3 Perfect Meal Ideas After Your Running Session

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If you’re a passionate runner like me, then you know the importance of having the healthy diet, especially around your running session. A healthy diet is beneficial for runners in many ways as it provides them with needed nutrients for faster recovery. Runners who want to improve their running endurance or stamina should pay close attention to the food they are consuming. If you’re not consuming a right and healthy food, you can’t expect much progress in running.

carrots

Eating healthy is crucial for runners and each meal is important, but there is one meal you should give special attention to – meal after running session. That meal is responsible for muscle recovery after the session and you must be sure to feed the muscles with enough nutrients. Thus today I would love to share meal ideas that are ideal to eat after running session.

Why It’s Crucial to Have a Healthy Meal After Running Session?

The main reason for having a healthy meal packed with the right nutrients after running session is provide your body with the best recovery after workout. Running is a very stressful activity for joints and muscles, so it’s important to provide them with right nutrients at the right time.

healthy food
Do you really need a post-training meal and how it should look like?

The best time to eat is one hour after the running session. In that period, your body will crave for the nutrients the most. If you’re serious about running progress, then you know the importance of post-running meal. Your body simply won’t give you the place for progress if you don’t feed it with the right food. So, what’s the right food you may ask? Well, it’s important that you have a proper ratio of macronutrients. After the running session, you’ve lost a lot of fluids and glucose which means you need a fast source of energy. Knowing that the meals should be conceptualized to have around 50% carbohydrates, 25% proteins and 25% healthy fats. That way, you can be sure that you supplied your body with the macronutrients it needs.

In the following text, you can read about the post-running meal ideas you can easily prepare at your home.

#1 Protein Tuna Salad Wrap

This one is perfect for people who don’t have much time available due to a busy schedule. I know it can be a struggle to prepare a healthy meal after a hard and long running session, but think long-term.

tuna egg salad
Protein tuna salad wrap is full of right nutrients for a fast recovery.

Tuna salad wrap is providing you with all macronutrients needed for optimal recovery after the session. It won’t take you more than 15 minutes to prepare this meal and if you’re living on the budget, this one will be a perfect choice for you.

Ingredients

  • 2 whole wheat tortillas
  • Lemon juice
  • 2 spoons of high-grade olive oil
  • 1 can of tuna
  • ½ dices of red onion
  • ½ cup of diced peppers
  • 1 spoon of chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Step 1) Open a can of tuna and place pieces of tuna in a big bowl.

Step 2) Add lemon juice, olive oil, onion, peppers and parsley in the bowl and stir up everything.

Step 3) Add salt and pepper for seasoning, but don’t overdo it. Stir up everything in the bowl and prepare two tortillas.

Step 4) Wrap the final mixture in tortillas and leave it for some time in the fridge.

That’s it! You have a delicious and healthy meal filled with the right amount of macronutrients needed for optimal recovery after running session. You can prepare this tuna salad even if you ‘re on a strict budget and tight schedule.

#2 Mexican Potato Omelet

If you’re lover of eggs, then you will simply enjoy this easy, but delicious omelet.

omelet
The perfect combination of macronutrients can be found in Mexican potato omelet.

The Mexican potato omelet, as the name suggests, is filled with healthy fat from eggs and carbohydrates from potato making a perfect mixture of macronutrients for recovery.

Ingredients

  • 2 spoons of high-quality olive oil
  • 2 cups of diced potato that is previously cooked
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of chili sauce if you like spicy food
  • ½ cup of freshly chopped parsley
  • ¼ spoons of salt
  • 5 slices of Cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup of freshly chopped scallions              

Method

Step 1) Cut the potato into small pieces, put it in a small pan, add salt and cook it until the potato doesn’t get a golden-brown color.

Step 2) Put the eggs in the bowl and blend it with parsley, salt, Cheddar cheese and scallions. Once you get a solid mixture, combine it with the cooked potato.      

Step 3) Put the casserole in the oven and leave it until preheat is done. Brush a casserole with olive oil and pour the mixture into the casserole.

Step 4) Put the temperature to medium-low and allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5) Move the casserole near the heat source, so the upper layer of the mixture will cook evenly. After 3 – 4 minutes, you can turn the heat off and cut everything in the wedges ready for serving.

This post-running meal is effortless to prepare and doesn’t require any special ingredients. The whole preparation process won’t take you more than 30 minutes and you will have a complete and healthy meal in front of you. It’s a great source of Vitamin C and Calcium which will add up to overall recovery rate.

#3 Quick Breakfast Taco

What can be more delicious and healthier than eggs mixed with vegetables and wrapped in tortillas?

scrambled eggs
Quick breakfast taco, as the name suggests, is the quick but healthy recipe you must try.

It’s fast and easy to prepare this meal which can serve as an excellent source of macronutrients after your running session.

Ingredients

  • 2 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 spoon of salsa
  • 4 pieces of Cheddar cheese
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ spoon of salt and pepper
  • ½ cup of freshly chopped parsley
  • 2 spoons of high-grade olive oil

Method

Step 1) Put the cheese and salsa on a tortilla and place everything in the microwave until cheese is melted.

Step 2) Cook eggs in a pan with olive oil. Add parsley, salt and pepper for the taste.

Step 3) When the eggs are done, just put everything in tortillas and wrap it.

That’s everything! You need around 15 minutes to prepare this healthy post-running meal.

What do you like to eat after hard running sessions? Share your recipes and meal ideas with us!

21 thoughts on “3 Perfect Meal Ideas After Your Running Session”

  1. i know it’s awful, but part of the reason i work out at all is so i can partake of delicious (and caloric) foods without fretting! these dishes (aside from the tuna, which i’ve just never liked) are guilt-free but still awesome!

    Reply
  2. Great ideas for post-running meals Agnes! As I run very early on weekday mornings (6.30am) and then go straight to work after that I have to carry my oatmeal breakfast in a little container to heat up as soon as I get to work. These recipes would be good for me on a Saturday though as generally I go home after that run. My favourite from your above recipes would be the Mexican potato omelet.

    Reply
  3. mmm breakfast tacos sound so tasty! i’ve been doing big salads with tons of raw and sauteed veggies, with some sort of protein (usually eggs or beans) and dressing after my workouts recently. a little bit of work, but they’re great to meal prep (:

    Reply
  4. I love your idea for tuna with olive oil and lemon! Indeed, this sounds like a perfect post-workout meal! I’m always looking for something different for lunch, which, for me, is my post-workout time usually! Thanks for these great recipes!

    Reply
  5. All the recipes look yummy but my fave is the Mexican potato omelet. I had no idea 1 hour after running was optimal to eat.

    Reply
  6. That tuna veggie ensemble looks amazing! I’m going to have to try that for my lunches!!! I love the other ideas too, we eat a lot of eggs around here! Yum!

    Reply
  7. This 3 perfect meal ideas would mean a lot after running. This would be a huge help. Thanks for sharing this one out.

    Reply

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