Enjoy That Peanut Butter & Jelly After Workout Snack | It’s Good For You!

By now you know it’s vital  to rest and recover after a run or a race. One overlooked piece of that recovery is your nutrition! And we’ve got some seriously good news about one of those feel good foods from childhoods: the classics PB&J is indeed a recovery food!

Our goal is both restocking those depleted muscles AND simply finding foods that sound good after a hard effort.

So let’s talk about it!

Why Food Is Important To Recovery

Restoring your glycogen stores, repairing  muscle damage, and replenishing essential nutrients is all vital post run. It’s one of the many reasons that runners need carbohydrates and why unlike standard nutrition recommendations, we aren’t always looking for the highest fiber options.

Glycogen is the stored form of carbs used for energy, and since running depletes them, replenishing them is a must.

Pre, during and post run we’re often focused on fuel that the body can quickly use. The sooner you give your body nutrients to repair muscle damage, the sooner you kick off recovery and prevent drops in energy.

Of course it’s not just carbs that we want.

Protein helps repair micro tears in muscle tissue, and If you chow down on foods that contain healthy fats and vitamins they support the body’s ability to maximize recovery and muscle protein synthesis.

In fact, here are some post-run meals proven by science that we’ve covered in the past.

Peanut Butter And Jelly Packs A Recovery Punch

Carbs, essential fats, and proteins are all necessary for recovery, says registered dietician Lydia Nader.

“After a long run or run workout, the body is primed to replenish the glycogen stores immediately due to your body being more sensitive to insulin, thus you carry glucose better through the blood to the muscles. This also helps with getting protein to the muscle for repairing the tears in the muscles from a workout.”

And there’s one simple sandwich you can make with items already in your kitchen that (deliciously) meets all of these requirements – the humble PB&J.

You’ve got a yummy, one-handed snack that’s perfect for helping your body return to a good balance after a long run. We love this option because often runners just don’t feel like eating after a hot or hard workout.

That means finding appealing foods that are easy to digest. And we won’t complain about easy to make.

• Peanut and other nut butters pack protein, along with many healthy fats and vitamins.
• Bread and jelly provide those necessary carbs for glycogen restocking.
• Grab some electrolytes to wash it down to keep hydration going.

Here’s a longer list of post-run snack suggestions we’ve put together over the years.

Other Peanut Butter Recovery Foods

Worried about the bread and jelly’s glycemic index or maybe they’re just not your jam?

Other options include oatmeal with peanut/nut butter, throwing powdered peanut butter (PB2) in a smoothie, bananas dipped in peanut/nut butter, and nut butter on crackers.

So, the next time you get home from a run, take some time to stretch and cool down, but then make sure to head for the kitchen within a couple of hours to maximize your recovery.