6 post-workout meals and snacks for vegans

peanut butter and banana on toast post workout snack

As a vegan, you need to eat foods that are packed with eight essential nutrients to keep your body healthy and avoid deficiencies.

The 8 essential nutrients

These nutrients are:

vitamin B12
protein
iron
calcium
vitamin D
omega-3 fatty acids
zinc
selenium

Chilli con carne

Pack this dish with soy mince, vegetables, beans, tomatoes and chilli powder for a spicy, mouth-watering dish.

Put a cup full of kidney beans and black beans to get approximately 50% of your reference intake (NRV) of leucine – a branched-chain amino acid which helps to maximise muscle protein response.¹

Lentil & spinach soup

This combination is easy to make and perfect for a post-workout meal.

The lentils offer the carbs and protein, with around a 2.2g:1g ratio. While the tomatoes and spinach provide a further 12g of protein, plus added vitamins and minerals.

Vegan

Easy

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of paprika
pinch of salt
1 litre vegetable stock
700ml water
200g dry lentils
400g tin chopped tomatoes
110g spinach

Method

Sauté one chopped onion and three carrots for seven minutes in a stockpot.

Add four minced cloves of garlic, and the spices, sauté for a further minute.

Add the stock, water, lentils and a tin of chopped tomatoes to the pan.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, adding the spinach in for the last couple of minutes.

Brown rice with pea powder & veg

Granted, this post-workout snack for vegans might not make it onto an a la carte menu, but it’s bursting with goodness – especially after a long cardiovascular session.

Brown rice is rich in carbohydrates and contains a small dose of protein.

However, combining a plant-based protein like pea powder with it will complete the essential amino acid profile, meaning your body gets more protein from the meal.

Vegan

Gluten Free

Easy

Ingredients

125g brown rice
2 scoops pea powder
1 pepper, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped into large chunks
1 courgette, chopped into large chunks
7 cherry tomatoes

Method

Boil the rice as instructed on the packet.

Meanwhile, fry the vegetables until slightly charged with a dash of oil.

Once the rice is drained and the vegetables are cooked, combine the two and mix in the pea powder - to give your dish a bit more oomph, try adding three tablespoons of vegan-friendly pesto!

Peanut butter and banana on toast

A scoop of peanut butter is a great source of protein, with 100g of it offering around 25 grams. The banana can give you a nice potassium lift, which is ideal to help energise after an early morning workout.

Soy milk protein shake

Perfect on the go, mix your protein powder with soy milk for an extra nutritious boost. Soy milk is full of calcium, vitamin B12, protein and vitamin D. If you want to shake things up a little bit, try almond flavour soy milk.