In this blog, I’m going to share with you the cheapest post workout food that is easily available in the Indian market.
No doubt there are a lot of post-workout supplements available in the market.
The most popular of them being Whey protein.
Even though there is no problem in consuming whey protein, it is totally safe natural and recommended.
But the downside of whey protein is that it is very costly.
One serving of a good whey protein powder will cost you about 50 rupees, because of which many of us who are on a tight budget, especially the students living in hostels and PGS are unable to afford it.
But at the same time, we cannot and we should not compromise on post-workout nutrition.
It does not matter if your goal is to cut fat from the body or build muscle, post-workout nutrition is very important.
It is called the window of growth, so what do we mean by proper nutrition post-workout.
There are two things that you should take into consideration –
Number one the most important nutrient that should be in your diet post-workout is protein and second, one nutrient that should never be in your post-workout diet is fats.
Why protein? because it is the number one nutrient that repairs your body, it builds your muscles stronger and bigger.
And why not fats? because they slow down the absorption of protein in the body and post-workout you need fast-digesting protein as soon as possible.
So, what option do we have?
Well, there is one food which is cheap and is available throughout the world.
Yes, you guessed that right, it is the Egg.
Now, when I say eggs, I mean egg-whites because we are talking about post-workout nutrition and we don’t need fats.
One whole egg has about 6 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fats, which comes solely from their yolk.
On the other hand, one egg white has about four grams of protein and zero fats and zero carbohydrates.
So, it is a lean source of protein which is perfect to be consumed post-workout.
Now, the question arises how many egg-whites can we have post-workout?
Well, you can have 4 to 8 egg-whites depending upon your own muscle maturity.
For example, if you’ve just started working out you’re a beginner then I would recommend you to have four egg whites post-workout.
And, if you’re someone who has been working out for quite some time now and your muscles are mature enough you can have up to eight egg whites in one serving.
For women, this ranges from 3 to 6 egg whites.
Now you may argue that it is very difficult to eat egg whites on a daily basis.
I agree they are tasteless.
So, in this regard, let me share with you five ways by which you can fight the bland taste of egg whites and eat them post-workout very easy.
5 Ways You Can Eat Egg-Whites
#1
You can eat egg-whites along with your choice of food, I prefer dates.
However, you can use any fruit like apple, banana or whatever is available to you.
The sweet taste of fruits will help you eat the egg-whites very easily.
#2
If you want to have them salty, you can make an egg-white chaat.
All you need to do is add onions tomatoes and cucumbers and season it with salt pepper and lemon.
#3
You can also make a vegetable egg-white Bhurji [scrambled egg with vegetables] using your favourite vegetables like spinach, capsicum, carrots etc.
#4
You can also treat yourself with a vegetable egg white omelette.
#5
Another effective way to overcome the bland taste of egg whites is to mix them with Daal or any curry for that matter, sounds odd but works very well.
This way you can keep changing your post-workout meal throughout the week.
So, as we saw egg-white is one food which is high in protein, has zero fats, zero carbohydrates, it is very cheap and is available through of the world.
So, it is the perfect food to be consumed after a workout.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Now, let us dig a little deeper and allow me to answer some of the questions which might be on your mind at this moment.
How do I identify with the eggs are made of plastic or the real ones?
But lately, plastic eggs are creating a lot of buzzes.
One simple tip that I can give you is that always try to buy eggs from a wholesaler.
Not only you will get eggs for a cheaper price, but also there will be fewer chances of they being fake.
Then if you find eggs are overly shiny and bright, they can be plastic eggs.
Also, if you find that the surface of eggs is rough and is not smooth there can be something fishy about that.
One simple test that you can do to differentiate between a plastic egg and a real egg, in a dark room you can flash torchlight on an egg.
If you can see small breathing holes in it a real egg.
But do not worry most of the eggs in the market are fine. But still, you have to be cautious.
What do I do with the spare egg yolks? I cannot waste them.
But, if you still want to use it, useful in some way or the other, you can apply egg yolk on your face.
They are great as a face pack and they will nourish the skin.
You can also apply egg yolks on your hair and they will serve as a good conditioner. Or you simply throw them, there are different organisms that will take care of them.
How much time after the workout should I have a post-workout meal?
As I said post-workout our body needs fast recovery. So, you should consume your post-workout meal as soon as possible like within 30 minutes or a maximum of 60 minutes.
I am a vegetarian, can I eat almonds post-workout?
The reason is very simple because they are high in fats.
One serving of almonds has about 6 grams of protein, but also 14gms of fat and we have already discussed why we should not consume fats post-workout.
So, if you are a vegetarian, you can either invest in Whey protein or you can have 500 ml of milk along with 2 bananas home-made paneer.
I am a working professional, can I take egg-whites along to my workplace?
I eat them as in when I want to eat them. I don’t keep them in the refrigerator and they do not spoil throughout the day.
If you have any doubts or suggestions, let me know in the comments below and also do not forget to share if you find it to be helpful.