in ketosis. So let’s take a look at the following six foods that might just work for you.

#1. Protein Powder

Sure, many people don’t consider protein powder a food. However, whey protein proves them wrong. It’s rich in the amino acid leucine, which is responsible for muscle growth. Highly digestible, containing all nine crucial amino acids (including muscle-building branched chain amino acids), and more efficient than casein, hemp, or pea, whey protein also happens to be keto friendly, which, in this case, is what matters most. Therefore, taking some after a tough workout will pay off nicely.

#2. Fish and Meat

Meat and fish are both great sources of fat and protein, but you must be careful about what kind of fish and meat you choose. Remember, you are what you eat. Aim at wild-caught fish and high-quality, grass-fed, pastured meat. As complete proteins, meat and fish are great for muscle growth. But since you want to remain in the state of ketosis, look for fattier options. For example, salmon is an awesome choice because it has omega-3 fats. When it comes to meat, well, how about some beef, pork, or lamb? Be creative, but keep the carb intake low.

#3. Avocado

Doesn’t eating an avocado after a workout sound healthy already? The numbers don’t lie. One cup of avocado has 22 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, and 13 grams of carbs. You might think that’s a lot of carbs, right? It’s not when you factor in the 10 grams of dietary fiber that avocado provides. This fiber offsets the carb load by limiting the blood sugar response. So, yeah, simple math does the trick quite nicely: 13 grams of carbs minus 10 grams of fiber leaves us with only 3 grams of net carbs. On top of that, avocados are rich in micronutrients. They contain vitamin B5, important for energy production, as well as vitamin K and E. Nice, right? Especially after a workout.

#4. Protein Bars

You want to stay in keto, so you need to keep your blood sugar stable. Lots of people use protein bars as a quick meal after workouts. But it’s difficult to find a low-carb protein bar because the vast majority of them have lots of sugar. Fortunately, there are protein bars specially made for keto dieters. Perfect Keto is a great example. Or you can use sugar-and-chemical-free biltong or jerky.

#5. Eggs

You probably know that eggs are awesome for the keto diet. They’re high in fat, low in carbs, and have decent levels of protein—which rivals whey protein for efficiency, digestibility, and bioavailability. Given all of these benefits, eggs are a smart choice when it comes to the post workout meal. But make sure to aim for organic, pasture-raised eggs.

#6. Green Soup

Eating a low-carb, green veggie soup after a workout is awesome. You can find tons of recipes online that vary mostly by the choice of greenery. But the overall concept is the same. Some baby spinach here, a bit of kale there, then add some garlic, onion, and olive oil. These ingredients are keto friendly, healthy, and will benefit your body quite well. Just make it a hearty green soup and you’ll be fine.

Conclusion

Be creative with your post workout meals. Just because you’re keeping it low carb doesn’t mean you can’t eat a tasty meal after a tough workout. These six foods are true proof of that.

Image from Unsplash. 

Sean Lockwood

“Keto Guy” Sean L. is a fitness and keto addict, and also the managing editor at Dream Keto. He likes everything that is green, from spinach to beautiful natural landscapes. He loves to cook healthy foods, travel, and play with his German Shepherd.

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