You can’t go wrong with a really good workout in your day, but can you undue the work you put in by eating a cheeseburger afterwards? You won’t take away from your body’s newfound strength by eating poorly post-workout, but you can do a lot of good to your body if you choose certain recovery foods instead.

Your body sees much more than muscle building from a workout, but with the right foods, you can help recovery and get the best results. When it’s time to refuel after your workout, grab these healthy treats that will make a world of difference for your body’s recovery.

Greens

It’s probably not surprising to hear that you should reach for a salad rather than a cheeseburger after a workout, but you may be surprised to hear that leafy greens like spinach, kale, and watercress will help your body to get the iron it needs after a workout.

You’ll find iron in meat and fish too, but this iron is known as heme iron, while non-heme iron is found in plants and animal tissue. You need a healthy balance of both heme and non-heme iron in order to get the iron you need and the absorption ability you need to soak it all in. Make sure you’re choose leafy greens for high vitamins, minerals, fiber, and vitamin C after your workout.

Berries and cherries

Don’t reach for a chocolate bar or potato chips when you need a post-workout snack. Instead, reach for blueberries and tart cherries because you’ll see huge health benefits from this delicious treat. This applies to any of the dark berries because these are known for having antioxidants which help with ridding the body of waste after your workout, one of the body’s most critical systems for the daily fight against toxins.

Choose tart cherries to reduce soreness or blueberries to increase your muscle energy and improve performance since it speeds up the recovery process. Make a post-workout smoothie or just eat them fresh for a delicious treat.

Shake with Whey Protein

If you decide to make a shake with your dark berries, be sure to throw in whey protein for even more post-workout benefits. You’ve likely heard about whey proteins for workouts, but you may not have known the benefits behind it. This is great habit to start because whey protein contains a full 9 essential amino acids which learn to rebuild lean tissue.

Whey is a byproduct of cheese production, but not all whey powders are made the same. Be sure to choose ones that contain no hormones, pesticides, or grain byproducts, and throw this into your daily workout shake ingredients. You’ll see benefits like faster recovery, decrease in strength loss after a workout, lowered blood pressure, reduced glutathione, and reduced inflammation.

Fermented Foods

Last but not least, you’ll want to start learning more about fermented food because this superfood is another great choice for your post-workout recovery. These types of food are great for your but because they help support the growth of the healthy bacteria your body needs.

You’ll see benefits like improved nutrition absorption, better metabolism, and lactic acid production that your muscles need for energy and fueling the brain for exercise. Try foods like kefir, kimchi, or sauerkraut for this benefit.

If you are looking for foods that will not only help your body recover better, but also to enhance your workout regimen, choose these top choices for your post-workout recovery diet.