15 Vegetarian Post-Workout Snack Ideas
In can be helpful for athletes following a vegetarian diet to have ideas for the best snacks to eat following a workout.
Planning ahead to have the right vegetarian post-workout snacks available can help ensure an athlete’s recovery nutrition needs are met.
What to Include in a Vegetarian Post-Workout Snack
When planning post-workout snacks, there are three key areas of recovery nutrition that athletes should keep in mind.
- Rehydrate: Consume fluid and electrolytes to replace sweat losses
- Refuel: Consume carbohydrates to replace energy stores used during the activity
- Repair: Consume protein to build and repair muscles
Understanding the Different Types of Vegetarian Diets
When planning post-workout snacks for athletes following a vegetarian diet, it is important to understand the different types of plant-based diets.
Depending on the type of vegetarian diet followed, athletes may differ in the types of animal-based products they consume.
Terminology that is commonly used to describe different types of vegetarian diets include (1).
- Vegetarian – Avoids all animal/seafood flesh foods (meat, poultry, pork, seafood), may or may not consume dairy or egg products.
- Lacto-vegetarian – Follows a vegetarian diet, will consume dairy products, but not eggs or egg products.
- Ovo-vegetarian – Follows a vegetarian diet, will consume eggs and egg products, but not dairy products.
- Lacto-ovo-vegetarian – Follows a vegetarian diet, will consume dairy and egg products.
- Vegan – Will not consume any animal-based products, including eggs, dairy, and sometimes honey.
Vegetarian Post-Workout Snacks: Protein Options
There are numerous ways athletes following a vegetarian diet can add protein to their post-workout snacks.
Below are a variety of options that can assist vegetarian athletes with meeting their protein needs following a workout.
- Lacto-ovo-vegetarian protein options: Milk, high-protein milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs
- Vegan protein options: Soy milk, tofu, edamame, seitan, quinoa, beans, nuts, nut butters, seeds
Vegetarian Post-Workout Snacks: Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are important for athletes, as they provide them with the energy needed to perform at their best.
During activity, athletes use their body’s stores of carbohydrates to fuel their performance. Consuming carbohydrates following a workout is important to help replenish these stores.
Athletes following a vegetarian diet can add carbohydrates to their post-workout snack from a variety of sources, including:
- Fruit: Fresh, dried, frozen, canned in 100% fruit juice, applesauce
- Grains: Bread, bagels, wraps, granola bars, oatmeal, cereal, rice, pasta
- Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn
- Beans, legumes
- Milk, yogurt
Include Anti-Inflammatory Foods in Vegetarian Post-Workout Snacks
When possible, I recommend athletes also include foods in their vegetarian post-workout snacks that can help reduce inflammation in the body and enhance recovery.
Some of my favorite anti-inflammatory foods that athletes can add to a post-workout snack include:
- Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries strawberries
- Cherries and tart cherry juice
- Dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocados
- Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, pistachios
- Seeds: Chia seeds, flaxseeds
15 Vegetarian Post-Workout Snack Ideas
Putting this all together, here are 15 vegetarian post-workout snack ideas for athletes.
- Greek yogurt, berries, granola
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Trail mix: Variety of nuts, seeds, roasted chickpeas, edamame, dried fruit, pretzels
- Soy milk and breakfast bars
- Hummus, pita chips, and mini peppers
- Veggie wrap with hummus, sliced cheese, tomatoes, avocados, and spinach
- Bagel with almond butter and banana slices
- Cottage cheese with pineapple and chia seeds
- Hard-boiled eggs, graham crackers, tart cherry juice
- Vegetarian protein overnight oats
- String cheese, crackers, grapes, almonds
- Sunflower butter, apple slices, granola bars
- Greek yogurt dip, pretzels, baby carrots
- Sports drink, vegetarian protein bar
- Post-workout smoothie
Vegetarian Post-Workout Protein Shakes
In addition to the ideas above, athletes following a vegetarian diet can drink a protein shake post-workout to support them with meeting their recovery nutrition needs.
When selecting a plant-based protein powder, athletes should be aware that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the same way that food is. Supplements may contain banned substances that could potentially be harmful to an athlete’s health or make the athlete ineligible for competition (2).
Due to this, athletes should be mindful to look for supplements that have been third-party tested. Supplements that are third-party tested have been evaluated by an outside organization for accuracy of ingredients.
Two companies that evaluate and third-party certify sports supplements are NSF International Certified for Sport and Informed Sport.
Alternatives to Protein Powders for Vegetarian Athletes
If athletes prefer not to use a protein powder in a shake, there are a variety of alternative ways to boost the protein content of their drink.
Items such as Greek yogurt, tofu, soy milk, nut butter, and seeds can all be used to add protein, vitamins, and minerals to a shake without the use of a supplement.
If you are interested in additional ideas, make sure to check out my blog on protein powder alternatives for athletes.
When Are Post-Workout Snacks Important?
Athletes should prioritize post-workout snacks when they have limited time to recover between exercise sessions (3). This includes athletes participating in two-a-day workouts or who have intense weekly training and competitions schedules.
In addition, I encourage athletes to be mindful about consuming a post-workout snack if it will be several hours until their next meal.
Athletes who have morning practice before school should make sure to pack snacks in their backpacks to eat before heading to class.
Similarly, athletes participating in afterschool sports can benefit from consuming a post-workout snack, especially if they won’t be eating dinner until later in the evening.
Too often, I find that with busy schedules, athletes will skip their post-workout snack and miss a key opportunity to fuel their bodies.
Plan Your Vegetarian Post-Workout Snacks in Advance
I encourage athletes following a vegetarian diet to plan ahead to ensure they have post-workout snacks available that will support their recovery nutrition needs.
Athletes should make time on the weekend to meal prep and ingredient prep snacks to have available during the week.
In addition, they should pack snacks in their backpacks and gym bags that they can eat following a workout when time is limited.
Planning ahead to ensure they have the right foods available at the right time is a key factor for sports nutrition success.
15 Vegetarian Post-Workout Snack Ideas
You are now set with a variety of vegetarian post-workout snack ideas that can support athletes with meeting their recovery nutrition needs.
For additional nutrition tips for athletes following plant-based diets, make sure to check out my blog on vegan diets for runners.
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About the Author
Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation.
If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.
