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11 Healthy Packaged Snacks That’ll Help You Refuel and Recover Faster After a Run
Whether you’re short on time or your stomach can’t handle much food after your miles, these options will do the trick.
Although it’s often overlooked, the post-run recovery meal or snack is one of the most crucial elements of your fueling plan. You may think that what you eat before a run is all that matters, but good postrun recovery nutrition also plays an important role in your overall performance.
During a run, your body utilizes glycogen (your body’s source of stored carbs) for energy, and your muscles experience tiny little tears. To replace the glycogen stores and aid in muscle recovery, you want to eat foods that have a combination of carbs and protein. Ideally, a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio has been shown to be most beneficial for post-workout recovery. In other words, a food should have 1 gram of protein for every 3 grams of carbs.
Whether you’re short on time or your stomach can’t handle much food after a run, eating a full recovery meal isn’t always doable. But there are a wide range of snacks that fit the post-run criteria. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite healthy packaged snacks, so you can quickly recover after logging your miles.
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Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD is a New York City-based dietitian, food and nutrition writer, national speaker and owner of Nutrition a la Natalie, a sports nutrition practice. She developed a love for cooking, nutrition and fitness as an adult, which prompted a career change from advertising to nutrition. She spends most of her spare time running along the NYC waterfront and creating (and photographing) healthy and tasty recipes.
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